When ISIS-affiliated fighters created a path of destruction though large areas of Marawi in the Philippines during the last year, they also put paid to Easter plans in the city’s St Mary’s Cathedral. Despite attempts to ready the church, it’s been decided not to hold services there this Easter.
These two videos give you an ideas of what locals and those sent to protect them had to put up with, when the region was taken over by Islamist jihadis.
This clip shows prayers taking place while a gun battle was raging outside:
This video shows some of the destruction by the Islamists:
This Easter spare a though for those who remain true to Christianity despite the threats to their lives for doing so.