Showing posts with label Orthodoxy In Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orthodoxy In Israel. Show all posts
Video: Israel | Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D
After a year of research and preparation, the giant screen film JERUSALEM advanced into production with an unprecedented aerial shoot throughout Israel and the West Bank. Scheduled for worldwide release in 2013, the film will take audiences on a spectacular tour of the Holy Land and the city once believed to lie at the centre of the world.
Video: The Holy Sepulcher, a 3D Journey Back in Time
The video above illustrates the different phases of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher moving backwards in time from the Crusades until Crucifixion. Here is the information from the site:
A journey back in time to tell the story of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the site defined in many Christian traditions as “the Centre of the World”. This is the gift by ATS pro Terra Sancta to all the friends and the supporters of the Holy Land. Divided in chapters, the video by Mrs. Raffaella Zardoni for ATS pro Terra Sancta presents a 3D reconstruction of the basilica at different times, back to the stone cave which saw the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our being here, our commitment for this land and our deep desire to help its living stones start and gather meaning from here.
Fr. Mitrophanes: The Monk Who Saw the Holy Light
For the complete account of Fr. Mitrophanes' vision of the Holy Light in Jerusalem, which authenticates the annual phenomenon that takes place at the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, read I Saw the Holy Light by Fr. Savva Achileos.
Below Fr. Mitrophanes, who was guardian of the Holy Sepulchre for 58 years, is interviewed regarding his experience (in Greek):
Pilgrimage Rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Areti Kotseli
April 16, 2012
Greek Reporter
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, known as the Church of the Resurrection, has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century. There are three major rights of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate over the pilgrimage area.
The first one is the key of the inside gate of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as the Exarch explains to ana-mpa.gr. Responsible for the key of the main entrance of the Church is a local Muslim family whose roots are associated to Prophet Muhammad. The Holy Community of the All-Holy Sepulchre, also known as Templars, have the right to open the Church’s gate using the inside key. The Orthodox monastic fraternity has guarded and protected the Christian Holy places in the Holy Land for centuries. Keeping the Sepulchre, Jesus’ burial site, and Golgotha safe, are two of the most significant pilgrim rights of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate.
The Holy Community of the All-Holy Sepulchre or Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre administers the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
The Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre was traditionally founded in year 313, and the foundation of the Churches in the Holy Land by Constantine and St. Helen is traditionally dated to year 326. At first, it bore the name “Order of the Spoudaeoi (studious, zealous, industrious, serious),” or “The Spoudaeoi of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.” The Brotherhood was distinguished primarily for their observance of uninterrupted mental prayer and heartfelt supplication in the Holy Lands.
The Patriarchal School of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (School of Sion) provides the Orthodox testimony of the Christian Faith at the Holy Lands. The Patriarchal School, which is a Gymnasium and Lyceum and fully equivalent to the public schools of middle Education of the Greek State, recognized by the State since 1911, follows the complete program of the Ministry of Education enriched by special subjects which cover Christianity’s special role. Graduates may be inducted to the Brotherhood and under the care of the Patriarchate, continue their studies in Greek or foreign universities.
Video: A First Look At the Holy Light of Jerusalem 2012
Today at 2:20pm 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.
Below is video of todays miraculous event:
Catholic Church in Holy Land Will Celebrate Easter With the Orthodox Calendar
April 04, 2012
Catholic Culture
The Catholic churches of the Holy Land plan to observe Easter according to the Orthodox calendar, the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land has announced. The change could come as early as next year.
Father Pierbattista Pizzabella explained that the change was prompted by a desire to strengthen ecumenical ties between Catholics and Orthodox, and also by pastoral concern for the many families in the Holy Land that include both Catholic and Orthodox believers.
The Orthodox churches set their liturgical feasts according to the old Julian calendar. For some years the Orthodox observe Easter on the same day as Catholics; in other years the dates may differ by either one week (as it does this year) or 5 weeks. The change in the liturgical calendar for Catholic churches would not apply to the basilicas in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which draw thousands of Catholic pilgrims for Easter and Christmas every year. Those basilicas are governed by agreements that date back to the Ottoman empire, and include detailed accords on when feasts are to be celebrated.
2000 Year Old Seed From Israel Now A Tree
The tree, now 2.5-meters tall, was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed that archeologists found at a Masada dig in the 1960s.
Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
November 25, 2011
The Jerusalem Post
A date tree grown from the oldest viable seed in the world to be sprouted was planted Thursday at Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava, for therapeutic uses.
The tree, now 2.5-meters tall, was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed that archeologists found at a Masada dig in the 1960s. A team of researchers sprouted it, and it was initially planted in a secret location so it would not be stolen.
Now it is hoped that the plant, which is of a rare species, will produce fruit that could be used for medicinal purposes and for food.
Attending Thursday’s tree-planting ceremony were Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America president Marcie Nathan and Lord David Wolfson of England, among other guests.
A few years ago, Dr. Sarah Sallon, an expert in natural medicine at the Hadassah Medical Organization, heard a rumor that Bar-Ilan University botany Prof. Mordechai Kislev had the “hibernating seeds” that had been found during the archeological dig.
She received some and transferred them to Dr. Elaine Solway of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Ketura. The one planted Thursday was the first one that sprouted.
Data about the date palm were published in the prestigious journal Science.
When the sapling was 15 months old, it was tested using a Carbon-14 radioactive isotope at the University of Zurich. The results showed that the seed was from the period of the Roman siege of Masada two millennia ago.
Genetic differences were found between the ancient date and modern ones. The strain was identified with the Judean Kingdom and depicted on Roman coins after the failure of the rebellion against the Romans. The species was known then to have therapeutic qualities and a delicious taste, but it disappeared from the land.
“We must renew our familiarity with the ancient plants that once grew in the region and investigate them scientifically to determine their characteristics. As Hadassah is well known for its development of modern medical technology, it is also promoting desire to discover ancient medical treatments,” Sallon said.
Fr. Justin, Successor of St. Philoumenos, Speaks from Jacob's Well
In this video, Fr. Justin, the successor of the martyred priest Saint Philoumenos (+ 11/29/1979), speaks about the meeting of Christ with the Samaritan woman (St. Photine).
Fr. Justin built the new church dedicated to the names of Saint Philoumenos and Saint Justin where the incorrupt and fragrant relics of St. Philoumenos currently rest. He receives frequent visions of St. Philoumenos, who has protected him from threats by locals.
Jewish Public Figures Apologize To Jerusalem Patriarch For Spitting Incidents
Oz Rosenberg
November 23, 2011
Haaretz
Last Friday, a group of Jewish public figures and intellectuals paid a visit to the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem with one simple goal in mind, asking for forgiveness. The group took the step following a report in Haaretz about two weeks ago describing the practice of some ultra-Orthodox Jewish young people of spitting when passing church clergy on the street.
One member of the delegation, Rabbi Arik Ascherman, who is general secretary of Rabbis for Human Rights, noted that on Yom Kippur, Jews traditionally atone for transgressions between themselves and God, but wrongs committed between people cannot be atoned for, even by God, until the wrongdoer asks forgiveness. Ascherman added that in contacts with Christian and Muslim clergy, his group of rabbis condemns the acts of spitting.
The delegation met in the Old City of Jerusalem with the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, Theophilos III, who spoke of the spitting phenomenon that he and his church colleagues have been confronting, but said in Christianity, it was considered a good deed to show restraint under such circumstances. In that spirit, he added, he also directed his colleagues to exercise restraint. He said the spitting was a reflection of ignorance on the part of people who don't really understand the significance of religion and faith.
Among the members of the Jewish delegation were Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yosef ("Pepe" ) Alalu of the Meretz faction and Meretz city council members Laura Wharton and Meir Margalit. "Since we love this city, we felt that anything that happens here affects us," Margalit said. "We came to apologize despite the fact that we had no part in the spitting, because we believe in mutual responsibility."
Margalit noted that almost all of the members of the delegation who visited the Greek Orthodox Patriarch were born abroad. "We fervently believe that what the ultra-Orthodox Jews are doing to Christians here, Christians do to Jews in the Diaspora. We know what they are feeling and we have vowed that in the Jewish state such things will not reoccur."
Next week, a similar delegation is due to visit with representatives of the Armenian Orthodox Church, whose clergy have also experienced the spitting phenomenon.
Indictment Against Spat On Jerusalem Priest Quashed
Greek Orthodox cleric was sued for punching haredi man who spat in his direction in 2008.
Jeremy Sharon
October 31, 2011
Jerusalem Post
In a rare ruling, a judge in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court dismissed an indictment filed against a priest who punched a haredi yeshiva student in the face for having spat at him as he passed.
In June 2008, Greek Orthodox priest Martarsian was walking along The Armenian’s Street, in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, when the yeshiva student spat toward the ground in his direction.
The priest then punched the man in the face, causing him to bleed.
The priest did not dispute that he had punched the man, but asked that the indictment be dismissed in accordance with a clause in the law that allows for charges to be dismissed “if the indictment contravenes the essence of the principles of justice and fairness.”
Judge Dov Pollock said in his ruling last Tuesday that the court had heard evidence of daily incidents in which Christian clergy were spat upon by members of the ultra-Orthodox community, something which, the judge added, has been occurring for a number of years and which the police has not acted to prevent.
“Needless to say, spitting toward the accused when he was wearing the mantle of the church is a criminal offense,” the judge said.
Those who do this “hurt not only the people they spit at, but the image of our country, tourism and our values.”
The judge criticized the priest for taking the law into his own hands but said that it was equally deplorable that the authorities do not take the required action to uproot the phenomenon through prosecution and education.
“It is intolerable that a man of the Christian faith should be demeaned because of his religion, in the same way that it is for a Jew, Pollock said.
“The Jewish people experienced a long history of Christian anti-Semitism that brought great suffering to Jews and Judaism,” the judge continued.
“However, with the realization of the return of the Jewish people to sovereignty and independence, the state must strive not to look back but to establish a country that guarantees freedom of religion and worship to every religion, a state where every person is equal before the law without distinction of race or religion. These things are the cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence, and the rock of the foundation of Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state.”
The plaintiff told the court that he had not spat at the priest to degrade him but because he suffered from a medical complaint that caused him to produce a lot of saliva.
Pollock dismissed this argument owing to the fact that he had not produced any medical documentation to substantiate the claim, nor had he needed to spit during the duration of the court proceedings.
“The defendant is being prosecuted for having, in a single incident, punched a man who spat in front of him, after having suffered years of being spat at and demeaned while wearing the mantle of the church, and having never received any response from the authorities for this distress,” the judge said.
He ruled that the indictment represented a contravention of the principles of justice, for which he was dismissing the charges.
Shahar Ilan, vice president of Hiddush – For Religious Freedom and Equality, applauded the ruling and called on rabbis and leaders of the haredi community to denounce the phenomenon of members of their community spitting at Christian clergy.
“The haredi leadership has to understand that the fact that we have established a Jewish state brings responsibility, Ilan told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
“We have to prove that we don’t treat people from other religions as Jews were treated in the past. The idea that we came here and treated others as we were treated is simply insufferable.”
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat, co-founder of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, also welcomed the ruling.
“The crime this man committed by spitting at the priest was embarrassing him. This yeshiva student was in return embarrassed by having been struck by the priest, so I hope it was a lesson well learned for this particular yeshiva student,” Riskin said.
“The haredi community’s attitude to the Christian church stems from the pogroms carried out by Christians mobs against Jews in Europe for hundreds of years, incited by members of the Christian clergy, Riskin said.
“But times have changed and a whole new era of Jewish-Christian relations and understanding has dawned upon the world, and the haredim – and all Jews – should understand this and act accordingly.”
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