News from the Orient – May 10, 2024
Vatican news
In this week's Eastern Churches news, produced in collaboration with L'Œuvre d'Orient, Orthodox Christians celebrate the sacred fire ceremony in Jerusalem, Europeans hold an ecumenical prayer service and Islamic extremists attack two villages in Egypt.
This week's Oriental News:
Sacred fire ceremony in Jerusalem
On Saturday evening according to the Julian calendar, as every year, Orthodox Christians celebrated the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
No pilgrims were present at this year's celebration, however, due to tensions in the region.
For two millennia, on the occasion of Orthodox Easter, a flame has miraculously lit on the tomb of Christ.
This fire then spreads among the faithful present and is transmitted to various churches throughout the world, such as in Iraq where the flame arrived at the monastery of Mar Mattai.
Day of Eastern Christians in Europe
Sunday May 5 marked the seventh day of Eastern Christians.
Dozens of celebrations took place in Poland, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Monaco and France.
At the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris, Mass was celebrated by Mgr Rafic Nahra, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Every year since 2018, at the initiative of the Œuvre d'Orient, the 6th Sunday after Easter marks a day of prayer, meeting and communion between Eastern Christians and Latin Christians.
Two villages attacked in Egypt
On April 23 and 26, hundreds of Islamist extremists attacked the villages of Al-Kouhm Al-Ahmar and Al Fawakher in southern Egypt.
They sought to prevent the construction of evangelical Christian religious buildings.
Houses were looted and burned and several Christians were beaten.
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