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Metropolitan Philotheos: 'We Don't Need the Holy Light to Celebrate Easter'

Published March 27, 2026, 09:13
Metropolitan Philotheos: 'We Don't Need the Holy Light to Celebrate Easter'

Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki stated that the ceremony of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre may not take place this year due to the war in the Middle East, but emphasized that Easter can be celebrated without the presence of the Holy Light from Jerusalem. He explained that the Holy Light is symbolic and that believers receive the light through the perpetual flame in every church. The Metropolitan noted that the Holy Light ceremony has a history of centuries, but its air transport to Greece is relatively recent, starting in 1987. He stressed that the Holy Light symbolizes Jesus Christ and that faith and Easter can be celebrated without it, while expressing hope that the Holy Light will reach Greece at some point.