Cheers and flames as Orthodox worshipers greet the ancient ceremony of the 'Holy Fire'
JERUSALEM (AP) — Bells and clamor, incense and flames. One of the most chaotic gatherings in the Christian calendar is the ancient ceremony of the “Holy Fire,” with worshipers thronging the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Saturday.
Cheers and prayers rang out as candles one by one were lit after reaching through a small opening into Jesus’ tomb. Soon, the dim chamber was lit by a constellation of handheld flames as part of the rite of Orthodox Easter week in Jerusalem. Worshipers believe the flame’s origin is a miracle.
One man waved his flame back and forth as if anointing his beard, smiling. Some young men holding crosses jumped up and down in the crowd and chanted.
“I am speechless, I don’t even know how to explain it,” said one worshiper, Angela Manoug. “It is my first time that I have seen the holy light, and I am very blessed by God to have seen it.”