Context: Christians around the world are preparing for Easter. This year, it will be celebrated on April 5 by Catholics and on April 12 by Orthodox Christians. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was closed to pilgrims on February 28. This was done to ensure safety after rocket fragments fell near the temple.
The host of the CTV channel, Ryhor Azaronak, commented on the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to pilgrims on his program “Azaryonak. Napryamuyu” (“Azaronak. Directly”):
“Listen up and think about the times we live in: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been closed for the first time in the history of Christianity. Over 1,200 years of Muslim rule — under the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire — nothing like this ever happened. And now, for the first time in 1,200 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been closed since February 28, 2026. <...> The site of the crucifixion, Golgotha, and the place of resurrection, the Edicule, are inaccessible. Again, there have been many wars in Israel, yet it has always been available. And it really makes you wonder whether we’ve indeed entered the times of great importance,” he said on air on March 17, 2026.
These words refer to the belief that if the Holy Fire does not descend in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Great Saturday, the eve of Orthodox Easter, then the end of the world, the coming of the Antichrist, or other global catastrophes will occur.
In fact, the claim that it was the first closure in 1,200 years is inaccurate. The shrine had already been temporarily closed during the pandemic just six years ago. In 2018, the clergy themselves decided to close the shrine for a few days. This was due to a disagreement over changes to Israel’s tax laws. A fire broke out in the 19th century, and the temple was being restored over the course of two years as a result. In the 11th century, it was even destroyed, and for roughly 40 years, Christians were unable to visit it.
In other words, many events over the last 1,200 years have made the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inaccessible to believers. The current situation is not unprecedented.
As for the worship services, they continue even without visitors. The Catholic community has denied rumors that they have stopped. According to a report from the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Orthodox services are also taking place, though they have been relocated to a site near the Church of the Resurrection. The Patriarch assured that the ceremony of the Descent of the Holy Fire will still take place on Great Saturday, even if the temple remains closed on Easter. This was also the case in 2020.