Hierarch of the Hellenic Church: The delivery of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem is not a prerequisite for the celebration of Easter

Hierarch of the Hellenic Orthodox Church Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki said that the faithful can fully celebrate the Resurrection of Christ even in the absence or delay of the delivery of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem. With the unstable situation in the Middle East, the issue of transportation of the holy relic this year remains uncertain, but the hierarch emphasized that the spiritual essence of the feast does not depend solely on this event.

According to Orthodoxia News Agency, citing the Metropolitan’s interview with STATUS FM 107.7, there is currently no official information on how exactly the transportation of the Blessed Fire to Greece will be carried out. Nevertheless, the Metropolitan assured that the ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will take place as usual, although with possible restrictions on the number of pilgrims for security reasons.

Metropolitan Philotheos reminded that the modern tradition of delivering the flame by air flights was born only in 1987 and does not have a long history. «The presence of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem is not mandatory for the faithful to celebrate the Resurrection,» he noted. The hierarch explained that in every Orthodox church an unquenchable lamp burns on the Holy Throne, the fire from which is the same Holy Light that symbolizes Christ.

The Metropolitan concluded his speech by emphasizing that the Blessed Fire is first and foremost a symbol of the Savior Himself. Even if for some reason the relic is not delivered by the beginning of the Easter service, it will still arrive in the country later. This issue has already been discussed during a meeting between Archimandrite Jerome, Exarch of the Holy Sepulchre, and Archbishop Jerome of Athens and All Hellas.