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- Holy Fire — a Christian miracle: how does it light up, why doesn't it burn, and what happens if it doesn't
Holy Fire — a Christian miracle: how does it light up, why doesn't it burn, and what happens if it doesn't
Every year, on the eve of Orthodox Easter, believers witness the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In 2025, it should happen today, on April 19th. Traditionally, many believers gather near the temple, who want to be the first to come into contact with the fire, reminiscent of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Read more about this important event for believers and the fire itself in the Izvestia article.
What is the Holy Fire: a story
The Holy Fire descends annually in the main shrine and place of pilgrimage for all Christians — the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to legend, it was there that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and then resurrected. The temple itself was consecrated in 335 and has been rebuilt several times since. Since the 1800s, it has been jointly owned and operated by the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian Churches. The head is the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (since 2005 — Theophilos III).
The descent of the Holy Fire takes place in the inner and most ancient building of the temple — Kuvuklia, which translates from Greek as "bedchamber". It is a small chapel, inside which the Holy Sepulchre is located. There are 43 lamps above it: 13 each from the Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian churches, as well as four Coptic ones.
The miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem
According to available sources, the descent, or meeting, of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been taking place since the fourth century. At the same time, the first witness is considered to be the apostle Peter, who came to the tomb at night when Jesus Christ was resurrected and saw the radiance coming from the empty coffin. This is indicated by the preserved manuscripts of ancient theologians.
The earliest data on the descent of the Holy Fire, as well as the description of the rite, date back to the 9th century. One of the most significant documents is considered to be the Latala manuscript of the Jerusalem Canonarium.
How the Holy Fire descends
On the night before Great Saturday, candles and lamps are extinguished in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and cotton wool is placed on the funeral bed. After that, the chapel is inspected to make sure that no fire sources are hidden anywhere. Then representatives of the local police close it and seal it. The key is traditionally kept in a Muslim family from generation to generation.
The next day, a prayer ceremony is held, attended by the clergy of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, the Jerusalem Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church. The beginning of this ceremony is the procession, when the priests pass through all the iconic places of the temple associated with the last day of the life of Jesus Christ.
After that, they walk around the chapel three times. Each priest holds 33 candles in His hands, symbolizing the age of Jesus at the time of His Resurrection.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem leads the procession. Together with the Armenian Archimandrite, they take off their outer garments before entering and remain only in their cassocks. The purpose of this traditional action is to show others that they have nothing that can be used to light a fire.
After that, both priests enter the chapel, the door is locked, and then the general prayer begins. It is important to note that the only one who can see the process of the descent of fire is the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Archimandrite remains behind the wall.
In the Kuvuklia, the Patriarch of Jerusalem reads a prayer, and after a while the Holy Fire descends. According to eyewitnesses, the temple is illuminated by flashes, which gradually intensify. Soon, the space is illuminated by a bright light. After that, the patriarch lights candles and lamps inside the chapel with this fire, and then goes out to the pilgrims and blesses them. The pilgrims, in turn, light candles one after another from the candles of the patriarch.
It is important to note that no one can predict in advance the time after which the fire will descend. This can happen either after a few minutes or after several hours of prayer.
Why does the Holy Fire not burn
According to numerous witnesses, the Holy Fire does not burn in the first few minutes. Because of this, some even "wash" themselves with it, without causing any damage to themselves. However, this property is gradually lost, and the fire begins to burn. In particular, the head of the association of Orthodox scientists, Archpriest Gennady Zaridze, conducted an experiment in 2016 and measured the temperature of the Holy Fire that had just descended using a laser temperature meter. It turned out that in the first moments after the convergence, the temperature of the fire was 42 degrees, and after 15 minutes it was already 320 degrees.
Scientists have also tried many times to explain how fire appears and why it does not burn. According to some, this can be explained by the conditions in the temple itself (low temperature, humidity, and so on). Other scientists say that this effect can be achieved by mixing boric acid, ethyl alcohol and a drop of concentrated sulfuric acid. As soon as the boric acid ether evaporates, the fire begins to burn. Nevertheless, many people question this option, due to the fact that many pilgrims come with their own candles, which most likely were not soaked in anything.
Why do believers want to receive a piece of Holy Fire
There may be many reasons why believers want to bring home a candle with a Blessed flame, but the main one is faith, because the flame is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ and the connection between God and man.
What happens if the Holy Fire doesn't come down
Fire is also a symbol of light and hope for the best — according to some reports, if the fire does not come down on the eve of Easter, the Last Judgment will soon come. However, this is not confirmed data, because history has already known such cases. In particular, after the ban on young Arab Christians entering the Jerusalem temple due to their excessive volume, the fire did not go down until the very lifting of this restriction.
Some also think that if the fire does not come down on Holy Saturday, the world will end or the Antichrist will rule the earth. The church is skeptical about this, because the Apocalypse of John the Theologian says nothing about the Holy Fire.
According to the clergy, the fear that the Holy Fire may not descend turns Christians into fire worshippers, and this contradicts the essence of Christianity.
Is there a scientific explanation for the Holy Fire
Many people have tried to explain the process of the Holy Fire's descent, but it is impossible to prove or disprove the theories put forward, due to the fact that no one except the Patriarch of Jerusalem can be in the chapel when a miracle occurs.
There were suggestions that a lighted candle was hidden in the dome of the Kuvuklia, from which thin chains rubbed with essential oil were pulled to the lamps above the Holy Sepulchre. Allegedly, the flame from the candle gradually ignites the oil and spreads through the lamps. According to another version, another lamp is hidden behind the icon of the Resurrection of Christ, from which the fire is lit.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to prove or disprove various theories. The church itself does not give an official explanation of the origin of the fire, however, some priests note that the fire is man-made and becomes sacred precisely because of prayer.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
