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At this Orthodox church in Melbourne, bells rang for midnight mass, these Australian worshippers among some of the first in the world to mark Orthodox Easter.
The Orthodox church celebrates the resurrection of Christ on a different date to non-Orthodox Easter, because it uses the older Julian calendar.
In a Greek Orthodox Church in Sydney, the congregation was shrouded in darkness as the priest lit a candle representing the eternal flame of Jesus, passing it onto others.
Among the worshippers was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who later told crowds it was a “joy” to be with them to mark the occasion
“To attend a Greek Orthodox Church at this sacred time is to be immersed in history, heritage, culture and of course faith, and to feel the warm embrace of family and community.”
It’s a significant day for the more than half-a-million Australians who identify as Orthodox Christians, not least because of heightened global tensions affecting religious communities worldwide.
At Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, the site of a recent alleged stabbing and terror attack, members of the Assyrian Orthodox community attended a morning service.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, still recovering from an eye injury allegedly sustained during the attack, was not leading the service.
He’s currently on an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and sent a video message urging unity among Christians.
“We would like to wish every Christian, whoever you are and wherever you are, this resurrection of our Lord Jesus, may it be an infinite blessing, may it be an enlightenment to our hearts, to our minds, and to our souls. And may it be a turning point for many, many people, to come back to the light, to the way and to the truth.”
This worshipper echoed the message of forgiveness.
“We’ve all got to be together, we’ve all got to help each other out. You know, these things happen everywhere around the world, it’s not just limited to this location, so unfortunately you get good, bad people wherever you go, you’ve just go to be the better person, lead by example, and forgive and accept everyone for who they are, no matter where they are, that’s what we’re all about.”
As Australians attended morning services, Orthodox communities around the world were attending midnight mass.
In Ethiopia, which has the largest Orthodox population outside Europe, worshippers participated in hours-long church services that concluded at around 3-a-m.
They are among many Orthodox communities breaking a fast of 55 days in the lead-up to Easter, abstaining from meat and dairy.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian Orthodox Christians had to enter the church before midnight because of a wartime curfew, staying until 5-a-m when it lifted – restrictions not in place in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin attended midnight mass in Moscow.
In Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which tradition holds as the site of Christ’s resurrection, Orthodox believers from the world over travelled to mark the occasion where it all began.
This worshipper was among many this year who expressed hope for an end to conflict in the region, and worldwide.
“This year is very sad but I wish with the light of the holy fire from Jerusalem will give peace all around the world, thank you and happy Easter, Jesus is risen.”
