Priest found dead at Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulcher
Jun 10, 2009
JERUSALEM (AFP) – A 34-year-old priest was found dead on Tuesday at
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where most Christians
believe Jesus was crucified and buried, officials said.
The cleric, thought to be an Armenian, was found at the bottom of a
flight
of stairs and appears to have fallen, a police spokesman told AFP.
"The priest fell down and passed away," Micky Rosenfeld said. "His
death was not the result of a criminal act."
The Holy Sepulchre, considered by most Christians to be their faith’s
holiest site, is uneasily shared by six denominations, including Greek
Orthodox, Armenians and Roman Catholics.
"The Armenians are in a state of shock," said Father Fergus Clarke,
the senior Franciscan monk at the church, who spoke with the dead
man’s colleagues shortly after the incident.
"They tried to revive him but unfortunately it was too late," he said.
Tensions among the various denominations are not uncommon, erupting
most recently last November when a brawl broke out between Greek and
Armenian monks after a mass at the church.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More ‘
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
