The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has announced that it will not send a delegation to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Fire this Easter, citing security concerns related to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the decision was made by the Holy Synod of the Church in light of continued hostilities in the region and travel restrictions currently in place. The Bulgarian Patriarchate noted that the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued its highest-level warning against travel to Israel and Palestine, advising citizens to avoid visiting and to leave the area.

Despite the cancellation, believers in Bulgaria will still be able to receive the Holy Fire داخل the country. It will be distributed in Sofia at the Synodal Chapel of St. Tsar Boris-Michael after 14:00 on Holy Saturday, April 11. Additionally, Holy Fire preserved from the previous year will be passed from monasteries to dioceses and then to local churches.

Metropolitan Kiprian, a representative of the Holy Synod, emphasized that the decision was based solely on safety considerations. “The most important thing is faith,” he said, adding that the absence of a delegation does not diminish the spiritual significance of the праздник.

The Holy Fire is traditionally believed to miraculously descend each year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on the eve of Easter and is revered by Orthodox Christians as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ.

Church officials in Bulgaria also called for prayers for peace in the Middle East and around the world.

Meanwhile, in Russia, the long-standing tradition of bringing the Holy Fire from Jerusalem will continue, with plans to distribute it to churches across the country. The Romanian Orthodox Church has also confirmed that it will transport the flame by a special flight under an agreement with Israeli authorities.