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The faithful attended the midnight Easter service in the Georgian capital Tbilisi
Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Easter, the most important festival on their calendar, amid a series of restrictions and prohibitions.
Officials in Europe, the Middle East and Africa urged people not to attend services, fearing that this will lead to an increase in coronavirus infections.
However, in Georgia, the faithful can still attend churches.
The traditional Holy Fire ceremony was held in a nearly deserted Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
The church closed last month and only a handful of Orthodox clerics, some of them wearing black masks, were able to enter the ceremony on Saturday.
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Some pilgrims gathered in the Old City of Jerusalem to take the Sacred Fire as they left the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Traditionally, the Greek Orthodox patriarch Theophilos III lights a candle with the Sacred Fire in the crypt of the Holy Sepulcher, to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus.
Instead of passing the flame on to thousands of pilgrims, this time the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch, four assistants and Coptic and Syrian archbishops attended the ceremony, Israeli media reported.
Church bells rang and Theophilos III and others drew the flame from the church to take it to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and fly to 10 countries.
How is Orthodox Easter marked throughout the world?
From Russia The Orthodox Church has agreed to break its annual traditions and is urging millions of believers not to attend church. The faithful usually attend night processions to receive blessings.
This year the services are held only in the presence of priests and other clergy.
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AFP
On Saturday, Orthodox volunteers in Moscow attended the blessing of traditional cakes and eggs for people in need.
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EPA
In Ukraine, Orthodox priests blessed the faithful with holy water
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In Ethiopia, the faithful were asked to observe strict social distancing in the churches.
In Ukraine, the police are now deployed near churches in the capital Kyiv and elsewhere to prevent believers from gathering in large numbers.
In Greece, Authorities are using drones to monitor the situation. Road blocks have been established to prevent the usual exodus of several million people to the countryside and the islands.
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Greek police have been deployed by the thousands to maintain strict movement restrictions.
When the Sacred Fire reached Athens on Saturday afternoon, it was brought to the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Athens and was not distributed to churches elsewhere.
The Church has backed the ban, and thousands of police have been deployed to prevent Greeks from using the holiday to visit relatives or second homes.
The Sacred Fire was also brought on Saturday to the Church of the Holy Nativity in the Palestinian City of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
Of Egipt Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II held a Good Friday service without a congregation in a monastery northeast of Cairo. The service was televised live on Coptic Orthodox television channels and featured deacons and priests gathered with gaps between them to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In RomaniaPeople have been told that they will not be allowed to leave their homes to receive the Sacred Fire on Easter night or to have bread sprinkled with holy water and wine, as is traditional.
However, it will be distributed to the homes of believers upon request. President Klaus Iohannis called on the Romanians to give up on the idea of having loved ones close to them, in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Bulgaria It has imposed a curfew in the capital, Sofia, to stop traffic in and out of the city to prevent people from going on vacation.
Churches in Serbia and Montenegro I told the faithful to celebrate Easter at home.
But North Macedonia The Orthodox Church says it will not use force to prevent people from going to church.
- How Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter in 2019
- Orthodox Christians take an icy dip for Epiphany
Why is Georgia different?
By Rayhan Demytrie, BBC News Tbilisi
He has never been so calm in Tbilisi.
The government has banned the movement of all private cars before Easter Sunday. Cemeteries, which Georgians traditionally visit on Easter Monday, are also closed.
Those who violate the state of emergency law, which among other restrictions prohibits meetings of more than three people, face heavy fines of almost £ 800 ($ 1,000; € 900).
And yet, many Georgians wonder why the government made an exception for the Orthodox Church. Thousands have continued to worship freely in churches across the country since the crisis began.
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OC Media / Mariam Nikuradze
Earlier this month, Bishop Shio Mujiri, the successor chosen by the Patriarch, gave Holy Communion with a shared spoon.
The Church has refused to adapt its customs. Priests continue to give Holy Communion with a shared spoon.
At least two priests have already tested positive for Covid-19. But the midnight Easter service continued.
The parishioners were received at the Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi despite the curfew. The country’s health authorities have pleaded with people to listen to science for the good of their country.
