The Holy Fire descended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
11 April 16:38
On Holy Saturday, April 11, the Descent of the Holy Fire—one of the key events in the Orthodox world on the eve of Easter—took place at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing a broadcast of the celebration in Jerusalem.
Before the ceremony begins, all sources of fire in the church are extinguished, after which the Holy Sepulcher—the chapel above the Tomb of Christ—is inspected by representatives of various denominations and services. Next, the Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the chapel with unlit candles, where, according to the testimony of the faithful, a flame appears after a prayer.
Afterward, it is passed to those present in the church, and it quickly spreads among the pilgrims. Subsequently, the Holy Fire is transported by special flights to various countries, including Ukraine.
The descent of the Holy Fire is considered a symbol of the light of Christ’s Resurrection and spiritual renewal. It is expected that in the coming hours, the fire will be delivered to churches and monasteries, where believers will be able to celebrate Easter with this symbol of blessing.
In Russia, on the eve of Easter, restrictions began to be imposed on traditional religious processions in major cities. According to social media posts and publicly released documents, law enforcement agencies fear that religious events could be used as a pretext for protests, particularly against internet restrictions, the blocking of Telegram, and the introduction of new digital surveillance systems.
Specifically, this concerns the “Procession of Faith” initiative, whose participants planned to join official processions carrying posters instead of icons. In response, some events were moved to a closed format or canceled, and calls to participate in such actions in Russia were labeled “provocations” and “fakes.”
