Israeli authorities are in intense consultations with the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem in an effort to hammer out a plan for the lighting of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, a day before the celebration of Eastern Orthodox Easter (April 12).
According to sources, the Holy Sepulcher Brotherhood, a monastic community of Greek Orthodox monks responsible for guarding the Church, expressed hope that the ceremony would proceed under strict control, similar to the Covid lockdown protocol, especially after the Israeli government’s decision to forbid access to the Roman Catholic Bishops prompted strong international reactions, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
This year, the Roman Catholic Church is celebrating Easter a week earlier than the Orthodox Church.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to defuse a diplomatic storm on Monday, announcing through his office that a plan is being drawn up “that will allow Christian leaders to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” following a wave of international condemnation.
The reversal came less than 24 hours after Jerusalem police blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church — a move the Latin Patriarchate described as the first such prohibition in centuries, triggering sharp criticism from Christian communities and governments worldwide.
A key uncertainty regarding Greece’s effort to retrieve the Holy Fire from Jerusalem this Easter is whether Israel will open its airspace to the Greek government aircraft bound for Tel Aviv.
If the aircraft is permitted to land, the Greek delegation is expected to travel to Jerusalem for a brief closed-door ceremony or to collect the Holy Fire on the spot — as was done during the pandemic — before returning to Athens.
If Israeli airspace remains closed, an operational contingency plan informally agreed between the Greek government, the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate provides for two alternative overland routes: via Egypt, flying out of Sharm el-Sheikh airport in the Sinai, or via Jordan, departing from Amman. Both alternatives are designed to ensure the Holy Fire arrives in Athens on schedule.