Holy Friday Apokathelosis - Taking Down from the Cross

At the Apokathelosis service on Holy Friday afternoon, the Solea becomes the sacred stage for a deeply moving reenactment of Christ’s removal from the Cross. At the center stands the large wooden Cross with the figure of Christ still affixed. During the service, the priest carefully removes the body of Christ from the Cross, symbolizing the moment Jesus is taken down after His death. This is done with reverence and often accompanied by the hymn “When the noble Joseph…”

The figure of Christ is wrapped in a white linen cloth and gently carried into the altar, representing His burial preparation. Then, the Epitaphios—a richly embroidered icon depicting Christ’s body in death—is brought out and placed in the kouvouklion, a wooden bier decorated with fresh flowers, which represents Christ’s tomb. This becomes the visual and spiritual focus, surrounded by candles, incense, and quiet veneration, as the faithful begin to mourn the…