Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis’ reply to H.H.B. the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III at the ceremony for receiving the Holy Fire (Jerusalem, 23.04.2022)

Your Beatitude,
Your Eminences,
Reverend Fathers,
Dear pilgrims,

It is with feelings of reverence and humility that I receive the Holy Fire from your hands today, your Beatitude.

It is a special honor for me personally to attend this year, as the representative of the Greek Government and head of a distinguished official delegation of our country, the Holy Fire Ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a special privilege to be responsible for the transportation of the Holy Fire and the passing of the message of the Resurrection to Greece.

The Holy Fire Ceremony has a redemptive effect on the faith of the whole of Christianity. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood, under your holy guidance, your Beatitude, are the guardians of this great and redemptive tradition, continuing their centuries-long struggle in the front line of Orthodoxy. This is an offer of sacrifice, perseverance and sobriety that only the tested members of the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood are able to give.

The Greek State has always rendered assistance, supporting the Patriarchate and the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood in the effort to safeguard the sacred privileges and the irreplaceable spiritual role of the Church of Holy Zion from the ravages of time and geopolitical agendas.

As soon as we return to our homeland, the Holy Fire will reach every corner of the country, to the Orthodox churches that tonight will pass the message of the Resurrection and hope.

I am certain that these days we feel, more than ever, the need for redemption and hope, which only the Divine Drama and the Resurrection of the God-man can offer to the world. May the Holy Fire, which transmits the message of life, joy and hope, convey to the whole world, regardless of nationality and race, the glory of God and the faith of people.

Christ is Risen!