Who lit them, since many times before the Patriarch came out, these are the candles of the people. They lit by themselves on the day when we were there, before the Patriarch came out to give the Light. I was standing right next to them. As soon as the Light came from the Patriarch and we received it from there, the people were shouting: “The Holy Light is coming!” Look up at the dome of the Holy Sepulchre, at the Holy Tomb of the Lord.
The people’s candles lit by themselves, and a grandmother who was outside the door of the church, in the courtyard, had her candles lit by others. Her name was Eleftheria, from Athienou. She was crying because they would not let her enter, and she sat down on the ground crying because she had not come to the Holy Tomb and would not receive the Holy Light. When she closed the door, her candles lit by themselves at the time when the celebration of the Holy Light had finished. The rejoicing began, and we started the Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday before our eyes. I was chanting, and I was at the Beautiful Gate. Suddenly, a flame from the lamp of the Beautiful Gate, which was by itself… I tell you, the Patriarch could have a lighter and could light the place, but how did all the other things light? How did they all catch fire? We saw it with our own eyes. How could it be an illusion? How did I see it? I saw it like blue lightning, moving like this. I said, “But lightning comes from above downward. How is it moving like this?” The monk standing next to me saw nothing. Another person nearby saw a sphere, a ball of fire. Another saw something like a cloud. If it were artificial, we would all see the same thing. If it were something artificial, you and I and everyone else would see the same thing. Why did I see it and you did not? Why did I see lightning and you saw a sphere, another saw a cloud, and another saw something else? I am not saying I can confirm what the Patriarch brings out from inside. I cannot, because I was not standing beside the Patriarch to see. But I have two things to say. First of all, if it were a deception—because if it is not as we say, then it is a deception—how could it have continued for so long? And secondly, when the Patriarch enters, the Armenian Archbishop also enters with him. The Armenian wants very much to remove the Orthodox Patriarch so that he himself can enter. He is the only one who stands outside and can see the Patriarch. The Armenian bishop can see what the Orthodox Patriarch does inside the Holy Tomb. If the Orthodox Patriarch were doing something fake, the Armenian would expose him and humiliate him. He would say: “What are these things you are doing? What lies are these?” But he also comes and receives the Light from the Orthodox Patriarch, kisses the hand of the Orthodox Patriarch, and the Latins, the Armenians, the Monophysites, and everyone receives the Light from the Orthodox Patriarch. Why can nobody else bring out the Light except the Orthodox Patriarch or an Orthodox bishop? There is also that historical story: at one time, they bought the right from the Turks, removed the Orthodox from the Holy Tomb, and an Armenian entered to bring out the Holy Light. While the Orthodox were praying outside, the Light came out of the column. The column can still be seen today, burned and cracked. You may not believe it. That is your right. But we can see it until today. And we have historical testimonies about the Holy Light from centuries ago. This is not something that happened today. This tradition of the Holy Light has existed for many centuries. Because this tradition exists, and we have heard it ourselves, even younger people who have not gone to the Holy Tomb know about it. But there are clear statements from some theologians that this is, in some way, a deception. I advise them to go and see it themselves. Whoever has a theological school paper is not necessarily a theologian. Now someone else wanted to say something. The woman here is Mrs. Giota. In the Holy Land, Father, there is a small church of Saint Constantine, which is above the Holy Sepulchre. I went once at Easter, and on the night when the Holy Light was supposed to come out, they put some of us up there so we could see the Holy Light. Others from our group entered the small church of Saint Constantine because there was no space, and all the lamps and candles were extinguished. All the lamps and candles were completely off. When the Holy Light came out, we had people from our group who saw it entering through the little window on the left side of the church. A blue light entered, and all the lamps lit at the same time. This happens every year. People who were with me saw it. There are countless testimonies about this. Something else that has troubled many people is that candles can supposedly be dipped in a liquid, and after some time, they can light, and this was even shown on television. Look, something else people said is that officially, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem has not stated that the Holy Light is a miracle. I do not know what the official Patriarchate says. I know what history says, what the testimonies of pilgrims have said for centuries, and what we ourselves have experienced and seen with our own eyes. Now that woman Eleftheria from Athienou—she dipped her candle in something. Why did it not light five minutes earlier? The candles are bought from the beginning, from the first day people arrive. The woman carries them with her. I say: Do we need a miracle in order to believe in Christ? No. Even if the Holy Light did not exist, we would still believe. So let people say whatever they want. I also want to say that miracles are not the foundation of faith. The Apostle Paul says we do not need the Holy Light to believe in Christ. But one thing we saw with our own eyes and read in our history is that this happens continuously and happens before thousands of people every year. So how can you dismiss it so easily? I told you: perhaps the Patriarch does not light it himself—the light may come from God. I do not know what happens there. But I have these two questions: What happens with the Armenian who sees the Patriarch? And what happens with the people whose lamps light by themselves? I was also told that Bishop Timothy’s mother used to go to the Holy Tomb at Easter, but one year she was not allowed to go because she had difficulty walking. They told the old woman to stay upstairs in his cell, which was in the courtyard of the Patriarchate. She sat on the balcony crying because she was not allowed to go down and see the Holy Light. And her candles lit by themselves while she was on the balcony of the house. How could the candles have been prepared with fire and then lit? They lit at the time of the Holy Light. Some say there is a liquid which, after a certain time, reacts with oxygen and other elements and catches fire. Yes, but you would have to dip them a little while before, and after so much time, they would ignite. But people buy the candles from the Arabs, from the Jews, from whoever sells them, and carry them with them. It does not make logical sense. Anyway, may God enlighten us all about what we see, what we hear, and what we say.
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