Unholy row threatens Holy Sepulchre

By Wyre Davies
BBC News, Jerusalem

Story from BBC NEWS:
middle_east/7676332.stm

Published: 2008/10/19 10:50:55 GMT

An unholy row is threatening one of the most sacred places in
Christianity – the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The centuries-old site, where many Christians believe Jesus was
crucified, is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists
every year.

A recent survey says that part of the complex, a rooftop monastery, is
in urgent need of repair, but work is being held up by a long-running
dispute between two Christian sects who claim ownership of the site.

Within the main building, dark-robed monks with long beards chant and
swing incense as they conduct ceremonies in the many small chapels and
shrines.

There has been a church on this site for 1,700 years. Over the
centuries it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times – but some
parts are very old indeed.

Collapse risk

Various Christian denominations – Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Catholics,
among others – have always jealously defended and protected their own
particular parts of the site.

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Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Disputes are not uncommon, particularly over who has the authority to
carry out repairs.

For example, a wooden ladder has remained on a ledge just above the
main entrance since the 19th Century – because no-one can agree who has
the right to take it down.

The latest row is potentially much more serious.

The Deir al-Sultan monastery was built on part of the main church roof
more than 1,000 years ago.

The modest collection of small rooms has been occupied by monks from
the Ethiopian Orthodox Church since 1808.

But a recent engineering report by an Israeli institute found that the
monastery and part of the roof were "not in a good condition" and that
parts of the structure "could collapse, endangering human life".

Ownership of the monastery, however, is hotly disputed between the
Ethiopians and the Egyptian Coptic Church, and the dispute is holding
up much-needed repair work.

Although the Ethiopian monks have lived there for more than 200 years,
after losing many of their rights within the main church, the Copts
were in overall control of the monastery.

From a vantage point overlooking the disputed monastery, I discussed
the "situation" with Father Antonias el-Orshalamy, General Secretary to
the Coptic Church in Jerusalem.

"The Ethiopians were always there as our guests, but then they wanted
to take control," says Father Antonias – referring to the night in 1970
when Coptic monks were all attending midnight prayers in the main
Sepulchre church.

With the help of Israeli police, the locks in the Deir al Sultan
monastery were changed and the keys given to the Ethiopians.

Subsequent Israeli court rulings, ordering that control be handed back
to the Copts, have effectively been ignored – drawing accusations that
Israel has shown political bias in favouring the Ethiopians over the
(Egyptian) Copts.

Whatever the political and religious arguments, the Ethiopians remain
in control of the ancient monastery and refuse to budge.

They will not entertain any suggestion that the Copts should have any
say over repairs to the monastery and rooftop courtyard.

In that vein, no one from the Ethiopian Church would speak to us.

‘Unedifying’

Coptic and Ethiopian monks have come to blows in the past but they are
not the only ones who have allowed tensions to boil over.

Fights between monks from different sects in the Sepulchre are not
uncommon and passions run high, particularly on important holy days.

Father Jerome Murphy O’Connor is a professor at the Ecole Biblique in
Jerusalem.
"The whole spectacle is unedifying and totally un-Christian in nature",
says the affable Irish priest, who has witnessed all sorts of church
disagreements during his 40 years in the city.

"I’m not hopeful – either for peace in the Middle East or for peace in
the Holy Sepulchre," laughs Father O’Connor.

The impact of age and of so many pilgrims visiting the rooftop
monastery and the Sepulchre Church is taking its toll.

While the main church is said to be structurally sound, many parts of
the roof in particular are in need of extensive repair.

The Israeli government says it will pay for the work to be carried out
if the Copts and Ethiopians can resolve their differences. But after
decades of hostility neither side is rushing to compromise.