Greek bishop skips arrival of ‘holy fire’ from Jerusalem

28 April 2019, 2:38 pm

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A lantern carrying a flame lit in Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre Church has been welcomed to Greece with honors reserved for visiting heads of state on the eve of Orthodox Easter.

But a senior cleric boycotted the ceremony, miffed that the holy flame isn’t arriving at the airport within his territorial jurisdiction.

Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia tells Greek network Skai TV he learned Friday that the plane carrying the revered object would land at a military airport instead of at Athens International Airport.

Christian Orthodox worshipers light their candles from the Holy Fire as they gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on April 27, 2019 during the Orthodox Easter. (THOMAS COEX / AFP)

Nicholas says he thought the change of airports “degraded” the Holy Fire miracle that Orthodox Christians believe takes place every Easter at the site of Jesus’ tomb.

He decided not to join the official delegation that traveled to Israel on Saturday to collect the lantern.

— AP