Security Tightened in Jerusalem in Preparation for Descent of Holy Fire
JERUSALEM, May 4 - RIA Novosti. Since the early morning of Holy Saturday, the Israeli police have strengthened security measures around the Old City in Jerusalem and inside it in anticipation of the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the scene.
At the gate at the entrance to the Old Town, crowds of pilgrims are waiting in the hope of seeing the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire. The police have not yet begun allowing organized groups of pilgrims into the Old City.
However, the number of visitors to the Old Town on this Holy Saturday is significantly less than a year earlier. This is due to the situation in the country amid the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and logistical difficulties with flights, as many airlines still do not fly to Israel.
An organized group of journalists was brought into the Old City at 8.45 Jerusalem time (the same as Moscow time).
The descent of the Holy Fire, the miraculous light of the Resurrection of Christ, occurs only on Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ) on the eve of Orthodox Easter (Pascha) and only through the prayers of the Orthodox Patriarch.
On this day, Israeli law enforcement officers traditionally introduce a special security regime in the Old City area. Hundreds of police and security guards have been deployed since early morning in the historic center of Jerusalem to ensure public safety and escort Christian processions and visitors.
The day before, the Jerusalem District of the Israel Police completed preparations for the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire. On this day, vehicles are not allowed to enter the Old City until after the ceremony. According to one Israeli police official, "in order to maintain public peace and security, crowd control will be carried out in the Old City of Jerusalem."
The police noted that, in accordance with the recommendations of the “church engineer,” at the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a “maximum audience limit was determined depending on the area, density, emergency exits and maximum capacity.”
In 2023, no more than 2.4 thousand people could see the miracle. In previous years, about 10 thousand pilgrims were inside the church during the descent of the Holy Fire.
The descent of the Holy Fire usually occurs between 13:00 and 15:00 Jerusalem time.
The Holy Fire appears in the Edicule - a chapel inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is erected over the space where Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. Then the fire is transported to different countries. In Russia, the fire is usually delivered to the midnight Pascha (Easter) patriarchal service in the capital's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This year, the delegation of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation (FA1), according to tradition, will deliver the Holy Fire to Moscow on a special flight from Jerusalem on the eve of Easter.
Since 2003, FA1, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', has officially organized the bringing of the Holy Fire to the Russian capital for Pascha (Easter) as part of the “Ask Peace for Jerusalem” program.
Source: ria.ru (Russian)
Thank you for posting this Father Joe. Why do we in the west see the crucification and resurrection of Jesus Christ happening at a different date?