The Holy Fire from Jerusalem will be brought to Romania on a special flight on Holy Saturday, following an agreement secured with the support of Romanian and Israeli authorities.
Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate to the Holy Land, said the Romanian delegation had received the necessary approvals to transport the Holy Fire.
“Thanks to the intervention of the Romanian Embassy in Israel, we have also received a flight corridor from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, departing from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Holy Saturday. With God’s help, we will travel on a special flight from Tel Aviv to Bucharest carrying the Holy Fire,” Fr Ioan Meiu told Basilica.ro.
“We hope the situation will not escalate and that we will be able to successfully fulfil this beautiful mission and great blessing for Romanian Orthodox believers,” he added.
Ceremony under special conditions
The ceremony of receiving the Holy Fire in Jerusalem will take place under special conditions this year, the Patriarchate’s representative said.
“The procession for the Holy Fire will be different this year, as only His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III will enter the Holy Sepulchre, accompanied by a small number of clergy.”
“From there, the Holy Fire will be distributed either from the Holy Sepulchre or from the Patriarchate in Jerusalem to delegations that have managed to arrange flights this year, for their Orthodox destinations,” he added.
The area of Jerusalem’s Old City remains closed due to the conflict in the Middle East. Religious processions and gatherings are banned, and access to holy sites is restricted, according to The Times of Israel.
Holy Fire in Romania
The Holy Fire has been brought annually to Romania since 2009 by the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate to the Holy Places.
After arriving in the country, it will be distributed by representatives of all dioceses to parishes across Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
The Holy Fire will then be brought to the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, where it will be received by Patriarch Daniel during a special ceremony.
Photo: Basilica.ro Files