Israel has closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre indefinitely for security reasons and this is the first time it happens in the history of Christianity. At the same time, Greece is highly concerned about the transport of the Holy Fire.
There has been intense concern among Greek Orthodox Christians in recent days, amid conflicts in the Middle East, about what will happen during Easter and the reception of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem.
According to a report by Mega TV, the Old City of Jerusalem, which under normal circumstances is bustling with life, today presents the image of a ghost town.
Entry to the city is prohibited, as are the operation of shops, while the monasteries and museums in the area remain closed.
Restrictions ahead of holidays
The Jewish Passover begins on April 1 and lasts until the 9th of the month, while a few days later, on April 12, the Greek Easter will be celebrated.
During these days, the Old City is usually flooded with believers for the touch of the Holy Fire, which is also transported to Greece. However, this year Easter will be different, as the area remains under a curfew due to the war.
With the war continuing, it is not possible for believers to come to the Old City, as in previous years. A ban on gatherings is in force, with a limit of up to 100 people outdoors and up to 50 indoors.
Coordination for the transport of the Holy Fire
According to Mega TV, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Greek embassy and the Israeli authorities are in constant communication about the necessary actions.
Although it is still considered early, all sides are saying that “the Holy Fire will come to the country in any way”, whether by special flight or by other means.
Since the start of the war, Israel’s airspace has been opening and closing periodically. It is estimated that there will be the necessary gap to make it possible to transport the Holy Fire to Greece.
The Holy Fire which magically appears in a cave inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at noon on Good Saturday arrives in Athens with a special flight early evening and the Fire is distributed to churches throughout Greece.
If transport of the Holy Fire is not possible, Greeks will celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection as they did for decades if not centuries, before the airplane transport. Or as diaspora Greeks do, or just one helps himself with a simple lighter.
Question: Are the Israelis shutting down their synagogues and the mosques in those areas, too?
the Al-Aqsa mosque too, I heard
The Israelis never close their own temples, only the other religions on Israeli and Palestinian land. A good source for Israeli news (because it is independent of government) is the newspaper Haaretz.
I think it is the whole area that is closed. Obviously that means all buildings in that area are also closed. Greek media are reporting it as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre being closed because that is the building that is important to Orthodox Christians.
I checked with Haaretz, and there is no report of closure of synagogues. There is not even any report of entry to Jerusalem being restricted. Of course, the restrictions might apply only to non-Israeli citizens: this is a common occurrence. You should not underestimate the degree of apartheid that Israel operates with.