Tens of thousands of Orthodox pilgrims expect today Holy Fire in Jerusalem

Tens of thousands of Orthodox pilgrims gather today in Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre and the surrounding squares and streets to witness the descent of the Holy Fire. For a particle of "divine flame" here, a delegation of St. Andrew Foundation /FAP /led by the chairman board of trustees and head of the company "Russian railways" Vladimir Yakunin. This writes the ITAR-TASS .

Mission to deliver the Holy Fire from Jerusalem to Russian delegation FAP performs for the tenth consecutive year. "A small program, started a small organization in 2003 has turned into a beautiful Orthodox tradition. Our delegation, which from year to year include generals, admirals, politicians, cultural figures, shows a Russian. For us, this mission - a great responsibility," . - Yakunin said. It is expected that today at 22:30 MSK pilgrims from the holy fire lit by special lamps arrive in Moscow airport "Vnukovo-1." Hence, the container of holy fire will be rushed to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and in other Orthodox dioceses in Russia and abroad.

"Divine Flame" only once a year, ignited in the Holy Sepulchre for no apparent reason on the eve of the Orthodox Easter. The first mention of this miracle is yet for 1U century AD. "The ceremony is the first good news of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This experience is similar to what one experiences, receiving Holy Communion," - Explains the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III. To eliminate human intervention in the temple on Friday night were extinguished all the candles, oil lamps and chandeliers. Part of the pilgrims were locked in a building with porter-Muslim part of the night before took place close to Temple Square to be among the lucky 7-10 thousand, which can accommodate a building.

After opening the gate in the early morning in the Edicule /chapel /built over the bed of marble, on which, according to legend, was the body of Christ after his removal from the cross, acolytes put an unlit lamp with oil, and the room will be sealed in the presence of Israeli police have replaced in our times Janissaries, who followed in the absence of fraud during the Ottoman rule. According to tradition, one of the first here come the noisy teenagers Arab Christians who meet comic brawls, sitting on the shoulders of each other, and beating drums, calling heavenly fire, or in Arabic, Saturday light /Noor Al-Sabt /divine the origin of which recognize and Muslims. Also, according to tradition, here skirmishes between the Greeks and Armenians, challenging the right of the first to enter the temple.

At noon, the procession will start from the Jerusalem Patriarchate, headed by Greek bishops of the church. In the temple to Theophilus III will join the Armenian primate. After the prayer, expose them to the cassock, check if there are any sources of fire in them, and locked up in the Edicule. In recent years, the wait does not last too long, and after two hours' imprisonment, "the patriarch of a sigh of relief crowd of many thousands illuminates the gloomy vaults huge temple sacred flames, which start chain to light their candles are present, and in a few moments the fire was blazing in the hands of all believers, filling not only the temple and the area in front of him, but also the surrounding streets. Someone even said that in the first minutes of the fire "does not burn."

According to tradition, the day when the Holy Fire does not come down, will be the last for the people in the temple, and the temple would be destroyed. Therefore, the pilgrims usually take communion before come into the holy place.