Tweet
JERUSALEM SENDS 43-YEAR WATER BILL TO CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Palestine Note
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/news/archive/2010/08/03/jerusalem-sends-43-year-water-bill-to-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre.aspx
Aug 3 2010
Washington
In a reversal of a tradition centuries old, the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre will now have to start paying for its water, the Jerusalem
Post reported Tuesday.
Thousands of tourists and religious pilgrims pass through the church's
mammoth doorway every day, and with temperatures in the three digits
during the summer months, many walk straight to water fountains for
refreshment. This service is offered by the church for free, but that
may not be the case for long.
"We are providing water to the pilgrims and tourist[s] for free," said
doorkeeper Jawal Hussein. "It's not fair. We should not have to pay."
Jerusalem's public water utility, Gihon, is not only asking for the
church to begin paying for water as of this month. Gihon has also
demanded the church pay for all water used since 1967, when Israel
annexed the Old City following the 1967 war.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of Christianity's holiest
sites, considered by many to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion,
burial, and resurrection.
The water tradition was first set into legal stone by the Ottoman
Empire in 1852 and was later continued by both British and Jordanian
custodians, according to Asia News. But now the power of the Ottoman
Emperor has passed down to the Jerusalem government.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is not managed by any one authority
that can answer to Gihon, however. The holy site is managed by a
Byzantine system of power sharing among various Christian sects,
including Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Copts, and others.
This network of caretakers is known as the "Status Quo."
"I'm part of the Status Quo," said one Armenian priest who spoke
with Ynet anonymously. "This will be brought up for discussion by
the Status Quo and then we will make a decision."
The Israeli government has tried to interfere in the church's affairs
before. In 1970, the High Court ruled that two small sanctuaries
should be given to Ethiopian religious authorities to oversee. The
court order was never followed by the Status Quo.
It has yet to be seen how the Status Quo will respond to the water
bill. One Franciscan monk argued that the church is "doing a favor to
the pilgrims and tourists" by handing out water. "The government must
be earning something from [their visit]. We are doing them a favor."
The monk did admit, however, that "if the synagogues and mosque have
to pay, then I guess we have to pay as well."
Gihon said "a standard price of about $4 dollars per cubic meter for
water from all religious institutions in the Old City, including
mosques, synagogues and churches," JPost reported. "It should be
stressed that this is a uniform fee for all," the utility's statement
continued.
From: A. Papazian
Palestine Note
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/news/archive/2010/08/03/jerusalem-sends-43-year-water-bill-to-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre.aspx
Aug 3 2010
Washington
In a reversal of a tradition centuries old, the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre will now have to start paying for its water, the Jerusalem
Post reported Tuesday.
Thousands of tourists and religious pilgrims pass through the church's
mammoth doorway every day, and with temperatures in the three digits
during the summer months, many walk straight to water fountains for
refreshment. This service is offered by the church for free, but that
may not be the case for long.
"We are providing water to the pilgrims and tourist[s] for free," said
doorkeeper Jawal Hussein. "It's not fair. We should not have to pay."
Jerusalem's public water utility, Gihon, is not only asking for the
church to begin paying for water as of this month. Gihon has also
demanded the church pay for all water used since 1967, when Israel
annexed the Old City following the 1967 war.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of Christianity's holiest
sites, considered by many to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion,
burial, and resurrection.
The water tradition was first set into legal stone by the Ottoman
Empire in 1852 and was later continued by both British and Jordanian
custodians, according to Asia News. But now the power of the Ottoman
Emperor has passed down to the Jerusalem government.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is not managed by any one authority
that can answer to Gihon, however. The holy site is managed by a
Byzantine system of power sharing among various Christian sects,
including Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Copts, and others.
This network of caretakers is known as the "Status Quo."
"I'm part of the Status Quo," said one Armenian priest who spoke
with Ynet anonymously. "This will be brought up for discussion by
the Status Quo and then we will make a decision."
The Israeli government has tried to interfere in the church's affairs
before. In 1970, the High Court ruled that two small sanctuaries
should be given to Ethiopian religious authorities to oversee. The
court order was never followed by the Status Quo.
It has yet to be seen how the Status Quo will respond to the water
bill. One Franciscan monk argued that the church is "doing a favor to
the pilgrims and tourists" by handing out water. "The government must
be earning something from [their visit]. We are doing them a favor."
The monk did admit, however, that "if the synagogues and mosque have
to pay, then I guess we have to pay as well."
Gihon said "a standard price of about $4 dollars per cubic meter for
water from all religious institutions in the Old City, including
mosques, synagogues and churches," JPost reported. "It should be
stressed that this is a uniform fee for all," the utility's statement
continued.
From: A. Papazian