Patriarch Irenaios of Jerusalem on the Miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem

In 2019, Patriarch Irenaios of Jerusalem, who served as Patriarch from 2000 till his dismissal in 2005, was asked about the authenticity of the miracle of the Holy Light in light of the allegations of some who serve under Patriarch Theophilos III that it is a hoax, to which he replied:

"I do not know what others say, I do not know if they said it or how they said it, what I know is what I experienced as many times as God required me to perform the Service of the Holy Light. I entered the Holy Sepulcher, I prayed on my knees holding the bundles of candles that, like the oil lamp, lit by themselves. I never looked into 'how' or 'why', but I experienced the event and the miracle of the Resurrection of the Lord with fear of God and awe like all the old and contemporary genuine Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre and every faithful Orthodox Christian."

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

Interview With Patriarch Diodoros I of Jerusalem on the Miracle of the Holy Light

Interview with His Beatitude Patriarch Diodorus I on the
Miracle of the Holy Fire

 

By Niels Christian Hvidt

His Beatitude Patriarch Diodorus I was born in 1923. He first came to Jerusalem in 1938 and assisted the Miracle of the Holy Fire ever since. In 1981 he was elected Patriarch and was thus the key witness to the Holy Fire 19 times until his death in December 2000, as the Greek-Orthodox patriarchs always enter the little tomb chapel where the flame first occurs. I spoke with him at the Orthodox Easter, 2000.

"Your Beatitude, what actually occurs when you enter the tomb on Holy Saturday during the ceremony of the Holy Fire?"

Shedding Light on a False Historical Rumor Against the Holy Light of Jerusalem from the 18th Century

Patriarch Ephraim II of Jerusalem

Did Patriarch Ephraim II of Jerusalem (1766-1771) 

ever describe the appearance of the Holy Light 

as a "handmade mechanism"?

1. The Reason Behind the Disbelief of Some

It is striking that those who deny the miracle of the Holy Light, while doubting millions of witnesses who have seen and experienced this miracle for so many centuries, have the naiveté to base their disbelief on the completely unproven and arbitrary testimony of Neophytos Kavsokalyvites, who stated that allegedly Patriarch Ephraim II of Jerusalem (1766-1771) described the appearance of the Holy Light as a "handmade mechanism" and, knowing from his personal experience the mechanism behind its appearance, described it as "that handmade light, the dramaturgy of which I detected with my own eyes."

In 1868 Patriarch Kyrillos II of Jerusalem Gave His Testimony Concerning the Holy Light of Jerusalem

Patriarch Kyrillos II of Jerusalem

Patriarch Kyrillos II, born in Samos in 1795, served as Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1845-1872. According to the renown British Archaeologist Charles Warren, he was "a kind, good-hearted old man."

On Holy Saturday of 1868 - a few months after the death of Bishop Meletios - Patriarch Kyrillos was appointed head of the ceremony for the first time, despite the fact that he had been on the patriarchal throne for 24 years. Archaeologist Charles Warren, who was still exploring the unseen side of the miracle, decided to meet the Patriarch after the ceremony. He had done the same a year earlier with Bishop Meletios. According to his account, the Patriarch answered all his questions politely. The British archaeologist writes:

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2022

Today in Jerusalem the Holy Light, known in the West as Holy Fire, once again descended into the Tomb of Christ as Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem knelt in prayer within the Holy Sepulchre. This ceremony has taken place just about every year for hundreds of years on Holy Saturday, shortly after 2:30pm. With 33 candles in each hand he distributed the Holy Light to the many present. This year, as opposed to last year, coronovirus measures were lifted, allowing for greater participation of the people. Following the Holy Light ceremony, the flame is taken by plane to other Orthodox communities in countries such as Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania. In Greece the Holy Light is usually received with the welcome of a Head of State.

 

For further reading, see: Holy Light of Jerusalem Resource Page

 

 

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Holy Emperor Theodosius the Great (St. Justin Popovich)

St. Theodosios the Great (Feast Day - January 17)

This very pious and glorious emperor ruled from the years 379-395. He was born in Spain. He was famous for his family, and famous for his heroism. He was first the military leader of Emperor Gratian, and then he was appointed emperor in 379.

Constantine the Great forbade the persecution of Christians, Theodosius the Great went one step further: he forbade idol sacrifices in his land. He also took care of the Orthodox faith against heretics. He expelled the Arian archbishop Demophilos from Constantinople and brought into the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople Saint Gregory the Theologian.

A Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre Testifies Against the Enemies of the Miracle of the Holy Light

In 2018, when there were many media reports out of Jerusalem and Greece with accusations that the annual miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem is a hoax, Monk Theodoulos, a former monk of Saint Katherine's Monastery at Mount Sinai, who then became the morning guardian of the Tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre, gave the following interview. Here he responds to the accusations of Bishop Samuel, Abbot of the Armenian brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, who called the miracle a hoax, and started the media storm. Monk Theodoulos reveals the hoax behind the accusations of the Armenian abbot.

According to Monk Theodoulos, Bishop Samuel was trying to film an interview for television on the Holy Sepulchre, but Monk Theodoulos informed him that filming is prohibited unless he has permission from the three Patriarchates of Jerusalem - the Greek, the Armenian and the Coptic. Bishop Samuel assured him he had the permission, when in fact he did not, but Monk Theodoulos believed him and allowed the filming. Therefore, to get the permission to film the interview, the Armenian Bishop lied and deceived.

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2021

Today in Jerusalem the Holy Light, known in the West as Holy Fire, once again descended into the Tomb of Christ as Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem knelt in prayer within the Holy Sepulchre. This ceremony has taken place just about every year for hundreds of years on Holy Saturday at noon. With 33 candles in each hand he distributed the Holy Light to the many, though fewer that usual, present, as the ceremony unfolded with measures in place due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis; vaccination was required for those who were in attendance this year, whereas last year pilgrims were not allowed to attend at all. Usually, thousands of Orthodox Christians gather at East Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the eve of Orthodox Easter, and fill it to capacity. Following the Holy Light ceremony, the flame is taken by plane to other Orthodox communities in countries such as Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania. Whereas in Greece the Holy Light is usually received with the welcome of a Head of State, this year the reception will be humbled to avoid large gatherings.

 

Nun Sophia Tsatsarounou (+ March 9, 2021) and Two of Her Own Wondrous and Personal Testimonies of the Holy Light of Jerusalem

Nun Sophia Tsatsarounou worked as a pediatrician in various missions around the world and devoted her whole life to the love of fellow human beings and ministry. Despite being bedridden because of a rare musculoskeletal disease, she did not cease to glorify God and teach love without words. She viewed the suffering of her life as her own Via Dolorosa, carrying her own personal cross. Those who knew her called her Sophoula and felt the imprint she left on their hearts. Even while bedridden, she prayed for the whole world. Her love knew no boundaries, that's why everyone loved her deeply. Like a martyr herself, she departed on the Feast of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste in 2021.

One of the Best Video Confirmations of the Miracle of the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem

Today there are many skeptics of the miraculous nature of the Holy Light of Jerusalem, known as Holy Fire in the West. Because it takes place behind closed doors with only the Patriarch of Jerusalem witnessing the initial appearance of the Holy Light from within the Holy Sepulchre, there is a lot of speculation as to what really takes place behind those closed doors to produce the fire. Some people refuse to accept that it could really happen by a miracle.

Assuming the skeptics are right and there is indeed deception by the Patriarchs Of Jerusalem over the course of many centuries, this still would not explain a naturalistic origin for the Holy Light. In fact, it only explains one aspect of it. There are many more things the skeptic would need to explain to dispel the supernatural element of this event. For example, one aspect of the miracle no skeptic has ever given an adequate explanation for is the fact that on numerous occasions there are reports of candles being held by people within the church and even outside the church being lit up on their own before the Holy Light is distributed to the people. There is video evidence of this, but due to the large and packed crowds the person shooting the video is never able to catch up to the people for whom this miracle took place.

The Miraculous Wax Holy Seal of the Holy Sepulchre

Father Panteleimon belongs to the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and for the past 34 years he has been in charge of making the wax seal that seals shut the door leading into the All-Holy Sepulchre of the Lord on Holy Saturday, after it has been thoroughly inspected and prior to the Patriarch of Jerusalem entering. Regarding this, he explains:

"The Holy Seal is made of pure beeswax. Those who used to do it before my time only sealed the doors, but I began to make the pies. We began with 3,000 and now we prepare 10,000. These pies work many miracles, to the point where sterile women have children. Of course they must have faith.

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2020

Today in Jerusalem the Holy Light, known in the West as Holy Fire, once again descended into the Tomb of Christ as Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem knelt in prayer within the Holy Sepulchre. With 33 candles in each hand he distributed the Holy Light to the few present, many of whom wore face masks, as the ceremony unfolded without pilgrims due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Usually, thousands of Orthodox Christians gather at East Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the eve of Orthodox Easter. Following the Holy Light ceremony, the flame is taken by plane, which this year will be empty of passengers, to other Orthodox communities in countries such as Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania.

Is the Holy Light of Jerusalem a Scam? Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol Responds

Below is translated the response of Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol to certain recent reports that the Holy Light of Jerusalem is a scam and the Patriarch uses a lighter or other light source to light the candles on Holy Saturday. The original video interview from April 2019 is below.

I went to the Holy Land and experienced Holy Week there. I was next to the Patriarch during the ceremony of the Holy Light. Outside of the Tomb, of course. What I can tell you is the following: as to how the Patriarch lights the candles inside the All-Holy Tomb, I did not see. I wasn't inside nor is anyone else inside. Not even the Guardian of the Sepulchre is there. Only the Patriarch knows. Whether he lights it with a lighter or anything else, he knows. We have historical testimonies over many centuries that say the candles of the Patriarch are lit on their own.

Is the Holy Light of Jerusalem a Miracle? (Metr. Nicholas of Mesogaia)

In a recent Paschal interview with Huffington Post Greece, Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaia, who was formerly a NASA scientist, was asked about the Holy Light of Jerusalem, commonly known in the West as the Holy Fire, as to whether or not it is an authentic miracle, in response to the more recent accusations of a Bishop of Jerusalem that it is a hoax of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Metropolitan was asked:

Every year at this time there is much talk about the Holy Light, whether or not it is lit with a lighter or by divine intervention. Whether it is a miracle or a trick. Perhaps the Church is ashamed to say how things are different?

A Description of Greek Orthodox Easter in Jerusalem in 1915

Easter procession of the Greek Patriarch, Jerusalem. C. H. Graves. Ca. 11 November 1903.

THE GREEK EASTER AT JERUSALEM

By Estelle Blyth*

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem there is a spot which guides point out as the centre of the world, and which the Russian pilgrims, and probably a good many others too, believe implicitly to be the exact spot. The first time you are told this you are inclined to smile at the simple but audacious statement; each successive visit to the church shows you the curious truth of it. For Jerusalem is not only the capital of Christendom, she is the centre of the religious world. To her go up year by year all the nations of the earth, no matter by what creed or name they call themselves — Christian, Moslem, and Jew, all turn in hither as to a common home; and so it is that within her narrow limits are found all the elements of that unity which must one day transfigure the city that was built to be at unity within herself.

Holy Light of Jerusalem Resource Page

  

About the Holy Light 

 

The Miracles of the Holy Light (Dr. Haralambos M. Bousias) 

 

Skepticism and the Holy Light of Jerusalem 

 

A Second Century Paschal Miracle in Jerusalem 

 

The Torn Column and the Holy Light: Pascha 1579 AD 

 

Regarding the Column That Was Split By the Holy Fire in 1579 

 

Saint Tounom the Emir (+ 18 April 1579)

 

A Satirical Look at the Miracle of the Holy Fire 

 

Shedding Light on a False Historical Rumor Against the Holy Light of Jerusalem from the 18th Century

 

British Archaeologist Charles Warren and the Holy Light 

 

In 1868 Patriarch Kyrillos II of Jerusalem Gave His Testimony Concerning the Holy Light of Jerusalem

 

Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko's Eye-Witness Testimony and Investigation of Holy Light of Jerusalem 

 

A Description of Greek Orthodox Easter in Jerusalem in 1915 

 

Fr. Mitrophanes: The Monk Who Saw the Holy Light 

 

Interview With Patriarch Diodoros I of Jerusalem on the Miracle of the Holy Light

 

A Miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem in Athens

 

Nun Sophia Tsatsarounou (+ March 9, 2021) and Two of Her Own Wondrous and Personal Testimonies of the Holy Light of Jerusalem 

 

News Report On the Holy Light of Jerusalem from 2001 

 

Patriarch Irenaios of Jerusalem on the Miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem

 

Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem on the Holy Light 

 

Two Scientific Studies on the Phenomenon of the Holy Light of Jerusalem 

 

A Russian Study of the Holy Light of Jerusalem  

 

Russian Priest Seeks Scientific Proof for the Miraculous Nature of the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 

 

A 2019 Scientific Study on the Characteristics and Effects of the Holy Light of Jerusalem

 

A Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre Testifies Against the Enemies of the Miracle of the Holy Light

 

Is the Holy Light of Jerusalem a Miracle? (Metr. Nicholas of Mesogaia) 

 

Is the Holy Light of Jerusalem a Scam? Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol Responds 

 

The Essential Message of the Holy Light of Jerusalem

 

One of the Best Video Confirmations of the Miracle of the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 

 

The Miraculous Wax Holy Seal of the Holy Sepulchre

 

What a New Testament Scholar and Prominent Authority on the Historical Case for the Resurrection of Christ Told Me About the Evidence for the Holy Light of Jerusalem 

Annual Reports of the Holy Light

The Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2010

Miracle of the Holy Light of Jerusalem 2011

2011 Holy Light Arrives In Athens From Jerusalem

The Holy Light Of Jerusalem In Kalymnos 2011

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2012

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2013

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2014

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2015

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2016

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2017

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2018

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2019

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2020

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2021

 

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2022

 

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2023

 

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2024

 

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2025

 

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2026
  

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2019

Today in Jerusalem the Holy Light, known in the West as Holy Fire, once again descended into the Tomb of Christ as Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem knelt in prayer within the Holy Sepulchre. With 33 candles in each hand he distributed the Holy Light to all the faithful, amidst great joy and celebration. From Jerusalem it will be distributed throughout the world.

Regarding the Column That Was Split By the Holy Fire in 1579

The split marble column to the left of the main entrance to the Church of the Resurrection. The fissure is 1.20 meters high and resembles a flame rising upwards.

On Holy Saturday 1579, according to the Church chronicles of the city of Jerusalem, the Turkish governors forbade the Greek patriarch and the Orthodox faithful to enter the Church of the Resurrection for the customary rite of the Holy Fire.

The works that make reference to this event do not specify the exact date, but they mention that at the time the patriarch of Jerusalem was Sophronius IV, the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria and An ti och were, respectively, Jeremiah, Silvester and Joachim, and the sultan of the Ottoman Empire was Murad III.

If we look at the official lists of these four patriarchates we shall find that the four Greek Orthodox patriarchs were indeed in office in the second half of the sixteenth century, and if we examine the exact period of each patriarch’s reign and that of Sultan Murad III, we discover that the only common year in which the leadership of the five men coincided was the year 1579.

A First Look at the Holy Light (Holy Fire) of Jerusalem 2018

Today in Jerusalem the Holy Light, known in the West as Holy Fire, once again descended into the Tomb of Christ as Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem knelt in prayer within the Holy Sepulchre. With 33 candles in each hand he distributed the Holy Light to all the faithful, amidst great joy and celebration. From Jerusalem it will be distributed throughout the world.

A Second Century Paschal Miracle in Jerusalem

In the second century, there was a Bishop of Jerusalem whose name was Narcissus, that is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on August 7th. Saint Narcissus is noted for working many miracles in his lifetime, some of which were recorded for us in the early fourth century by Eusebius of Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History (Bk. 6, Ch. 9). There he records a miracle that took place in the year 162, during the Paschal Vigil of Holy Saturday. Eusebius writes: