[Regnum] Growing hostility and cooling love in society are signs of the Second Coming of Christ, not the descent or non-descent of the Holy Fire. This was reported on April 8 by Bishop Silouan ( Vyurov ), Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate.
"This belief is not biblical. I don't diminish its significance, but Holy Scripture points to other, far more important signs of the Second Coming. And one of the most important signs, and the most tragic, is that love will diminish in many due to the increase in lawlessness. When the level of hostility exceeds the fervor of love in society, that's a more obvious sign," the bishop explained during a press conference about Easter.
The priest added that the Lord, as Almighty, is capable of performing miracles, regardless of earthly limitations. The greatest miracle is Easter, which occurs in every Orthodox church, while the descent of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem remains at the will of the Lord, Silouan concluded.
On April 11, Holy Saturday, the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem will be held behind closed doors due to the escalating situation in the Middle East. Following a meeting with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Israeli police announced that the holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City will remain closed to pilgrims and tourists. Therefore, the thousands of believers who flock to Jerusalem annually for the most important Orthodox miracle will not be able to witness the descent of the Holy Fire.