Historic court decision: “The Holy Fire in Jerusalem is lit by human intervention”

“There is no miracle. The Holy Fire is lit with matches or a lighter”

On March 25, 2026, we received a very important court decision concerning the Holy Fire, as it bears the seal of the Hellenic Republic.

The court (Single-Member Court of First Instance of Athens) examined—for the first time—the substance of the case and ruled, after “thoroughly reviewing the evidence,” that the lighting of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem “is proven to be the result of human intervention.”

This is the latest decision (issued on February 26, 2026 – decision number 2611/2026) in a series of trials—one criminal and several civil, in all of which I was vindicated—where the court was called upon to rule on the (serious) offense of defamation through my published book, “Redemption: On the Holy Fire.”

The plaintiff was the Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Archbishop Aristarchos (second in rank at the Patriarchate, responsible for the administration of the Patriarchal Offices). In his lawsuit, he claimed that he suffered a “severe infringement of his personality due to the publication of the book,” alleging that I “distorted his words regarding the Holy Fire, and thereby harmed his honor and reputation, as well as the institution of the Patriarchate.”

After rejecting all the plaintiff’s claims, the judge proceeded one (significant) step further:

“There is no miracle. The Holy Fire is lit with matches or a lighter”

The deadline for filing an appeal (60 days from service on the opposing party) against the above decision has expired without action. Thus, the historic court decision became final (res judicata) on 23/6/2026.

You can read the full decision (greek) by clicking here

An English translation providing a comprehensive and coherent summary of the main points and legal reasoning of the decision.