WEST BANK: Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims celebrate Holy Fire ceremony in Bethlehem
Record ID:
560866
WEST BANK: Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims celebrate Holy Fire ceremony in Bethlehem
- Title: WEST BANK: Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims celebrate Holy Fire ceremony in Bethlehem
- Date: 24th April 2011
- Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (APRIL 23, 2011) (REUTERS) MANGER SQUARE, IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY CHURCH TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAYOR OF BETHLEHEM, VICTOR BATARSEH, SAYING: "In fact this day is Holy Fire Saturday, which means the Holy Fire has come out, and it also means that Jesus has woken up from among the dead people, and risen to the sky." CLERGY WAITING FOR THE ARRIV AL OF THE HOLY FIRE FROM JERUSALEM (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLOTTE ALFRED, PILGRIM FROM THE UK, SAYING: "We are waiting for the Holy Fire, which has come from a miracle in Jerusalem and is processing through the streets of Bethlehem as we speak, and will be arriving on Manger Square shortly." VARIOUS OF ARCHBISHOP THEOPHIKTOS WAITING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOLY FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (English) GLEN JENSEN, PILGRIM FROM DENMARK, SAYING: "I think the atmosphere is quite different from Jerusalem, it's more, it's more free open minded, it's more at ease. In Jerusalem it's more, everything is strict. So I like a lot more here." VARIOUS OF CROSS, CHURCH TOWER IN BACKGROUND DECORATED CAR CARRYING HOLY FIRE DRIVING THROUGH STREET CHILDREN HOLDING LIT CANDLES FIRE IN BACK OF CAR CROWDS CHEERING AS FIRE REACHES SQUARE VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS DANCING AND CHEERING IN STREET ARCHBISHOP THEOPHIKTOS HOLDING LAMP CONTAINING HOLY FIRE VARIOUS OF ARCHBISHOP THEOPHIKTOS CARRYING LAMP BACK INTO CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY CROWDS OF WORSHIPPERS WAITING OUTSIDE CHURCH ARCHBISHOP THEOPHIKTOS TAKING HAT OFF AND ENTERING CHURCH THROUGH LOW DOORWAY MORE OF CELEBRATIONS CHILD LIGHTING CANDLE MORE OF WORSHIPPERS DANCING OUTSIDE CHURCH
- Embargoed: 9th May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank, West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVABGI1J9I4REH6POZH2JKBDDASW
- Story Text: Thousands of Christian worshippers on Saturday (April 23) celebrated the arrival of the Holy Fire in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, revered as Jesus's birthplace.
Easter's Holy Fire is considered a miracle occurring every year on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter Sunday, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The ancient church is believed to be built on the site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection. According to Christian belief, a sun beam lights a lamp inside the tomb with the Holy Fire, which is later passed from worshipper to worshipper.
An olive lamp lit by the Holy Fire is transferred soon after the ceremony to Bethlehem, where hundreds of Palestinian Christian worshippers and scouts are annually gathered.
"In fact this day is Holy Fire Saturday, which means the Holy Fire has come out, and it also means that Jesus has woken up from among the dead people, and risen to the sky," explained Victor Batarseh, Bethlehem's mayor who was waiting with the crowd in Manger Square in front of the church.
"We are waiting for the Holy Fire, which has come from a miracle in Jerusalem and is processing through the streets of Bethlehem as we speak, and will be arriving on Manger Square shortly," said Charlotte Alfred, a pilgrim from the UK.
After a car carrying the flame arrived through the narrow streets of the Old City, the Holy Fire rapidly spread among the worshippers as they lit each other's candles singing and playing drums.
Archbishop Theophiktos, a senior local clergyman, took the lamp into the church, as large parts of the crowd continued celebrations in the square.
In past centuries, worshippers were expected to bring the flame back to their villages around Russia and Eastern Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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