Last update - 00:00 07/04/2007
Thousands of policemen deploy in J'lem for 'Holy Fire' ceremony
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Thousands of police deployed on Saturday in the old city of Jerusalem and volunteers helped prevent automobiles from entering the Old City in preparation for the 'Holy Fire' ceremony held in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday afternoon. Police limited entry to the Old City to pilgrims and pedestrians with permits.
The Holy Fire is an annual ceremony sacred to Orthodox Christians, and is broadcast annually in Greece, Russia, and throughout the Orthodox world. Many Orthodox Christians consider it the longest annual miracle in the Christian world, having been documented since 1106.
During the ceremony, the Orthodox Patriarch recites a prayer and the congregation chants until the Holy Fire descends on a lamp of olive oil held by the patriarch as he stands alone in the tomb of Jesus. The patriarch then leaves the tomb and lights candles to distribute to the congregants.
Before he descends into the tomb, the Patriarch is examined by Israeli authorities to prove that he has no means of lighting the fire.
In recent years, a dispute has erupted between Greek and Armenian Orthodox officials over whether or not Armenian priests can enter the tomb with the Greek Patriarch to observe the descent of the 'holy flame' from the heavens.
The right of different christian denominations to worship in the church has been assured since it was made a matter of official policy under the Ottoman Empire in 1852. The policy made that the Greek Patriarch the officiating authority over the church, followed by the Armenian, and Catholic religious leadership.