Letter from Palestine, 35. Orthodox Easter.
30th April 2005
Dear friends!
The Orthodox Easter has had its climax, already on Holy Saturday. I have seen the holy fire. But I will start from the beginning.
Maundy Thursday morning I was in Ramallah. YWCA had egg hunting for more than hundred children who had come, and there were lots of decoration, games and eggs. I have been to the Norwegian mountains every Easter as long as I can remember, and I don’t know much about the Easter bunny, which might be found more in the lowlands, if you find it in Norway. Here it came, and I had quite a secular start of the Easter celebrations.
When I was back in Jerusalem I attended more religious events, first a foot washing service in the Syrian St Mark’s, and then a mourning service in the Armenian St James’. On the first there were many, so I could not see the actual foot washing, but I could see the rest. There were very few when the mourning service started. I liked the liturgy, calm and nice, with chanting between two groups of monks and priests, about 20 in each. After two hours I found out that this service might last longer than I expected, and because it started to be late, I left. I met a girl working at YWCA, and she told that the liturgy was not even half way through, so I think it was wise to leave.
Good Friday was quite long. I had got a schedule with the events for this week, but I doubt that it was complete, or updated. I was waiting at the beginning of Via Dolorosa for more than two and a half hours before the procession started. There were a lot of people, and enough entertainment from salesmen with different food and souvenirs, and pilgrims from different countries. I am not quite sure who led these processions, but I think they were first Greek, then Ethiopian and then Russian. The Greek surprised me. When the main cross came where I was, it suddenly stopped. People pushed and shouted, and the priests carrying the cross were more violent than I would have been… So I let that procession pass, and then followed the Ethiopian. It was quite successful, I heard the songs from both the Ethiopian and the Russian procession.
In the evening I wanted to attend some of the burial ceremonies, and I first went to the Armenian Church where I was for a while, and then to the Syrian, where they were just about to start a procession which I followed to the Holy Sepulchre. After spending some time there, I found out that it was enough for Good Friday for me, though there were more events later at night.
I have got to hear about the Greek service Friday night. It was not a very positive experience for those who where there. It is difficult to tell exactly what happened when I was not there myself, and I have only heard a little, but I am not sure I would have understood more if I was present either. I don’t know if people around the world know that the Greek Orthodox patriarch (or somebody in the patriarchate) has sold land in the Old City to Jewish investors. Most Christian Palestinians are Greek Orthodox, and so this has an influence on the whole Christian community. Muslims might believe that this is the Church, it doesn’t care for the Palestinians’ struggle for justice, and Palestinians who are known to work together not taking notice if the neighbour has a different religion, might now be in conflict. The patriarch is Greek, and not popular here now. Palm Sunday there was a demonstration against him, and the same happened yesterday. The Palestinians who had come to the Holy Sepulchre shouted “Judas, traitor” to him, and the result was that Greek and Russian Pilgrims could enter while Palestinians could not. It is a simple symbol of the daily life of the Palestinians.
We experienced some of the restrictions today. I normally wander around on my own, but today I joined a group on a course about the Orthodox Easter at St George’s College. It was wise, as I did not know that it would be that difficult to come to the Holy Sepulchre today. We first went to the Armenian Church, we came a bit late, but just in time for the procession with scouts with drums and bagpipes. We were supposed to get badges which would give us the permit to enter the part of the Old City where the Holy Sepulchre is. But some Russians had taken the badges, I heard, so we were waiting. Almost half of the group got badges, the rest continued waiting… I did not get everything happening on this checkpoint, but I think Jews, Armenians and Greeks got through. Palestinians and other foreigners needed special permission. These course members, who had this day as the climax of their stay, must have been very disappointed, but they got an experience of what it means to be a Palestinian not having the chance to travel where you want.
We decided at last to try some alternative ways, and managed to come quite close to the Holy Sepulchre, just around the corner, before the holy fire was supposed to come. I have to admit that I did not quite know what this holy fire was, so I did not actually know what I missed in the Holy Sepulchre. But now I have read a bit from Internet, and it is quite fascinating. Every year on the Orthodox Holy Saturday the Greek patriarch enters the tomb where he recites special prayers. He brings nothing with which he can make a fire. Then the holy fire occurs, which he brings out to people waiting. We could easily hear the fire, when the church bells rang and people shouted with joy. After a short while the fire came to us, it was sent from person to person each lighting their candles and passing on the flame. Most of those who had got badges and come closer to the Holy Sepulchre had not managed to come into the church, and had given up and left. I am glad I waited. The experience of people sending the holy fire, and that it came to me where I was waiting, was good. More about the holy fire: http://www.holyfire.org/eng/
Tonight I am preparing to go out again. Though the fire has come, there are several liturgies tonight, and I will try to experience some of them, if the church is not still too full.
Easter greetings (again) from Hanne.
Dear friends!
The Orthodox Easter has had its climax, already on Holy Saturday. I have seen the holy fire. But I will start from the beginning.
Maundy Thursday morning I was in Ramallah. YWCA had egg hunting for more than hundred children who had come, and there were lots of decoration, games and eggs. I have been to the Norwegian mountains every Easter as long as I can remember, and I don’t know much about the Easter bunny, which might be found more in the lowlands, if you find it in Norway. Here it came, and I had quite a secular start of the Easter celebrations.
When I was back in Jerusalem I attended more religious events, first a foot washing service in the Syrian St Mark’s, and then a mourning service in the Armenian St James’. On the first there were many, so I could not see the actual foot washing, but I could see the rest. There were very few when the mourning service started. I liked the liturgy, calm and nice, with chanting between two groups of monks and priests, about 20 in each. After two hours I found out that this service might last longer than I expected, and because it started to be late, I left. I met a girl working at YWCA, and she told that the liturgy was not even half way through, so I think it was wise to leave.
Good Friday was quite long. I had got a schedule with the events for this week, but I doubt that it was complete, or updated. I was waiting at the beginning of Via Dolorosa for more than two and a half hours before the procession started. There were a lot of people, and enough entertainment from salesmen with different food and souvenirs, and pilgrims from different countries. I am not quite sure who led these processions, but I think they were first Greek, then Ethiopian and then Russian. The Greek surprised me. When the main cross came where I was, it suddenly stopped. People pushed and shouted, and the priests carrying the cross were more violent than I would have been… So I let that procession pass, and then followed the Ethiopian. It was quite successful, I heard the songs from both the Ethiopian and the Russian procession.
In the evening I wanted to attend some of the burial ceremonies, and I first went to the Armenian Church where I was for a while, and then to the Syrian, where they were just about to start a procession which I followed to the Holy Sepulchre. After spending some time there, I found out that it was enough for Good Friday for me, though there were more events later at night.
I have got to hear about the Greek service Friday night. It was not a very positive experience for those who where there. It is difficult to tell exactly what happened when I was not there myself, and I have only heard a little, but I am not sure I would have understood more if I was present either. I don’t know if people around the world know that the Greek Orthodox patriarch (or somebody in the patriarchate) has sold land in the Old City to Jewish investors. Most Christian Palestinians are Greek Orthodox, and so this has an influence on the whole Christian community. Muslims might believe that this is the Church, it doesn’t care for the Palestinians’ struggle for justice, and Palestinians who are known to work together not taking notice if the neighbour has a different religion, might now be in conflict. The patriarch is Greek, and not popular here now. Palm Sunday there was a demonstration against him, and the same happened yesterday. The Palestinians who had come to the Holy Sepulchre shouted “Judas, traitor” to him, and the result was that Greek and Russian Pilgrims could enter while Palestinians could not. It is a simple symbol of the daily life of the Palestinians.
We experienced some of the restrictions today. I normally wander around on my own, but today I joined a group on a course about the Orthodox Easter at St George’s College. It was wise, as I did not know that it would be that difficult to come to the Holy Sepulchre today. We first went to the Armenian Church, we came a bit late, but just in time for the procession with scouts with drums and bagpipes. We were supposed to get badges which would give us the permit to enter the part of the Old City where the Holy Sepulchre is. But some Russians had taken the badges, I heard, so we were waiting. Almost half of the group got badges, the rest continued waiting… I did not get everything happening on this checkpoint, but I think Jews, Armenians and Greeks got through. Palestinians and other foreigners needed special permission. These course members, who had this day as the climax of their stay, must have been very disappointed, but they got an experience of what it means to be a Palestinian not having the chance to travel where you want.
We decided at last to try some alternative ways, and managed to come quite close to the Holy Sepulchre, just around the corner, before the holy fire was supposed to come. I have to admit that I did not quite know what this holy fire was, so I did not actually know what I missed in the Holy Sepulchre. But now I have read a bit from Internet, and it is quite fascinating. Every year on the Orthodox Holy Saturday the Greek patriarch enters the tomb where he recites special prayers. He brings nothing with which he can make a fire. Then the holy fire occurs, which he brings out to people waiting. We could easily hear the fire, when the church bells rang and people shouted with joy. After a short while the fire came to us, it was sent from person to person each lighting their candles and passing on the flame. Most of those who had got badges and come closer to the Holy Sepulchre had not managed to come into the church, and had given up and left. I am glad I waited. The experience of people sending the holy fire, and that it came to me where I was waiting, was good. More about the holy fire: http://www.holyfire.org/eng/
Tonight I am preparing to go out again. Though the fire has come, there are several liturgies tonight, and I will try to experience some of them, if the church is not still too full.
Easter greetings (again) from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 2:09 PM
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