On Holy Saturday, April 21/May 4, 2024, the Ceremony of the Holy Light took place at the Patriarchate.
In accordance with the Status Quo and the Standard of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, His Beatitude arrived on the 12th noon winter time at 13.00 p.m. summer time from the Patriarchate through the stairs of the Cathedral of Saint James the Brother of God to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Then, having venerated at the Holy Deposition, He went to the Holy Altar of the Catholicon and the three communities of Armenians, Copts and Syrians came and received the blessing to receive the Holy Light.
Then His Beatitude put on his full uniform and the litany began chanting the “Oh joyous light” and “Your Resurrection, Christ Saviour”, for three rounds around the Holy Sepulchre. In the third round, the representative of the Armenian Patriarchate was brought to the Angel’s Stone.
His Beatitude entered alone into the interior of the Holy Sepulchre, and while praying, he transmitted the Holy Light from the southern door of the Holy Edicule to the Priest of the Cathedral of Saint James.
Priests, monks and people received with joy and rejoicing the Holy Light through their candles and applied it to their lips, eyes, and foreheads asking for the above strength and illumination from the Risen Christ. Transmitting the Holy Light from the Entrance of the Holy Edicule, His Beatitude entered the Catholicon and from the Catholicon to the Holy Altar and then to the Sacristy.
After the sound of the bells, His Beatitude ascended to the Patriarchate and passed the Holy Light to the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had come from Greece, to pass it on to Greece and also to the delegation of other Churches, which arrived for this reason.
The Delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Kotsiras and the Church of Greece under the Most Reverend Metropolitan Maximos of Ioannina.
From Secretariat-General
