THE SERVICE OF THE HOLY LIGHT AT THE PATRIARCHATE

On Holy Saturday noon, March 25/April 7, 2018, the Service of the Holy Light took place, according to the Typikon order and the Status Quo of worship of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos left the Patriarchate at 12.00 o’ clock/ 13.00 o’ clock (summer time) and went down through St. James Cathedral staircase to the Holy Altar of the Catholicon of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church was tightly filled with pilgrims from the Orthodox countries of Greece, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Cyprus, Ukraine and Poland, and a large crowd of faithful from the other doctrines’ delegations, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians and Syrians, under the extremely strict supervision of the Israeli police.

When His Beatitude entered the Holy Altar, the representatives of the Armenians, Syrians and Copts came to receive His blessing to receive the Holy Light. When His Beatitude and the Priests were dressed in their liturgical vestments, they began the procession three times around the Sacred Edicule, holding candles and chanting “Joyous Light” and “Thy Resurrection O Christ Saviour”.

At the completion of the third round, His Beatitude removed His Patriarchal vestments and entered the Holy Tomb wearing only the sticharion, where after praying, He gave the Holy Light of Christ’s Resurrection to the thousands of faithful, who received it in great joy, jubilation and exultation, placing it on their faces and hands for their sanctification and glorifying God.

At the end of the Service His Beatitude returned to the Patriarchate, where He gave the Holy Light to the representatives of the Church of Greece, under the Most Reverend Metropolitan John of Liti and Retini and the country of Greece under the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. John Amanatidis, along with the Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre in Greece, Reverend Archimandrite Damianos.

From Secretariat-General

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