ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM

PRESS RELEASE – 22 April 2008

DIVAN OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
PO Box 14235, Jerusalem 91141
Contact person: Joyce Sulahian
Tel: (9722) 628-2331, Ext. 206
FAX: (9722) 626-4861
E-mail: arminf@netvision.net.il
Website:

Violation of Armenian Status Quo Rights in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre on Armenian Orthodox Palm Sunday

Several international press reports on Orthodox Palm Sunday’s incident
in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem wrongly portray the
reasons that led to a scuffle involving the Armenian and Greek
Orthodox Churches.

Despite several written protests by the Armenian Patriarchate, the
most recent on April 18, on Armenian Orthodox Palm Sunday, and
contrary to Status Quo provisions, a Greek monk once again placed
himself inside the Edicule, a vestibule that lies just outside the
entryway to the Tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ, during the Armenian
solemn procession. Armenian priests persuaded the Greek monk to exit
from the Edicule and peacefully led him out. The Israeli Police,
however, attempted to reinstate the monk inside the Edicule, but that
attempt failed due to the opposition of the Armenian priests. A
scuffle followed between the police and members of the Armenian
community who had witnessed the reinstatement attempt that appeared to
support Greek efforts to capitalize on their cordial relationship with
the Israeli authorities.

The presence of the Greek monk inside the Edicule is a serious
violation of the Status Quo terms governing the Holy Places, of which
the Armenians, Latins and Greek Orthodox share equal rights of
custodianship. The Armenian Patriarchate has made its position clear
that on the Feast of the Holy Cross, the 1st Sunday of Great Lent,
Palm Sunday and Holy Fire Saturday, when they are in possession of the
Holy Tomb, the Greeks should refrain from placing their monk inside
the Edicule.

The rights of the Armenian Orthodox in the Holy Places have been
granted in a Firman, Al Hijrah 1245 (1829). It stipulates that "no
interference or intervention should ever be allowed to occur in
respect of the celebration of mass and other processions of the
[Armenian] community".

The Armenian Patriarchate views the presence of the Greek monk inside
the Edicule not only as blatant interference but also as yet another
attempt to challenge the well-established rights of the Armenians,
which have been recognized and preserved for centuries. The
entitlement of the Armenians to exclusivity in the Holy Sites on the
certain dates above for holding their ceremonies as been described in
the 1890 Book of Ceremonies in the Holy Places. It was established
that `During the days that Armenians have solemn religious ceremonies
… the Greek monk has no right to enter the Edicule." (page 26).

This latest incident comes on the heels of another dispute with the
Greek Orthodox concerning the Holy Fire Ceremony on Holy Saturday that
has remained unresolved since 2002 despite attempts by the Armenian
Patriarchate to seek mediation through Israeli authorities.

Hundreds of Armenian worshippers from Jerusalem and throughout the
world are expected at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the
upcoming Holy Fire Ceremony on Holy Saturday, April 26. The Armenian
Patriarchate shares the concern of the Armenian world community that
Armenian worshippers may be unable to attend freely services to be
held in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, one of the
holiest days of the Armenian religious calendar. It regrets that
Israeli police following Sunday’s scuffle briefly detained an Armenian
youth.

The clerical order of the St. James Brotherhood zealously maintains
and safeguards centuries’ old Armenian religious rights and privileges
in the holy sites. There is documented evidence of the Armenian
presence in the Holy Land dating back to the Roman Empire’s renowned
Tenth Legion, comprised of Armenians.