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Churches reach agreement to restore Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre
An agreement was signed between the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic churches, which have been the building’s primary custodians since the Ottoman era to begin a multi-million dollar renovation of the Holy Sepulchre. At a ceremony held at the Franciscan Monastery on nearby
Regarding the signing of the agreement, Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Church leader who is officially styled as Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by multiple Christian sects under a status quo management agreement. Even perceived alterations to the status quo have resulted in arguments or violence in the past. Now, after several hundred years, renovations may finally take place.
In 2016 a Greek team headed a restoration project to preserve the Edicule, a large structure inside the church housing the so called tomb of Jesus. The burial bed made of rock was considered a safety hazard.
The multi-million dollar project will be funded by the various Christian groups, the
In February,
Christian churches own large tracts of land on which residential apartment buildings and stores are located. Then-mayor Nir Barkat explained that churches themselves would not be taxed, just the property they own. The city eventually halted the collection of property tax on church owned land and formed a committee with the Knesset to study the issue.
The subsequent quiet sale of over 500 dunam (125 acres) of church-owned land to private developers rocked the city. The land was leased for 99 years in 1952 to Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF). Now that the land has been quietly sold, homeowners in neighborhoods such as Rehavia, Baka and Katamon fear for the future. Of note is that the land the Knesset –
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