The Holy Fire 2026: war in the Middle East jeopardizes the tradition of bringing the holy relic to Greece

The escalating military conflict in the Middle East has raised serious concerns in Athens and Jerusalem about the traditional delivery of the Holy Flame to Greece in 2026. The unprecedented instability in the region has called into question the safety of the mission and the possibility of honoring the multi-year protocol established back in 1988.

According to the Greek publication Vima Orthodoxias, hierarchs of the Jerusalem Patriarchate are expressing deep concern, emphasizing that the current conditions “do not resemble any other year.” According to sources, there is a risk of severe restrictions on the access of the faithful to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and travel bans, which could prevent the descent of fire ceremony itself from taking place.

The Greek deputy foreign minister emphasized in a public statement that the Greek side will make every possible effort to carry out the mission. He called the trip to Jerusalem “a duty and an honor,” but acknowledged that the implementation of the plans will directly depend on the decisions of security authorities and the current military situation. “Nothing can be taken for granted,” the official said, allowing the mission to take place even in a high-risk environment.

Diplomatic circles note that the current crisis is the most serious in decades. The Greek Foreign Ministry is currently in constant communication with the authorities in the region to monitor the situation. Various alternative scenarios are being considered, as the issue of delivery of the Holy Fire has not only religious significance, but also carries a powerful symbolic meaning for the entire Greek world and Orthodoxy as a whole.

Recall, on Monday, March 16, at about 15:00 local time, a large fragment of a missile, shot down by an air defense system, fell 100 meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The incident occurred during a rocket fired by Iran towards Jerusalem.