This meditation on Holy Saturday is based on an ancient Homily. Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

Under driving wind and rain, Pope Benedict XVI opted out of carrying a symbolic cross of Jesus Christ to conclude a traditional Good Friday procession.

Thousands of pilgrims in Jerusalem have taken part in the traditional procession on the Via Dolorosa, which according to the scriptures is the road taken by Jesus Christ when he carried his cross to the site of his crucifixion. Many of the pilgrims carried a wooden cross.

Good Friday is being observed across the world since the Pope will hold two services commemorating Christ's crucifiction including a procession around the ruins of Rome's Colosseum and has also called on Catholics to be of service to each other and confess their sins.

Today the Christians around the world that follow the Gregorian Calendar commemorate the Maundy Thursday, better known as Holy Thursday remembering the day when Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas after the Last Supper in which He mandated his disciples to love one another and washed their feet as a sign of love.

The Russian Orthodox Church started celebrating Easter with a divine service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow yesterday. The service was led by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksi II.

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Cathedral at the Vatican.

For the second year, Pope Benedict led the traditional Way of the Cross procession in Rome's ancient Coliseum. Thousands took part in the solemn ceremony. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Christians around the world are marking Good Friday, the day of Jesus' crucifixion. There was a big turnout for the traditional observance in Jerusalem, as we hear in this VOA report from Robert Berger who was on-scene.

This evening the Armenian Apostolic Church will start celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Feast of Resurrection is called also Easter (Zatik), which means estrangement from sins and return to God.

Thousands of Christian worshippers packed into their most revered church on Saturday, lighting row upon row of candles, pouring hot wax onto their faces and dancing in celebration of the Orthodox churches' Easter 'holy fire' ritual.

On Holy Thursday, April 5, the major services of Holy Week began in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Armenia.