Miraculous Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem
The Holy Fire appeared again this year in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, at 2:36 PM. The Fire was brought to the faithful by the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Holy Fire appears every year on Holy Saturday, when, above the Holy Sepulchre, a fire said to descend from heaven appears. It is said to manifest differently each year and, for the first few minutes, does not burn.
The Holy Fire ceremony is considered miraculous and has a tradition dating back over a millennium. The Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the chapel where Jesus Christ's tomb is located, holding 33 unlit candles, a biblical number symbolizing the age of the Savior at his crucifixion.
After hours of waiting, the ceremony culminates in the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem emerging from the sealed tomb with a lit candle.
The Fire is then shared with the faithful gathered inside and outside the church.
Large numbers of Christians from around the world gathered on Saturday in the Old City of Jerusalem to celebrate the Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony.
In the Republic of Moldova too, the Holy Fire is expected to arrive Saturday evening. The Holy Fire is expected to arrive around 8:00 PM in the square of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of the Lord in Chișinău, from where His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir will share it with the clergy and the faithful.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
