Jerusalem, April 13, 2023
Photo: arcpublishing.com
“Worship and access to holy places is a right guaranteed by religious and worldly laws,” the Jerusalem Patriarchate firmly believes, and therefore it invites all to attend the Holy Light ceremony held annually on Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Every year, the Patriarchate and other churches in Jerusalem coordinate with the authorities to ensure that the hugely popular ceremony can take place as normal. However, this year, the Israeli Police are imposing unreasonable restrictions that would make it nearly impossible for the Christians of the Holy Land to attend.
It was earlier reported that Israel has canceled travel permits for Christians from Gaza, thus preventing them from attending services in Jerusalem.
Despite the demands of the authorities, the Jerusalem Patriarchate states:
We shall continue to uphold the Status Quo customs, and the ceremony will be held as customary for two millennia and all who wish to worship with us are invited to attend. With that made clear, we leave the authorities to act as they will. The Churches will freely worship and do so in peace.
Read the full statement:
Photo: jerusalem-patriarchate.b-cdn.net
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