Greece acquitted journalist who investigated the Blessed Fire
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An Athens court has acquitted a journalist who claimed to have uncovered the mystery of the descent of the Blessed Fire.
According to Greek portal avgi. gr, journalist Dimitris Alikakos wrote a book in 2019 about the Blessed Fire, which the Jerusalem Patriarchate called blasphemy.
The reason for the lawsuit was the materials included by Alikakos in his book and a video that suggested that the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was not a miracle but the result of human intervention.
The court ruled that the disputed video was true. Two candlesticks are lit inside the Tomb by the hands of clergy.
A verdict of acquittal was issued against the journalist.
In 2018, Dimitris Alikakos went to Jerusalem to research the ritual of the descent of the Holy Fire. He interviewed several priests, including Archbishop Isidore, who is in charge of the ritual objects of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The archbishop told the journalist in conversation that the fire is lit with a lighter. The interview was included in Alikasos' book, due out in 2019.The Jerusalem Patriarchate has since filed a lawsuit against the journalist and accused him of defamation.
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