Bulgaria’s government is ready to help the Holy Synod bring the Holy Fire from the Holy City of Jerusalem by the government plane, Premier Kiril Petkov pointed out in a letter to Patriarch Neophyte. This good tradition should not be interrupted, Premier Petkov further noted. Earlier on Thursday, Bishop Gavriil of the Lovech diocese told Nova TV that due to Covid-related measures in Israel, Bulgaria's Holy Synod will not send a delegation to Jerusalem to bring the Holy Fire by plane on Holy Saturday as every year.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Bulgarian citizens refrain from travelling to Israel. Upon entry, everyone should take a mandatory PCR test and await 24 hours for quarantine until a negative result is obtained. 

Bishop Gavriil added that there are also other reasons why the delegation will not travel this year and one of the reasons is the war in Ukraine. The Metropolitan expressed regret that the Blessed Fire will not come to Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church will use preserved fire from last year or will receive fire from Greece and Romania.