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I'm sure most of you have heard of Holy Light in Jerusalem.


What do you think of this phenomenon which occures each Pascha day, in the night of resurrection?


Why is that wonderfull miracle given only to the orthodox patriarch?

Dear Friend,

The Church has declared it to be a miracle and I certainly accept it as such.

As to why it only occurs on the Orthodox Pascha date - the Roman Catholic Church does not have a similar liturgical rite for Easter or does it?

If I were an Orthodox Christian, I'd say this miracle occurs because Orthodoxy is the true Church.

Since I'm not, I'll have to think about another reason . . .

Alex

What do you mean with "The Church has declared it to be a miracle and I certainly accept it as such"? Is that the Roman Catholic Church you are talking about?


Secondly, it occures not simply on the orthodox pascha date, but, correct me if wrong, only through the orthodox patriarchs and not the others.

Dear Arbanon,

Yes, I mean the Orthodox Church - and Eastern Catholics also accept it as miraculous.

Have you been in Jerusalem for this miracle?

If you have, you would know that the Greek Orthodox Patriarch is accompanied by two Oriental bishops on either side of him (I believe they are Coptic and Syriac) as he goes into the Holy Sepulchre when the miracle occurs.

The Sepulchre is thronged by many, many people, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and others.

There were even some Eastern Catholics when I was there . . .

Alex

The best available study of the Holy Light in English is published by the traditional Orthodox monastery and center in California - it's well worth reading.

As to why this happens for the Orthodox Patriarch, I could think of several possible reasons, but the simple answer is that God's Will seems to be thus. Why argue?

Not afraid to ask the hard questions:

What exactly is the "Holy Light of Jerusalem"? I've never heard of it before!

Dear Dolly,

Of course not! You are a Latin!!

At midnight on Holy Saturday, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (who belongs to the true Orthodox Faith!) is accompanied by two Oriental bishops, Coptic and Syriac and goes into the Chapel that enshrines the Tomb of our Lord in Jerusalem.

As he sings the first hymn of Easter (Christ is Risen from the dead Khrestos Anesti . . .), the candles are lit miraculously.

He then goes outside and shares the light with all the pilgrims until the entire Church is bathed in light!

One medical student visiting there at Pascha, held his lantern and pressed his ear to the chapel to try and find some "scientific" evidence etc.

As he heard the hymn of Easter ring out inside, his lantern lit up in his hands!

And he wrote about this experience years ago in the New England Journal of Medicine.

I don't know whether he was a Catholic or an Orthodox etc.

I think God is less inclined to discriminate than we are . . .

Alex

Thanks, Alex! I knew I could count on you to give me the straight dope!

Sounds like a lovely miracle - but being the skeptical type, I have to ask: how closely has it been investigated, and by whom? And has it ever been filmed?

And have you ever witnessed it yourself, in your many and varied travels?

Actually it takes place in early afternoon - which makes it possible to send the Holy Light to Athens by plane, and to carry the Holy Light to Orthodox churches all over Palestine. I seem to remember being told that this year the Russian government also had the Holy Light brought to Moscow by plane, but I'm not honestly sure of that.

Incognitus

Dear Icognitus you said:

"Actually it takes place in early afternoon - which makes it possible to send the Holy Light to Athens by plane, and to carry the Holy Light to Orthodox churches all over Palestine. I seem to remember being told that this year the Russian government also had the Holy Light brought to Moscow by plane, but I'm not honestly sure of that."

I say:

I'm kind of surprised. I always thought that the Holy Fire appears as soon after twelve o'clock AM on Easter Sunday. But maybe having the liturgy that early in the morning is a Western innovation. If not, we can say God has His miraculous ways. I guess in this day and age with airplanes and such, it's better to have it appear at convenient times.

The priest will pray continuously until it appears, and the Greek Patriarch is quite adamant about his authority. He refused to allow the Armenian one to pass it on to the crowds. You know he blew out his candle?

They say that for a few minutes, a person can hold the fire without being burned and that it has appeared in many places within the Church...who know, maybe even in the Catholic or Armenian area.

As for me, I think that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a disgrace to all Christianity. For one, the responsibility of holding the keys to the Church has always been held by a Muslim because of of the warring Christians. There is also one small section with an unmoveable step ladder. If the step ladder is accidentally removed, some other 'Church' might grab the spot.

I recently heard that the Crimean war started when the Orthodox and Catholics knocked over one another's altar. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Zenovia

Dear Dolly,

Actually, what I witnessed what I was there is something I don't think you would believe even if I told you! Seriously!

And it was at midnight in the year I was there - which is not to contradict Incognitus, I just don't know.

Even if one is not there for Pascha, the Tomb of our Lord is something to visit. One will never forget it.

Suffice it to say that when you are there, it is like being near an energy field where one can feel the power going through everything around you.

I just can't explain it any better than that, forgive my illiteracy!

It has been 24 years since I was there last, and when I just think about it, it all comes back.

Standing before the Tomb of our Lord is to feel both fear and an indescribable joy at the same time.

Every Patriarch since the 8th century, and Incognitus can correct me on that, has signed a sworn affidavit afterwards that he did not start the Light himself.

Again, I don't see why Miaphysite Copts and Syriacs, who witness the Fire with the Patriarch, should join with the head of a Church they are not in communion with in attesting to the veracity of this miracle.

In addition, there was one televised version of Pascha at the Tomb where one could clearly see lamps on the walls around the Tomb - visible to all - light up as well.

When one visits the Tomb of our Lord, one wants to fall down and beg Christ's forgiveness, ask Him to forgive all one's sins for the sake of His Love and request the Grace to serve Him faithfully for all time!

Bless you, Sister in Christ!

Alex

Dear friends,

let us put the facts straight, and dont feel arguing about it, but discussing.


Holy Light is given only to the orthodox patriarch and no one else, doesnt matter who stands next to him. History, as I know it, has shown occasions when the coptic patriarch tried to be the person to receive the Light by leaving the orthodox patriarch outside the church, but the light went staright outside the church to the spot where the orthodox patriarch was.


So, again, I said that the light is given only to the orthodox patriarch. I didnt say that miracles belong only to orthodox believers, but that this very miracle which happenes during a Service, is given to the orthodox patriarch.


What possible reasons thought in honesty could be there - for e honest non orthodox christian - that the light is given only to a orthodox patriarch, and neither to a latin, coptic, armenian or even a uniate one?


for more info: http://www.holylight.gr/agiofos/holyli.html


thank you for your answers so far.

Thats like saying how can anyone deny the Pope's power to define with infalibility the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady based upon the apparations and subsequent miracle healings at Lourdes.

That being said, I have no doubt that the miracle of the Holy Fire is true.

I'm afraid not. Because I am not claiming that because the light is given to orthodox patriarch, he is infallible. Neither do I consider, as an eastern orthodox person, Maries apparitions as true in the sense as being authoritative apparitions for excusing doctrinal formulations.


Actually there is a big difference.


The light, as many of you say, is given in and to a presence of a multiconfessional christians (but only through the orthodox patriarch, neither by claiming the right to it nor by any formal doctrinal formulations.


If the light itself confirms something or anything, that is not on my behalf.


greetings...

http://www.holyfire.org/eng/