What is behind the visually stunning “Sacred Fire” ritual in Jerusalem? – National
On Saturday before Easter, thousands of Christians gathered in the sponge-like church in the Holy Cemetery to spend a hundreds of years of ritual called the Holy Fire.
Holding bright candles, they squeezed into the sprawling 12th-century cathedral, built on the site, and according to tradition, Jesus was crucified and buried. In the near-complete darkness, the Greek patriarch entered the divine fans with two lit candles.
The flames pass from one candle to the next, and the light overcomes the round darkness. The flames are then transferred to Orthodox communities in other countries in other countries.
Orthodox Christians believe that it miraculously appears in the holy interior on the traditional ruins of Jesus’ tomb, while skeptics returning to the Middle Ages see it as a carnival trick for the masses.
Either way, the ceremony dates back at least 1200 years and can be seen.
It also raises security issues. In 1834, a crazy stampede erupted in the dark church, when the guards swung their swords and cut off their way in the crowd, the rulers of the Holy Land barely escaped. About 400 pilgrims died in melee battles, mostly suffocating or trampling.
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Israeli authorities have tried to restrict participants on the grounds of security issues. This sparked protests from church leaders who accused the protests of making the sacred land of Jerusalem known as the sacred site of the status quo, unwritten arrangements that undermine the protests.
On Saturday, thousands of believers entered a large number of military presences through Israeli checkpoints. Associated Press reporters saw police detaining a man while there was a melee between police and some women who were banned from entering the yard.
Some admirers say the number of voters is lacking this year due to the 18-month Israeli war with Hamas.
“The number of police officers is higher than the number of pilgrims,” said Adeeb Joude, the main holder of the Holy Sepulchre family.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, which included the old city of the main sacred places of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the mid-1967 war and annexed it with an internationally unrecognizable move. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of its future country.
The Old Town has long been tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, among different religious groups that share their hilly ranges and even among some faiths. The invasion of the current situation in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre perceives the fight between different monks.
Israel said it is committed to ensuring the freedom of worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims and has long been a tolerance island in the Middle East.
However, tensions in the local Christian community have increased in recent years, mostly Palestinian Christians, a population that has faded over decades of conflict as many seek economic opportunities abroad.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
