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Agence France Presse
April14, 2012 Saturday 4:21 PM GMT
'Holy Fire' lights up Jerusalem church for Easter
JERUSALEM, April 14 2012
Thousands of Orthodox Christians filled Jerusalem's ancient Church of
the Holy Sepulchre and spilled out into the narrow streets on Saturday
for the "Holy Fire" ceremony on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
Believers hold that the fire is miraculously sent from heaven to
ignite candles held by the Greek Orthodox patriarch in an annual rite
dating back to the 4th century that symbolises the resurrection of
Jesus.
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said around 10,000 faithful
packed into the church, with thousands more outside in the streets of
the surrounding Old City. She said there were about 20,000 people last
year.
Some 3,000 police were deployed in the church and around it to keep
the jubilation from getting out of hand. No major incidents were
reported, but there was some pushing and shoving at barricades that
had been set up.
As is the case every year, Israel restricted the number of Christians
from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, overwhelmingly Orthodox, who could
attend.
Patriarch Theophilos III traditionally makes his grand entry at the
head of a procession of monks, chanters, dignitaries and red and gold
banners bearing icons.
After circling an ornate shrine in the heart of the church three times
amid chants of "Axios" ("He is worthy"), he enters what Orthodox,
Roman Catholics and many other Christians believe is Jesus's burial
site, emerging minutes later with several lit candles.
The patriarch is always searched beforehand to ensure that he is
carrying nothing, such as matches or a lighter, that could be used to
light the candles.
As joyous people press in on him, the patriarch passes on the flames
to their outstretched candles. The fire makes its way through the
crowd, casting a flickering orange glow on the grey walls and towering
stone columns, and filling the air with smoke.
Pilgrims claim the Holy Fire does not burn their hair, faces, clothes
or anything else during the first 33 minutes of its appearance, and
one web site (http://www.holyfire.org) offers videos claiming to show
worshippers in prolonged contact with the flames without being hurt.
The Holy Fire, which quickly makes its way outside to the crowds
waiting there, is also carried to nearby Bethlehem's Church of the
Nativity, where Jesus is believed to have been born, and also much
farther afield.
It will be flown to Athens and to the capitals of other predominantly
Orthodox countries to be shared.
The church, which the Orthodox call the Church of Resurrection, also
encloses what is widely believed to be Calvary, the site on which
Jesus was crucified.
While it is therefore one of Christianity's holiest sites, it is
shared uneasily by six denominations -- the Greek Orthodox, Roman
Catholics,ArmenianOrthodox, Egyptian Copts, Syrian Orthodox and
Ethiopian Orthodox.
Past ceremonies have been marred by violence, with fist fights
breaking out among monks from the different denominations over
perceived changes to a status quo hammered out over several centuries.
The date of Orthodox Easter is calculated differently than by the
Roman Catholics and other churches, so the most important feast of the
Christian year is frequently celebrated on different Sundays.
Most Christians celebrated Easter last week.
April14, 2012 Saturday 4:21 PM GMT
'Holy Fire' lights up Jerusalem church for Easter
JERUSALEM, April 14 2012
Thousands of Orthodox Christians filled Jerusalem's ancient Church of
the Holy Sepulchre and spilled out into the narrow streets on Saturday
for the "Holy Fire" ceremony on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
Believers hold that the fire is miraculously sent from heaven to
ignite candles held by the Greek Orthodox patriarch in an annual rite
dating back to the 4th century that symbolises the resurrection of
Jesus.
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said around 10,000 faithful
packed into the church, with thousands more outside in the streets of
the surrounding Old City. She said there were about 20,000 people last
year.
Some 3,000 police were deployed in the church and around it to keep
the jubilation from getting out of hand. No major incidents were
reported, but there was some pushing and shoving at barricades that
had been set up.
As is the case every year, Israel restricted the number of Christians
from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, overwhelmingly Orthodox, who could
attend.
Patriarch Theophilos III traditionally makes his grand entry at the
head of a procession of monks, chanters, dignitaries and red and gold
banners bearing icons.
After circling an ornate shrine in the heart of the church three times
amid chants of "Axios" ("He is worthy"), he enters what Orthodox,
Roman Catholics and many other Christians believe is Jesus's burial
site, emerging minutes later with several lit candles.
The patriarch is always searched beforehand to ensure that he is
carrying nothing, such as matches or a lighter, that could be used to
light the candles.
As joyous people press in on him, the patriarch passes on the flames
to their outstretched candles. The fire makes its way through the
crowd, casting a flickering orange glow on the grey walls and towering
stone columns, and filling the air with smoke.
Pilgrims claim the Holy Fire does not burn their hair, faces, clothes
or anything else during the first 33 minutes of its appearance, and
one web site (http://www.holyfire.org) offers videos claiming to show
worshippers in prolonged contact with the flames without being hurt.
The Holy Fire, which quickly makes its way outside to the crowds
waiting there, is also carried to nearby Bethlehem's Church of the
Nativity, where Jesus is believed to have been born, and also much
farther afield.
It will be flown to Athens and to the capitals of other predominantly
Orthodox countries to be shared.
The church, which the Orthodox call the Church of Resurrection, also
encloses what is widely believed to be Calvary, the site on which
Jesus was crucified.
While it is therefore one of Christianity's holiest sites, it is
shared uneasily by six denominations -- the Greek Orthodox, Roman
Catholics,ArmenianOrthodox, Egyptian Copts, Syrian Orthodox and
Ethiopian Orthodox.
Past ceremonies have been marred by violence, with fist fights
breaking out among monks from the different denominations over
perceived changes to a status quo hammered out over several centuries.
The date of Orthodox Easter is calculated differently than by the
Roman Catholics and other churches, so the most important feast of the
Christian year is frequently celebrated on different Sundays.
Most Christians celebrated Easter last week.