Bulgarian delegation will not travel to Jerusalem for the Holy Fire – Society – Bulgaria – NOVA News

This year, the Bulgarian delegation will not travel to the holy city of Jerusalem for the transfer of the Holy Fire to Bulgaria. The reason – the escalation of tension in Israel.

This decision was taken by the Holy Synod at its meeting on Monday, announced the Metropolitan of Stara Zagora and the spokesman of the Synod, Metropolitan Cyprian.

The Holy Fire descended on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem (VIDEO+PHOTOS)

To this day, Christ’s Resurrection is accompanied by a miracle, which is observed every year at the Holy Sepulchre, on the day before the church holiday Easter.

In Jerusalem, over the place of the Lord’s tomb, a small chapel was built, and above it – a magnificent temple. Every year on Holy Saturday, the Orthodox receive the Holy Fire there. He has a heavenly origin, and in the first minutes, after his appearance, he does not burn and does not burn hands and clothes.

The earliest information about the Holy Fire is from the second century AD. Since then, every time on the eve of Holy Saturday, all the lamps and candles in the temple are extinguished. Secular authorities make a strict inspection to see if anything has been left alight. Then they seal the entrance to the chapel where the Holy Sepulcher is. Soldiers check whether there is a fire hidden in the clothes of the bishop. Then they remove the seal from the entrance and the patriarch enters the cave with the Lord’s tomb. There is darkness. A tense wait begins – 15, 20 or more minutes, sometimes hours. Silenced, the people wait outside and pray. Suddenly, lightning-like lights appeared in the air. People start cheering. A bundle of lighted candles is shown from the north opening of the chapel.