ARMENIAN, GREEK MONKS ROW AT CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN, GREEK MONKS ROW AT CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

• http://www.armtown.com/img/photo/pan_en_27624.jpg

   

   

  Israeli police have had to restore order at one of Christianity's holiest sites after a mass brawl broke out between monks in Jerusalem's Old City. Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion. Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police. Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross. The Greeks blamed the Armenians for not recognizing their rights inside the holy site, while the Armenians said the Greeks had violated one of their traditional ceremonies. An Armenian clergyman said the Greek clergy had tried to place one of their monks inside the Edicule, an ancient structure which is said to encase the tomb of Jesus. "What is happening here is a violation of status quo. The Greeks have tried so many times to put their monk inside the tomb but they don't have the right to when the Armenians are celebrating the feast," he said, BBC reports The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Surp Harutyun) is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulcher). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

[MosJan]

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- An unusual sight greeted Jerusalem police as they entered one of Christianity's holiest sites Sunday morning: dozens of monks punching and kicking each other in a massive brawl.

Israeli police scuffle with an Armenian monk Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

 

Israeli police scuffle with an Armenian monk Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

more photos »

 

Monks from the Greek Orthodox and Armenian denominations were preparing for a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City when a disagreement led to a full-fledged fistfight.

 

The fight began when Armenian clergy were holding a procession to commemorate the finding of the cross believed to have been used in the crucifixion of Jesus, according to The Associated Press.

 

The Greek members of the clergy wanted one of their monks present, the AP reported, for fear that the procession would undermine their claim to an ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus.

 

The two sides could not agree, and when the Armenians tried to begin the procession, the Greek monks stepped in and the fighting began, the AP reported.

 

"We were keeping resistance so that the procession could not pass through ... and establish a right that they don't have," a young Greek Orthodox monk with a cut next to his left eye told the AP. Photo See scenes from the brawl »

 

Many among the dozens of monks came away with cuts and bruises, said police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.

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Officers were called to the scene to break up the brawl. They detained two monks, one from each denomination, Rosenfeld said.

 

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is thought to be built on the site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Rivalries between the different sects that share control of the church often lead to tensions.

[JanFedayi]

so next time: Armenians are having a ceremony at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem we need to ask Robert Qocharyan to send 10 or 12 of those unknown soldier frome March 1-2

[AVO]

so next time: Armenians are having a ceremony at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem we need to ask Robert Qocharyan to send 10 or 12 of those unknown soldier frome March 1-2

 

Kocharyan has no authority to send any soldiers to anywhere, you might want to talk to Sargsyan about that. But thats besides the point, our monks are taking care of themselves mighty fine and don't need no soldiers.

[Sip]

Reminds me of all the pranks UCLA and USC pull on each other before the football game. I saw the video and I just couldn't help but laugh at all these idiots beating each other up over Jesus.

[phantom22]

These monks know nothing of the essence of Jesus' teachings. It is not about ritual. Both of these churches, as well as the other major Christian denominations, lost their way many centuries ago.

[Arpa]

Reminds me of all the pranks UCLA and USC pull on each other before the football game. I saw the video and I just couldn't help but laugh at all these idiots beating each other up over Jesus.

I AM NOT THAT SMART. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL US WHERE IT IS SAID THAT JESUS WAS GREEK OR ARMENIAN?

It is nonsense of this kind that the keys to the Holy Christian site is held by a Muslim family. See story below.

This incident is not new, nor it is unique. Every year during the Holy Week during the so called Light (luys) ceremony war breaks up between Greeks and Armenians.

The problem goes even further back than told below. Dejavu, history repeats day after day, year after year. The key is held by a Muslim family, just as the keys to Ani is held by another muslim (family). This is a continuation of the nonsensical “war” between the Bagratid Armenians and Byzantium who were at constant war about “how many angels can dance on a pin head(pin head indeed), when the turk told them “we will show how many. Not you or you, but we will hold the keys to the City of Ani” , and they have held it for over 1001 years, just as we lament the loss of our 1001 churches.By all means, let us keep this nonsense so a few years from we can once again lament when the Christian Basilica converts to a mosque or a synagogue.

This may also be a classic case of cannibalism, when lower ranked animals, like mice and rats, subjected to oppression and stress turn on, cannibalize their own kind. Some day we may evolve to higher ranked species than those of mice and rats and rid ourselves from the oppression of that “big bad cat“!

If Greeks and Armenians even had brains larger than that of an ant, today Asia Minor would be a Greco-Armenian land.

WHERE IS NAREKATSI TO WRITE ANOTHER BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS?

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Below text of the story. You can read the rest here;

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...MNGMTBVFQT1.DTL

Muslim family holds key to sacred sepulchre

For centuries, their ancestors have opened door to church where Jesus believed buried

Matthew Kalman, Chronicle Foreign Service

Sunday, March 27, 2005

(03-27) 04:00 PST Jerusalem -- Every morning at 4 a.m., Wajeeh Nuseibeh walks through the walled Old City of Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most revered shrine in Christendom. He takes an ancient 12-inch iron key, climbs a small ladder and opens the huge wooden doors to the place that most Christians believe is the site of the crucifixion, tomb and resurrection of Jesus.

Every evening at nightfall, after three raps of an iron doorknocker spaced out over half an hour, Nuseibeh closes up and places the key in safekeeping.

He inherited the job from his father and grandfather, in a chain stretching back more than 1,300 years. But surprisingly, Nuseibeh, doorkeeper of the site of the crucifixion, is, like his ancestors, a Muslim.

"It goes from father to son, from one generation to the next," said Nuseibeh, a small, dapper 55-year-old man in a suit and tie. "I was 15 when I first opened the church. I thought it was fun. As I grew up I realized it is a big responsibility."

This weekend, thousands of Christians flock to the Holy Sepulchre for Easter services, processions and the ancient ceremony of the Holy Fire, in which Nuseibeh plays a central role. The ceremony, held on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.

Worshipers pack into the church, trying to get as close as possible to the marble-clad tomb, or sepulchre, where they believe Jesus' body was laid. The oil lamps inside the mausoleum that contains the tomb are extinguished, and a huge stone is rolled across the entrance, which is then sealed shut by Greek Orthodox priests.

"If there are no oil lamps lit, the tomb will be sealed with wax. I am the witness. I put my stamp, the name of the family, in the wax on the tomb," Nuseibeh said.

What happens next looks like a miracle. The Orthodox patriarch begins to pray, and a bluish Holy Fire begins to emanate from within the tomb, lighting the lamps and sometimes flying around the church over the heads of the assembled worshipers and even lighting the candles of believers. Nuseibeh has been the official witness at this ceremony for more than 20 years.

The church is a major attraction for both pilgrims and tourists. A vast warren of chapels, tunnels and caves, with architectural remnants that date back to the 4th century, it spans a broad range of traditions, from the westernized cathedral of the Catholics to the icons of the Orthodox churches. It houses the final stations on the Via Dolorosa -- the last journey of Jesus to the crucifixion.

The church is jealously managed by five competing and often disputatious Christian denominations -- Roman Catholic (also called Latin here), Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic and Syrian Orthodox (sometimes called Jacobite). There also is a small Ethiopian Orthodox chapel on the roof. Sometimes the tensions over the right to clean or to pray in a particular area of the church spill over into violence. Nuseibeh's family has helped keep the peace between them since Caliph Omar Ibn Kattab first conquered Jerusalem for the Muslims in 638. The only gap was during 88 years of Crusader rule in the 12th century.

According to family history, when Salah A-Din recaptured Jerusalem in 1191, he promised English King Richard the Lion Heart he would invite the Nuseibeh family to resume their role as custodians.

Since that time, the Judeh family, also Muslims, have been given the key for safekeeping overnight, but only the Nuseibehs serve as doorkeeper.

Once a year, the three biggest denominations -- Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian -- publicly renew their request to Nuseibeh to be the "custodian and doorkeeper," as written on his business card and multimedia Web site (www.nuseibehfamily.com).

About 100 years ago, the key was stolen. Although it was eventually recovered, a spare now is kept in a locked room inside the church.

For his hereditary labor, Nuseibeh receives $15 every month, an income he supplements by giving tours of the church. But the ancient honor is worth more to him than the token payment. When tensions boil over between the denominations, Nuseibeh is the one who calms the waters.

"Like all brothers, they sometimes have problems. We help them settle their disputes. We are the neutral people in the church. We are the United Nations. We help preserve peace in this holy place," he said.

Nuseibeh said he still becomes anxious before the big ceremonies or when important visitors arrive. "I realize there are thousands of people waiting to go into the church, and they are waiting for me to open it, and I start to imagine what will be happen if the lock will be broken or the key is damaged and I can't open the door."

But that has never happened in the 20 years since he took over from his father. He hopes that one day his son Obadah, now 21, will step into his footsteps, but that's not certain. "He is at college, studying to be a sports trainer," Nuseibeh said. "Maybe he will not follow me, and then my brother or my cousin will take over."

Nuseibeh said he is deeply touched by the Christian rituals and feels a close affinity with the church, but he does not pray there.

"I know every stone. It is like my home," he said. "But I go to pray at the Omar Mosque next door."

Edited November 11, 2008 by Arpa

[MosJan]

GREEK MONKS’ DISRESPECT FOR STATUS QUO CAUSED ROW IN JERUSALEM

 

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article's photo

The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem has categorically denied the Greek monks have any right to be present at a service in the Aedicule of the Holy Sepulcher Church, representative of the Armenian community of Jerusalem Arthur Hakobian told PanARMENIAN.Net. According to Father Pakrad Berjekian, who is in charge of overseeing the Patriarchate's properties, the Greek Orthodox church says it has the right to place a monk in what is called the Angel's Chamber, in the Aedicule, on four occasions: the feast of the Holy Cross, the 1st Sunday of Great Lent, Palm Sunday and Holy Fire Saturday. "This claim is a novelty to us and to everybody and has no grounds," he told said. He added that the Armenians have presented the relevant evidence to the authorities and made its position clear. Berjekian also noted that the ladder lying over the main entrance of the Holy Sepulcher Church belongs to Armenians. Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Christ’s crucifixion on Sunday, November 9. Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police. Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross. The Greeks blamed the Armenians for not recognizing their rights inside the holy site, while the Armenians said the Greeks had violated one of their traditional ceremonies. An Armenian clergyman said the Greek clergy had tried to place one of their monks inside the Edicule, an ancient structure which is said to encase the tomb of Jesus. "What is happening here is a violation of status quo. The Greeks have tried so many times to put their monk inside the tomb but they don’t have the right to when the Armenians are celebrating the feast," he said.

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN, GREEK MONKS ROW AT CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

 

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Israeli police have had to restore order at one of Christianity's holiest sites after a mass brawl broke out between monks in Jerusalem's Old City. Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion. Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police, according to PanArmenian.net.Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross. The Greeks blamed the Armenians for not recognizing their rights inside the holy site, while the Armenians said the Greeks had violated one of their traditional ceremonies.An Armenian clergyman said the Greek clergy had tried to place one of their monks inside the Edicule, an ancient structure which is said to encase the tomb of Jesus."What is happening here is a violation of status quo. The Greeks have tried so many times to put their monk inside the tomb but they don't have the right to when the Armenians are celebrating the feast," he said, BBC reports.The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Surp Harutyun) is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulcher). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

[MosJan]

WHY DO THE SERVANTS OF GOD FIGHT?

 

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Editor in chief of journal “Echmiadsin” Vardan Devrikyan expressed belief that the collision between Armenian and Greek priests took place on religion and property bases. Religion – because the two wings of Christianity celebrate the Easter Day (when they take the magic light from the grave of the Christ) on different days. Property motivation is linked with the lands of the Armenian and Greek communities and their rights. He also underscored that the conflicts between the two Christian wings have started still in the 6th century and have regular character. “The main reason of all this is that there is competition between Armenian and Greek priests, “who will be the first to take the light from the lamp,” he said.

 

The inspector of Gevorgyan Seminary Sahak Bishop Mashalyan, who used to be a clergyman in Jerusalem for three years, said that four times a year Armenian, as well as Greek, Latin and other priests organize religious procession around Christ’s grave. The collision with the Greek priests takes place because the latter stand in front of the entrance and near the grave and guard it during the ceremony, which gives rise to the indignation of the Armenian priests.

 

The bishop said that the Armenian community has got valuable and large-scale lands in Jerusalem, even on Mount Sinai, which is considered the place of the Christ’s advent. The Greeks intend to strengthen their positions by provoking regular collisions.

[JanFedayi]

Kocharyan has no authority to send any soldiers to anywhere, you might want to talk to Sargsyan about that. But thats besides the point, our monks are taking care of themselves mighty fine and don't need no soldiers.

 

 

che Serj Sargsyan' surb marda - na et tesak ban cher ani