Christ’s light enlightens all

Milena Faustova
16/12/2011
Moscow Times

A torch lit from lamps in a church built at the place where Jesus Christ was born in the Israeli city of Bethlehem will soon come to Russia.

On December 16, Polish young scouts handed the torch over to Russian scouts at the border between Poland and Belarus.

The fire from the holy place will be brought to churches of diverse Christian denominations in a number of Russian cities.

The tradition to bring the fire from Bethlehem to other parts of the world appeared in 1986. At first, it was a charity campaign held by the Austrian ORF TV company in order to support disabled children. In 1986, a torch was lit by an Austrian boy from a lamp which is constantly alight at the place of Christ’s nativity, and thousands of people of diverse Christian denominations held a procession with this torch in Vienna.

In later years, young scouts from all over the world delivered the fire from the holy place to many cities in Europe, Africa and the US, and even beyond the polar circle.

“This tradition symbolizes peace, friendship and unity,” Ekaterina Yudina from “The Brotherhood of Orthodox Scouts” said in an interview to the Voice of Russia.

“At first, this tradition appeared in order to bring joy to people who, being physically challenged or because of some other reason, could not come to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas there. Today, this movement has already gripped many countries, and many children have joined it. They go to orphanages and tell their peers about the nativity of Jesus Christ. This tradition really unites people.”

The fire from Bethlehem first came to Russia in 1996 on the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Now, each year in mid December a delegation of young scouts (led by their adult tutors, of course) from a number of Russian cities goes to Belarus, where they recieve the holy fire in special lamps from foreign scouts. Before coming to Belarus, the fire is brought to Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Germany and Poland. With every year, the number of those who want to get this fire grows.

Unlike Roman Catholics and Protestants, who celebrate Christmas on December 25, Orthodox Christians celebrate it on January 7. Thus, first, the fire will go to several Catholic and Protestant churches in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities, where special lamps have already been prepared for that. And, on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas, scouts will bring the fire to Orthodox churches.

For many non-believers, the fire from Bethlehem is also a symbol of unity of people and peoples – and, thus, the fire will be available to all. A couple of days from now, everyone will be able to light a lamp or a candle from the holy fire in the church of St. Clement in Moscow. The fire will also be handed to several social institutions in Moscow.

The fire from Bethlehem is not the only fire which is brought to Moscow from the Holy Land of Israel. Every spring before Easter, the Russian St. Andrew Foundation brings to Russia a torch lit from the fire which, once in a year, miraculously descends from heaven on Christ’s Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

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