VIDEO The Holy Light was brought from Jerusalem to Romania. It is distributed in the parishes through the diocesan centers

The Orthodox believers gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem received the Holy Light on Saturday, which was then brought to Orthodox countries, including Romania.

• UPDATE 19:01 The aircraft that brought the Holy Light landed at Otopeni Airport after 18.00. From the airport, its distribution to the dioceses began, so that it reaches the parishes in Romania and the Republic of Moldova for the celebration of the Resurrection liturgy.
• UPDATE 14:19 Patriarch Theophilos III came out of the Holy Sepulcher with two bundles of lighted candles, each bundle having 33 candles. The Holy Light was distributed to the clergy and believers gathered in the church in Jerusalem. According to tradition, the patriarch was controlled at the entrance by the police in the presence of witnesses belonging to all denominations. Ulteiror, entered the first room, the “Chapel of the Angel”, accompanied – according to tradition – only by an Arab of the Islamic religion. Further, the patriarch entered alone into the actual room of the Tomb from where he returned with the Holy Light.

Traditionally, the Holy Light is lit on the Saturday of Holy Week, around noon.

The Holy Light will be brought from Jerusalem, on the evening of Saturday, May 4, by Father Archimandrite Teofil Anăstăsoaie, the Superior of the Settlements of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places, and will be offered to the delegates of the dioceses of the Romanian Patriarchate present at the “Henri Coandă” International Airport, reports Agerpres.

The Holy Light is considered a miracle of Orthodoxy, which happens every year at Easter in Jerusalem, during the Great Vespers on Holy Saturday, between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., when a fire is lit above the Holy Sepulcher that descends from sky, manifesting itself differently every year and which, in the first minutes, does not burn. The light is brought to the faithful by the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Holy Sepulcher is inspected since Good Friday, immediately after Prohod. Those who do this check – so that there is no suspicion of staging – are civilian policemen, who are not Christians. Usually, there are three of them: an Arab, a Turk and a representative of the State of Israel. Their role is to inspect the room of the Holy Sepulcher to make sure there is no source of fire.

He also physically controls those who will enter there at the time of the religious ceremony. Then, at the right moment, the lights go out, the door is sealed, and only the guards remain at the entrance.

The tradition of bringing the Holy Light from Jerusalem was inaugurated by Patriarch Daniel in 2009. After it will be distributed to the representatives of the dioceses, the Holy Light will be taken, again this year, by means of a delegate of the Metropolitanate of Moldova and Bucovina, from Bucharest in Chisinau, where it will be offered to the parishes of the Metropolis of Bessarabia.

The same evening, around 19:00, the Holy Light will be received at the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Beatitude Father Patriarch Daniel.