Closure of Jerusalem church transforms domestic agendas into international diplomatic incident

Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site of Jesus's burial in Jerusalem, in protest at Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

TEL AVIV - Usually, the various Christian denominations represented in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre are known to engage in eternal brotherly strife. That makes it all the more significant that on Sunday (Feb 25), they managed to cast their numerous differences aside to reach an unprecedented decision.

In protest against Israel's allegedly "systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land", Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, and Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch, ordered the gates of the world's holiest church shut indefinitely.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.