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CHURCH OF HOLY SEPULCHER IN DANGER
by Brenda Easterling
Christian Web News
09-10-2008 08:11
KY
In danger of collapse is the historic Deir al-Sultan monastery located
on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This
church is one of the most sacred sites in Christendom. It is the site
both of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified and also the place where
Jesus was buried, the sepulcher.
A great fear that the monastery's two chapels and tiny rooms where
its monks live could crumble causing great injury to the countless
visitors as well as the monks who live there as well as the ancient
Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Recently an engineer examined the structures and reported that the
complex was a "danger to human life." Back in 2004 the Interior
Ministry said it would pay for renovations. Due to a dispute between
the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the clergy lives at the site and also
the Coptic Church who claim ownership. These two parties cannot reach
an agreement that would allow renovations to proceed. The fact has been
made clear through The Interior Ministry to various church officials
down through the years that it would pay for the work if the various
ownership problems would be resolved among the denominations.
Archbishop Matthias, the head of the Ethiopian Church in Jerusalem
sent a letter recently to Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and also to
the minister in charge of Jerusalem affairs, Rafi Eitan. He warned
them of the condition of the complex as well as his unwillingness
to come to an agreement with the Copts. The archbishop said, "This
condition is completely unacceptable to us, since we do not recognize
any right of the Coptic Church in the area in question. Moreover,
it is inconceivable that the implementation of emergency repairs
at the holy site would be conditioned on the consent of the Coptic
Church. Indeed, there is disagreement between us and the Coptic Church
regarding the rights at the site in question, but that is precisely
the reason we are turning to the Israeli authorities, as a neutral
factor, to carry out the necessary repairs."
An engineer's report the church commissioned was submitted by
Yigal Bergman of the construction supervision firm Milav, has
written including others things stating that the complex was in a
"dangerous state of construction. The structures are full of serious
engineering damage that creates safety hazards and endangers the
lives of the monks and the visitors. This is an emergency, also due
to the immediate danger to the site that would damage other parts of
the nearby churches." Also he shared the dangerous problems in the
electrical and sewerage infrastructure of the ancient buildings.
The Deir al-Sultan monastery contains 26 small rooms that are used for
Ethiopian monks, also four services and storage rooms, a large open
courtyard and two chapels that are located one above the other. You
enter this area from the courtyard and exit into the entrance plaza
of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher below.
It is Far from the first dispute between the denominations that share
space in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in regards to its maintenance
and also the use of its various areas. The three large denominations
that have control of the church are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian
Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. The smaller denominations rights in
the church are the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Copts and included in
this is the Syria Orthodox. One of the disputes that are known between
the communities surrounds the question of which denomination has the
right to remove a ladder that was placed on a ledge outside an upper
floor window in the 19th century. The ladder stands there to this day
above the main entrance to the church because no agreement can be made.
by Brenda Easterling
Christian Web News
09-10-2008 08:11
KY
In danger of collapse is the historic Deir al-Sultan monastery located
on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. This
church is one of the most sacred sites in Christendom. It is the site
both of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified and also the place where
Jesus was buried, the sepulcher.
A great fear that the monastery's two chapels and tiny rooms where
its monks live could crumble causing great injury to the countless
visitors as well as the monks who live there as well as the ancient
Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Recently an engineer examined the structures and reported that the
complex was a "danger to human life." Back in 2004 the Interior
Ministry said it would pay for renovations. Due to a dispute between
the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the clergy lives at the site and also
the Coptic Church who claim ownership. These two parties cannot reach
an agreement that would allow renovations to proceed. The fact has been
made clear through The Interior Ministry to various church officials
down through the years that it would pay for the work if the various
ownership problems would be resolved among the denominations.
Archbishop Matthias, the head of the Ethiopian Church in Jerusalem
sent a letter recently to Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and also to
the minister in charge of Jerusalem affairs, Rafi Eitan. He warned
them of the condition of the complex as well as his unwillingness
to come to an agreement with the Copts. The archbishop said, "This
condition is completely unacceptable to us, since we do not recognize
any right of the Coptic Church in the area in question. Moreover,
it is inconceivable that the implementation of emergency repairs
at the holy site would be conditioned on the consent of the Coptic
Church. Indeed, there is disagreement between us and the Coptic Church
regarding the rights at the site in question, but that is precisely
the reason we are turning to the Israeli authorities, as a neutral
factor, to carry out the necessary repairs."
An engineer's report the church commissioned was submitted by
Yigal Bergman of the construction supervision firm Milav, has
written including others things stating that the complex was in a
"dangerous state of construction. The structures are full of serious
engineering damage that creates safety hazards and endangers the
lives of the monks and the visitors. This is an emergency, also due
to the immediate danger to the site that would damage other parts of
the nearby churches." Also he shared the dangerous problems in the
electrical and sewerage infrastructure of the ancient buildings.
The Deir al-Sultan monastery contains 26 small rooms that are used for
Ethiopian monks, also four services and storage rooms, a large open
courtyard and two chapels that are located one above the other. You
enter this area from the courtyard and exit into the entrance plaza
of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher below.
It is Far from the first dispute between the denominations that share
space in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in regards to its maintenance
and also the use of its various areas. The three large denominations
that have control of the church are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian
Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. The smaller denominations rights in
the church are the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Copts and included in
this is the Syria Orthodox. One of the disputes that are known between
the communities surrounds the question of which denomination has the
right to remove a ladder that was placed on a ledge outside an upper
floor window in the 19th century. The ladder stands there to this day
above the main entrance to the church because no agreement can be made.