The Armenian priest shocked the Coptic colleague with a story about how the fertile fire was lit in the temple of the Holy Sepulcher

The Israeli Hadashot 2 television channel shot a video report dedicated to the complex relationships of representatives of several Christian churches, between which the shrines of the Temple of the Holy Square in Jerusalem are divided. As you know, the relations between representatives of these churches are so tense that fights between clergy are regularly erupted in the temple. One of them almost occurred right in Kuvuklia (a chapel in the center of the temple, where the Holy Sepulcher is located), when a representative of the Armenian diocese gave a comment to the correspondent in the presence of the Coptic priest.

Father Samwal Agoyan, who, according to him, had a chance to present in Kuvuklia three times during the ignition of the fertile fire on the eve of the Orthodox Easter, told the author of the report that the patriarchs light up the ligaments of wax candles from the oil lamp and there was nothing mystical in the fertile fire. “God works miracles, but not for fun to people,” the Armenian clergyman explained.

- The Russian Orthodox Church called for no doubt about the truth of miracles

However, these words caused indignation among the representative of the Coptic Church standing next to him. "Stop the camera, it is lying!" - the clergyman shouted, waved his hands. Father Agoyan objected that the Copts, unlike the Armenians, were not present when ignition of fire, but this argument did not convince his brother in Christ, who continued to be erupted to the Israeli journalist, that “in fact” the wonderful fire was leaving the sky, and the Armenian colleague tells the lie, the ISRALINFO website reports.

It is worth noting that the Armenian priest frankly and with irony also spoke about other events in the temple. For example, he admitted that he somehow participated in one of the fights at the Holy Sepulcher, having beaten someone from the Greek Orthodox Church.

Recall that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is divided today between the six faiths of the Christian Church: Greek-Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian, each of which allocated its submets and hours for prayers. Thus, the Church of the Franciscans and the altar of nails belong to the Catholic Order of St. Francis, the temple of Equal -to -the -Apostles of Elena and the chapel of "Three Mary" - the Armenian Apostolic Church, the grave of St. Joseph of Arimathesky, the altar in the western part of the Kuvuklia - the Coptic Church. Golgotha, Kafolikon belong to the Jerusalem Orthodox Church. Kuvuklia is in the joint use of various faiths, which take turns making their liturgy there.

The ceremony of distributing the fertile fire on Great Saturday on the eve of the Orthodox Easter annually attracts thousands of pilgrims of East Christian religions into the temple of the Lord. According to Christian belief, a wonderful, not burning fire "descends from heaven" into the hands of the Greek patriarch, and he, together with the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, distributes it to believers who gathered around the temple. From Jerusalem, the Grace of Holy Fire is delivered by special aircraft to Moscow, Athens and other Orthodox capitals.

The struggle against taxes rallyed

As reported, on February 25, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was closed due to the protest of the clergy against the new property tax, which the city authorities decided to impose the churches. The City Hall of Jerusalem demanded that they pay municipal taxes on all real estate, except for the temples directly.

Representatives of the Jerusalem churches made a joint statement that the decision of the Israeli authorities violates existing agreements and is contrary to the international obligations of Israel, which guaranteed the privileges of religious institutions. On February 28, the shrine again opened for pilgrims after the Israeli authorities expressed their readiness to start negotiations on the settlement of a tax dispute.

The Russian Orthodox Church called for no doubt about the truth of miracles

The head of the press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Alexander Volkov, called "wrong and unnecessary" public doubts about the truth of miracles, commenting on the dispute of colleagues in the Jerusalem Temple.

"The world can be skeptical in our world, start criticizing and finding arguments against, but this is how things that could embarrass millions of believers, I think, is wrong and unnecessary," said Patriarch Kirill, spokesman. It is quoted by RIA Novosti .

The wonderful convergence of fire, in his opinion, will forever remain a joy for millions of people. “And the private and strange judgments of the clergymen of the Armenian Church let them remain on their conscience,” Volkov concluded.

The fertile fire symbolizes the miraculous light of the Resurrection of Christ. Every year, on Easter Eve, he goes to the candles and lamp of Patriarch Jerusalem and all Palestine in the temple of the Holy Sepulcher, explained to the Russian Orthodox Church.