A court in Athens has acquitted journalist Alikakos for revealing the secret of the Holy Fire, who said matches were used to light it.
How tells BB.LV, Alikakos has been in a legal battle with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and several priests since 2019, after the publication of the book “Redemption – About the Holy Light.” In it, he told the truth about the descent of the Holy Fire, collecting testimonies of people involved in the process of touching the fire: the guardians of the Holy Sepulcher and the patriarchs.
Alikakos also published a video on YouTube in which Archbishop Isidore, the custodian and rector of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, admits that it is he who lights the Holy Fire. Former Archbishop Nikephoros stated the same thing, but clarified that he uses matches, noting:
“Miracles happen when God decides, and not when we decide… Such “miracles” are performed by charlatans and magicians, not by the church. Our faith cannot be based on fraud.”
The Jerusalem Patriarchate, in turn, filed a lawsuit against the journalist and accused him of libel. He released a statement saying:
“What is written in the controversial book is the product of fictitious stories created by the author with the obvious purpose of shocking believers and profiting financially from the sale of the book.”
The Christian Church does not officially explain the nature of the Holy Fire, focusing on its miraculous origin. However, there are many versions that explain the nature of the Holy Fire from a scientific point of view.
In particular, there is an assumption that a lit candle is hidden in Edicule in advance, having previously calculated the time of its burning. Thin chains, smeared with essential oil, are stretched from this candle to the lamps above the Holy Sepulcher. By lighting the oil, the candle flame spreads across the lamps. According to another version, the Holy Fire is lit from a lamp hidden behind the icon of the Resurrection of Christ at the Holy Sepulcher.
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