Western Diocese

  ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM

       Yrovsa.emi Ha3 Badriarkov;ivn

                                               

 

 

Violation of Armenian Status Quo Rights in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Armenian Orthodox Palm Sunday

  

  

            Several international press reports on Orthodox Palm Sunday's incident in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem wrongly portray the reasons that led to a scuffle involving the Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches.

 

Despite several written protests by the Armenian Patriarchate, the most recent on April 18, on Armenian Orthodox Palm Sunday, and contrary to Status Quo provisions, a Greek monk once again placed himself inside the Edicule, a vestibule that lies just outside the entryway to the Tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ, during the Armenian solemn procession.  Armenian priests persuaded the Greek monk to exit from the Edicule and peacefully led him out. The Israeli Police, however, attempted to reinstate the monk inside the Edicule, but that attempt failed due to the opposition of the Armenian priests. A scuffle followed between the police and members of the Armenian community who had witnessed the reinstatement attempt that appeared to support Greek efforts to capitalize on their cordial relationship with the Israeli authorities.

 

The presence of the Greek monk inside the Edicule is a serious violation of the Status Quo terms governing the Holy Places, of which the Armenians, Latins and Greek Orthodox share equal rights of custodianship.  The Armenian Patriarchate has made its position clear that on the Feast of the Holy Cross, the 1^st Sunday of Great Lent, Palm Sunday and Holy Fire Saturday, when they are in possession of the Holy Tomb, the Greeks should refrain from placing their monk inside the Edicule. 

 

            The rights of the Armenian Orthodox in the Holy Places have been granted in a Firman, Al Hijrah 1245 (1829).  It stipulates that "no interference or intervention should ever be allowed to occur in respect of the celebration of mass and other processions of the [Armenian] community".

 

The Armenian Patriarchate views the presence of the Greek monk inside the Edicule not only as blatant interference but also as yet another attempt to challenge the well-established rights of the Armenians, which have been recognized and preserved for centuries.  The entitlement of the  Armenians  to exclusivity in the Holy Sites on the certain dates above for holding their ceremonies as been described in the 1890 Book of Ceremonies in the Holy Places. It was established that “During the days that Armenians have solemn religious ceremonies … the Greek monk has no right to enter the Edicule." (page 26).

 

This latest incident comes on the heels of another dispute with the Greek Orthodox concerning the Holy Fire Ceremony on Holy Saturday that has remained unresolved since 2002 despite attempts by the Armenian Patriarchate to seek mediation through Israeli authorities. 

 

 Hundreds of Armenian worshippers from Jerusalem and throughout the world are expected at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the upcoming Holy Fire Ceremony on Holy Saturday, April 26. The Armenian Patriarchate shares the concern of the Armenian world community that Armenian worshippers may be unable to attend freely services to be held in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, one of the holiest days of the Armenian religious calendar. It regrets that Israeli police following Sunday's scuffle briefly detained an Armenian youth.  

 

The clerical order of the St. James Brotherhood zealously maintains and safeguards centuries' old Armenian religious rights and privileges in the holy sites.  There is documented evidence of the Armenian presence in the Holy Land dating back to the Roman Empire's renowned Tenth Legion, comprised of Armenians.

                         

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *