Greece Mission in Jerusalem for Holy Fire Ceremony

Preparations are underway successful Jerusalem for the Holy Fire ceremonial astatine the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, taking spot against a backdrop of heightened subject alert and heavy spiritual solemnity. The Old City, closed for 41 days owed to hostilities, has reopened for the juncture — lending this year’s ceremonial uncommon symbolic weight arsenic a little infinitesimal of calm amid the wider Middle East conflict.

A Diplomatic and Security Balancing Act

Israeli constabulary measures stay stringent, with attendance wrong the religion strictly capped astatine 50 people. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has afloat briefed overseas diplomatic missions connected the exigency protocols that will stay successful effect.

Greece is upholding its decades-long tradition with an authoritative authorities delegation. Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Loverdos, starring the mission, departed by special formation for Tel Aviv connected Saturday morning.

The authorities craft is expected to onshore astatine Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport astatine astir 19:00, marking the start of an airlift cognition to administer the Holy Fire crossed the country.

Immediately aft the Athens arrival, the Holy Fire will beryllium transported to 11 destinations via a coordinated docket of AEGEAN and Olympic Air flights: Thessaloniki (21:05), Kavala (21:15), Mykonos (20:15), Samos (20:30), Chios (21:25), Kos (21:30), Zakynthos (20:50), Ioannina (21:25), Kefalonia (21:50), Limnos (20:50) and Volos (20:40).

Cyprus

Parallel arrangements are successful spot for Cyprus, where the Holy Fire is expected to get astatine Larnaca’s Glafcos Clerides Airport astatine 17:00 connected a nonstop formation from Tel Aviv. Representatives of the Exarchate of the Holy Sepulchre will person it and oversee its accelerated organisation to parishes crossed the island.

Despite the charged ambiance and information challenges, authorities successful Athens, Nicosia and Jerusalem worked successful adjacent coordination to guarantee the Easter connection reaches the faithful connected clip — a testament, officials said, to the enduring powerfulness of tradition adjacent successful times of crisis.