What time does the Holy Fire descend in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre today?
The Holy Fire is one of the most revered miracles in the Christian world, which takes place annually on Holy Saturday on the eve of Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In 2025, this event will take place today, April 19th.
On the eve of the ceremony, candles were extinguished in the Kuvuklia, a chapel built over the burial place of Jesus Christ. The funeral bed of the Lord was covered with cotton wool, and the chapel was sealed by local policemen.
The ceremony itself begins in the afternoon. The Patriarch of Jerusalem and the clergy cover the route of Jesus' last day on Earth, after which the procession circles the Kuvuklia three times.
Before entering the Kuvuklia, the patriarch is checked for the absence of fire sources. After that, the chapel doors are sealed and the prayer for the Blessed Fire begins.
The waiting time for the fire to converge can vary from several minutes to several hours.
When the fire goes down, the patriarch lights candles from it with cotton wool and brings them to the faithful. It is believed that in the first minutes after the descent, the fire does not burn, and pilgrims can freely touch it.
In 2025, Orthodox Easter falls on April 20, respectively, the descent of the Holy Fire is expected today, April 19, on Holy Saturday.
The ceremony will begin around 13:00 Moscow time. The live broadcast of the event will be available on federal TV channels and the Izvestia website.
After the descent, the flame will be delivered by special flights to various countries, including Russia, where it will be welcomed in temples and monasteries.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
