The priest named the main force of the Holy Fire

On the eve of Orthodox Easter, the Holy Fire is expected to descend in Jerusalem. Despite the many years of debate about the nature of this phenomenon, the clergy emphasize that its spiritual meaning is important for believers first of all. The ceremony traditionally takes place in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ on Holy Saturday. After the prayer, the Patriarch of Jerusalem takes the fire out of the Cupola and hands it over to the faithful.

Easter service: what happens at the night service and how to behave in the temple

In 2026, the Easter service will be held on the night of April 11-12.

In 2026, the event will be held in a limited format: the Israeli authorities have closed access to the shrines of the Old City to pilgrims and the media. The descent of the Holy Fire can be seen live.

The live broadcast of the Easter service from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is taking place for the 36th time this year. The Liturgy is led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. You can watch the service on the Izvestia website, as well as on the air of federal TV channels.

Against this background, discussions about the nature of the Holy Fire continue, which do not subside both among believers and in the church environment. Hieromonk Theodoret (Sergei Senchukov), in an interview with Izvestia, stated that he considers the Holy Fire to be a phenomenon of supernatural nature.

"There are a lot of revelations now. Someone is talking about some kind of lamp, someone is talking about some kind of lighter. I personally believe in the supernatural origin of the Holy Fire," he said.

According to him, he repeatedly attended the ceremony in Jerusalem and watched as the fire "descended" on ordinary candles that ignite themselves, and also saw flashes of light on the walls of the temple, described by pilgrims many centuries ago.

"No matter how this Light appears, its meaning is important. It is the Light of Christ that enlightens everyone," the hieromonk emphasized.

He also added that in the first minutes after the descent, the fire does not burn, and then acquires its usual properties.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

"Holy Fire is the main miracle of Easter: how it lights up and why it doesn't burn"

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.