Πατριαρχείον Ιεροσολύμων
We, the Heads of Churches in charge of the Holy Sepulchre and the
Status Quo governing the various Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem – the
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land and the
Armenian Patriarchate – are following with great concern the systematic
campaign against the Churches and the Christian community in the Holy
Land, in flagrant violation of the existing Status Quo.
Recently,
this systematic and offensive campaign has reached an unprecedented
level as the Jerusalem Municipality issued scandalous collection notices
and orders of seizure of Church assets, properties and bank accounts
for alleged debts of punitive municipal taxes. A step that is contrary
to the historic position of the Churches within the Holy City of
Jerusalem and their relationship with the civil authorities. These
actions breach existing agreements and international obligations which
guarantee the rights and the privileges of the Churches, in what seems
as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem. The
greatest victims in this are those impoverished families who will go
without food and housing, as well as the children who will be unable to
attend school.
The systematic campaign of abuse against Churches
and Christians reaches now its peak as a discriminatory and racist bill
that targets solely the properties of the Christian Community in the
Holy Land is being promoted. This abhorrent bill is set to advance today
in a meeting of a ministerial committee which if approved, would make
the expropriation of the lands of Churches possible. This reminds us all
of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during
dark periods in Europe.
This systematic and unprecedented attack
against Christians in the Holy Land severely violates the most basic, ab
antique and sovereign rights, trampling on the delicate fabric of
relations between the Christian Community and the authorities for
decades.
Therefore, and recalling the statement of the Patriarchs
and Heads of Local Churches in Jerusalem, dated 14 February, 2018 and
their previous statement of September 2017, as a measure of protest, we
decided to take this unprecedented step of closure of the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre.
Together with all Heads of Churches in the Holy
Land we stand united, firm and resolute in protecting our rights and our
properties.
May the Holy Spirit answer our prayers and bring a resolution to this historic Crisis in our Holy City.
THEOPHILOS III Patriarch of Jerusalem FRANCESCO PATTON Custos of the Holy Land
NOURHAN MANNOUGIAN Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem