Orthodox Holy Week and Paschal Snaps Worldwide – 2012

Jerusalem: Worshipers hold candles as they take part in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old city April 14, 2012.

Orthodox Christian worshippers take part in the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City at midnight on April 15, 2012

Palestine: Palestinian Christian girls take part in the Holy Fire procession during Orthodox Easter holiday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Saturday, April 14, 2012.

Constantinople: His All-Holiness blesses the beginning of the process of sanctification of the Holy Myron in a special office on 9th April 2012.

Serbia: Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej, performs the traditional Orthodox Easter Liturgy in Belgrade's Congregational church, Serbia, Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Bulgaria: Bulgarians walk with candles near the golden-domed Alexander Nevski cathedral after an Easter service in Sofia on April 15, 2012. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrated Easter, according to the Julian calendar.

Macedonia: A Macedonian Orthodox believer holds a candle during a midnight Easter service in the St. Dimitrija Church in Skopje on April 15, 2012.

Cyprus: A Christian Orthodox believer holds her candle after lighting from the holy fire at the Ayios Neofytos (Saint Neofytos) Christian Orthodox Church in Anthoupoli, suburb of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, early Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Armenia: His Holiness Karekin II Leading Paschal celebrations in Yerevan on 8th April 2012.

Lebanon: His Holiness Aram I and other Prelates leads Paschal Celebrations in Antelias. Armenian Church celebrated Eastern on 8 April 2012.

Southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija: Serb children are seen in the eclave of Gračanica on Easter Sunday.

Romania: Matins of the Holy Great Friday, also called the Matins of the 12 Gospels, celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral on 13 April 2012.

Syria:Children take photos of the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East Ignatius Hazim IV with their mobile phones as he heads an Orthodox Easter service at a church in Damascus April 15, 2012

Syria: Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Allepo Mor Gregorious Yuhana Ibrahim leading Holy Friday Services

Albania: A child lights a candle with his father during an Orthodox Easter service at a church in Tirana April 15, 2012.

Kyrgyzstan: Orthodox believers light candles as thye celebrate Easter during a midnight liturgy at a church in Bishkek on early April 15, 2012.

Ukraine: An Orthodox priest blesses traditional Easter cakes and painted eggs prepared for Easter celebrations in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra church (Cave Monastery) in the capital city of in Kiev.

Belarus: An Orthodox Church priest, right, uses holy water to bless the faithful holding willow twigs during a mass to mark the Orthodox Palm Sunday in the town of Novogrudok,150 km (93 miles) west of the capital Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, April 8, 2012. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, where palms or olive trees don't grow, they are replaced by willow twigs.

Georgia: A woman attends a religious service at Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi, April 8, 2012. Georgian Orthodox church marks Palm Sunday which commemorates Jesus Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Japan: Primate of Japanese Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Daniel (Nushiro) leading a service during the Lenten period.

Poland: A Paschal Banner displayed in front of an Orthodox Church in the city of Bialystok, northeastern Poland

Greece: An Orthodox priest holds a candle with the holy flame at Agios Dimitrios (Saint Dimitrios) church during the resurrection of Jesus Christ procession marking the end of the Christian orthodox Easter week, in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, early Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Moldova: Orthodox Believers take part in Pasahal Liturgy and procession

Finland: Orthodox Women honored on Palm Sunday 2012

Egypt: A man walks past a Coptic Christian preparing palm frond decorations ahead of Easter in front of a church in Cairo April 8, 2012.

Russia: Russian Orthodox Church Head, Patriarch Kirill, speaks as he presents his new book “The Mystery of Repentance. Lenten Sermons (2001-2011)” in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, on March 14, 2012

USA: Metropolitan Jonah, together with His Grace, Bishop Tikhon and His Grace, Bishop Michael, presides at the Consecration of Holy Chrism for the Orthodox Church in America at St Tikhon’s Monastery on 12 th April 2012.

India: Paschal Liturgy at St George Orthodox Church (Chandanappaly) in the southern state of Kerala.

Pakistan: Orthodox Christian girls pray during an Orthodox Easter Liturgy 2012.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnian Serb worshipers praying during a liturgy on Orthodox Easter, in Orthodox Church in Tuzla, 140 kms north of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Sunday, April 15, 2012. Bosnian Serbs celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar.

Indonesia: An young Orthodox believer attends Paschal Liturgy

Australia & New Zealand: An Orthodox Paschal table arranged prior to Easter Monday. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, according to Christian belief. Many Orthodox Christian churches in Australia often observe Easter Monday at a later date than the Easter Monday date observed by many western churches. The day is also known as Bright Monday.

Canada: Lamb is a popular Easter dish for many Orthodox Christians in Canada

Ethiopia: Faithfuls returning from Palm Sunday liturgy at Bole Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

UK: Father Simon Smyth leading the 12th Hour Service at the British Orthodox Parish of Christ the Saviour in Bournemouth.

Czech and Slovakia: A Shot Inside the Orthodox Cathedral in Prague on Holy Thursday

Alexandria: His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa conducted the Divine Liturgy at the Community Church of the Holy Archangels of the Arabic orthodox Community in Cairo during the holy Lenten season.

Chile: Paschal Choir practice by Chilean Orthodox faithful.

Netherlands: Inside of an Orthodox Church

Orthodox Old Believers: Russian Orthodox Old Believers hold candles during an Easter service at a church in Moscow April 14, 2012.