Maria Zakharova and Andrey Merzlikin will deliver the Holy fire to Russia
MOSCOW, 6 APR — RIA Novosti. The delegation of St. Andrew Foundation (FAP) will deliver the Holy fire from the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulcher) in Jerusalem to Moscow on 15 April to Easter Patriarchal Church service, members of the Russian delegation to the Holy Land became the official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova and Andrei Merzlikin, told RIA Novosti in the press service of the PLL.
“With the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill on 15 April 2017, on the eve of the Orthodox Easter, the delegation of St. Andrew Foundation will deliver the Holy fire from the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem to Moscow for the Patriarchal Easter Service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The delegation will be headed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Andrew Foundation Vladimir Yakunin and the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church Bishop Irinarkh of Krasnogorsk, vicar of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia”, — stated in the message.
The delegation of St. Andrew Foundation headed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Vladimir Yakunin, will include community and government leaders, clergy, cultural figures, journalists and businessmen — a total of about 100 people.
“Among them are Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Olga Epifanova … the Director of the Department of information and press of the Russian foreign Ministry, official representative of Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, actor Andrew Merzlikin and many other”, — reported in FAP.
Bringing the Holy fire to the Russian Orthodox Church is part of the program of Fund of Andrey Pervozvannogo “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” This annual peace program was launched in 2003. An important component of this initiative is prayer for peace in the Holy Land. The delegation of the Fund of St. Andrew together with Patriarch of Jerusalem to pray for peace in the Holy Land. Prayer for peace in the Holy Land read also in the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church.
On 15 April, on the eve of the feast of the Passover, the members of the delegation would be part of the litany (Liturgy) of the Holy fire in the Church of the Resurrection. Live broadcast from Jerusalem will lead to NTV and “Radio of Russia”. Special flight Fertile fire is delivered to Moscow and handed over to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill.
In November 2016, the media reported that during the restoration of the Shrine for the first time in 500 years was removed a marble slab with the burial place of Jesus Christ, and the chapel will be restored for the first time since its construction in 1810. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Resurrection) in Jerusalem was built in the IV century and since then rebuilt several times.