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Top Christian shrine may shut down over unpaid water bills
armradio.am
14:52 03.11.2012
JerusalemOne of the holiest sites in the Christian world, believed to
be the place of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, is now
under threat of being closed over unpaid water bills, Russia Today
reports.
Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of
the Resurrection, was founded during the rule of Emperor Constantine
the Great in the 4th century and withstood invasions, fires and
earthquakes. But now, more than 1,600 years later, the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which maintains most of the complex, may
close the temple's doors as the city's water company Hagihon demands
payment of a US$2.3 million bill dating back 15 years, including
interest.
`If nothing changes we intend to announce within a few days, for the
first time in centuries, that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is
closed,' Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III was
quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
For decades there has been a tacit agreement between the church and
city authorities that exempted it from water charges. But in the late
1990s private company Hagihon took over water supply in Jerusalem and
now insists that Israeli laws do not permit the company to make such
exemptions.
The church says it is willing to pay for future utilities but finds it
difficult to pay for the accumulated debt. It has asked Hagihon to
write off the debt as it was the result of a past misunderstanding.
The patriarch, Theophilos III, appealed to the leaders of Israel,
Russia, the United States, Greece, Cyprus and Jordan asking them to
intervene with the standoff and put a stop `to this flagrant act
against the church.'
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is said to be built upon the Hill of
Calvary and the site where Christ was buried and has been the top
pilgrimage destination for Christians since the 4th century. More than
1 million pilgrims arrive to the site annually.
armradio.am
14:52 03.11.2012
JerusalemOne of the holiest sites in the Christian world, believed to
be the place of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, is now
under threat of being closed over unpaid water bills, Russia Today
reports.
Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of
the Resurrection, was founded during the rule of Emperor Constantine
the Great in the 4th century and withstood invasions, fires and
earthquakes. But now, more than 1,600 years later, the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which maintains most of the complex, may
close the temple's doors as the city's water company Hagihon demands
payment of a US$2.3 million bill dating back 15 years, including
interest.
`If nothing changes we intend to announce within a few days, for the
first time in centuries, that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is
closed,' Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III was
quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
For decades there has been a tacit agreement between the church and
city authorities that exempted it from water charges. But in the late
1990s private company Hagihon took over water supply in Jerusalem and
now insists that Israeli laws do not permit the company to make such
exemptions.
The church says it is willing to pay for future utilities but finds it
difficult to pay for the accumulated debt. It has asked Hagihon to
write off the debt as it was the result of a past misunderstanding.
The patriarch, Theophilos III, appealed to the leaders of Israel,
Russia, the United States, Greece, Cyprus and Jordan asking them to
intervene with the standoff and put a stop `to this flagrant act
against the church.'
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is said to be built upon the Hill of
Calvary and the site where Christ was buried and has been the top
pilgrimage destination for Christians since the 4th century. More than
1 million pilgrims arrive to the site annually.