The Athens court acquitted the journalist Alikakos, who revealed the secret of the Holy Fire
A court in Athens acquitted Greek journalist Dimitris Alikakos of revealing the secret of the Holy Fire. He stated that the fire in Jerusalem was lit not miraculously, but with the help of matches.
Alikakos has been in a legal battle with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and several priests since 2019, when he published the book Atonement – About the Holy Light. In it, he told the truth about the descent of the Holy Fire, collecting testimonies of people involved in the process of touching the fire: the guardians of the Holy Sepulcher and the patriarchs. In addition, Alikakos published a video on YouTube in which Archbishop Isidore, the custodian and rector of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, admits that it is he who lights the Holy Fire. Former Archbishop Nikephoros said the same thing, but clarified that he uses matches.
Miracles happen when God decides, and not when we decide… Such “miracles” are performed by charlatans and magicians, not by the church. Our faith cannot be based on fraud
In turn, the Jerusalem Patriarchate filed a lawsuit against the journalist and accused him of libel. He also released a statement saying, “What is written in the controversial book is the product of fictitious stories created by the author with the obvious purpose of shocking believers and profiting financially from the sale of the book.”
The Church does not explain the origin of the Holy Fire
The Christian Church does not officially explain the nature of the Holy Fire, focusing on its miraculous origin. However, there are many versions that explain the nature of the Holy Fire from a scientific point of view.
In particular, there is an assumption that a lit candle is hidden in Edicule in advance, having previously calculated the time of its burning. Thin chains, smeared with essential oil, are stretched from this candle to the lamps above the Holy Sepulcher. So by lighting the oil, the candle flame spreads across the lamps. According to another version, the Holy Fire is lit from a lamp hidden behind the icon of the Resurrection of Christ at the Holy Sepulcher.
Related materials:
On Holy Saturday, May 4, the Holy Fire descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem came out of the Edicule, in which he had prayed for the descent of fire, and began to distribute it to people in the temple.
The Holy Fire was delivered to Russia
Since 2003, the Holy Fire has been delivered by direct flight from Jerusalem to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior by a delegation from the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation. Then from Moscow the fire is sent to thousands of churches throughout Russia, as well as abroad.
On the evening of May 4, the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratyev, announced that the Holy Fire had been delivered from Jerusalem to Russia. It is specified that lamps with sacred fire will go to all temples and churches in the region for Easter services.
In 2023, it was reported that the descent of the Holy Fire lasted about four minutes, and while waiting in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, “Christ is Risen!” was repeatedly shouted out. in Russian.
#Holy #Fire #descended #Church #Holy #Sepulcher #Jerusalem
