Athens News Agency, Greece
April 30 2005

Holy Fire lit in Jerusalem amid draconian security

JERUSALEM (ANA – P. Haritos) The ceremony for the lighting of the
Holy Fire – a centuries-old phenomenon regarded as a miracle by the
Orthodox faith – was carried out on Easter Saturday at the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem under draconian security, with one
Israeli police officer for every two of the roughly 3,000 faithful
that were allowed into the Church.

As embattled Greek Patriarch Irineos I entered the ‘Kouvouklion’
– the chamber believed to be the tomb where Christ was buried – the
police guard surrounding him came under attack from a group of
Armenian pilgrims who were quickly quelled.

Soon afterward, Irineos emerged carrying two lit torches and was
lifted up by his police guard and carried around the Church to share
out the Holy Fire. Orthodox Christians believe that the Holy Fire
ignites spontaneously in the chamber from light coming down from
heaven every year on Orthodox Easter Saturday, but only in the
presence of a Greek Orthodox Patriarch.

Earlier, the 1,500-strong force of Israeli police had sealed off
all entrances and streets leading to the Church. Some 2,000-3,000
pilgrims from Greece, Russia and Cyprus were denied access to the
Church for security reasons.

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Transport Minister
Anastasios Neratzis from the Greek government.

Violent incidents between Arab Christians and Israeli police had
also occurred during the Good Friday ‘Epitaphion’ procession, when
the Israeli police attempted to arrest the leader of a group of
protestors who were handing out leaflets against Irineos and chanting
slogans demanding his resignation.

Arabs have been angered by reports that the Greek Patriarch was
responsible for the long-term lease of prime pieces of property owned
by the Patriarchate in Arab East Jerusalem to foreign Jewish
interests, including the landmark Imperial hotel near the entrance to
Jerusalem’s Old City run by a Palestinian family. They are clamouring
for Irineos’ removal and have called for the ‘Arabization’ of the
Jerusalem Patriarchate.

The Patriarch has denied the allegations, blaming the
Patriarchate’s former financial manager – now facing charges of
embezzlement – for the controversial land deals, which he says are in
any case invalid since they have not been approved the Patriarchate’s
Holy Synod.