Holy Fire descends in Jerusalem

Before the ritual begins, all sources of fire inside the church are extinguished. After that, the Edicule - the chapel over the Tomb of Christ - is inspected by representatives of different denominations and services. The Patriarch of Jerusalem then enters the chapel holding unlit candles, where, after prayer, believers say the Holy Fire appears.

Afterwards, the fire is passed to those present in the church and quickly spreads among the pilgrims. Later, the Holy Fire is transported by special flights to different countries, including Ukraine.

The descent of the Holy Fire is considered a symbol of the light of Christ’s Resurrection and spiritual renewal. It is expected that within the next few hours the fire will be delivered to churches and monasteries, where believers will be able to celebrate Easter with this symbol of blessing.

In Russia, ahead of Easter, authorities have begun restricting traditional religious processions in major cities. According to social media reports and published documents, security services fear that religious events could be used as a pretext for protests, particularly against internet restrictions, Telegram blocking, and the introduction of new digital control systems.

In particular, the initiative "Procession of Faith" is mentioned, whose participants planned to join official processions holding placards instead of icons. In response, some events were moved to closed formats or canceled, and calls to participate in such actions in Russia were labeled as "provocations" and "fake news."