For the first time in the history of North Macedonia, a government delegation, together with representatives of the country’s Orthodox Church, went to Jerusalem today to receive the Holy Light and take it to Skopje for the Easter Sunday service.

“This is a historic moment, which takes place immediately after the restoration of normal unity and the recognition of our holy church. It is the first year that we receive the Holy Light directly from the Church of the Resurrection, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the we transfer to our country” said the Minister of the Interior of North Macedonia, Oliver Spasovski, who led the country’s delegation that went to Israel for this purpose.

“It is a very important moment for our religion, it is important for the state, for our citizens, it is important for our church, which is already included in the great Orthodox family,” added Spasovski.

This development was made possible, after the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in May 2022, to restore the normal unity of the Orthodox Church of the country, under the name “Archdiocese of Ahridos” and to introduce it into communion with the rest of the Orthodox world.

The Holy Light arrived on Saturday night at the airport of Skopje with a government aircraft of North Macedonia. The relevant ceremony at the airport was also attended by the country’s prime minister, Dimitar Kovacevsky.