Muted Holy Week, Pascha Celebrations in Syria

This year's Holy Week and Paschal commemorations were muted in Syria due to the ongoing political unrest in the country, which opposes the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad, but also threatens the security of the country's religious minorities, among them large numbers of Antiochian, Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Christians. Public processions and celebrations were voluntarily canceled by the leaders of the Orthodox Churches in Syria to avoid worsening the unrest. More here.