Christ’s cradle crumbles

The Christian churches in the Holy Land and the Palestinian Authority, which although secular is Muslim-dominated, seem strange bedfellows. But they are combining so that urgent renovations can be carried out in the Church of the Nativity, one of Christendom’s oldest and most holy places.
This unprecedented action is being taken by the Palestinians because the church, the most important Christian building on their soil, is in a parlous state; the Christians are cooperating because the church is central to their belief and history.
Although bereft of much of the original decoration, the actual structure has survived 14 centuries. For decades, though, the roof has leaked.
Lack of agreement by the churches about replacing dangerous rotten roof timbers and stopping rain penetration resulted in the Palestinian Authority, for the first time since coming to power in 1993, exercising federal authority to carry out structural renovations to a Christian edifice.
On the night of November 26, President Mahmoud Abbas called the heads of the three communities who control the historic church – the Greek Orthodox, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Orthodox – to the presidential palace in Bethlehem.
Reading out his presidential decree he stated that, because of the absence of clear agreement between the churches, the Palestinian Authority will take charge of the repairs. However, during the meeting he stressed that they especially wanted to work with the three churches.
The rights, privileges and possessions of three communities within the basilica and grottoes are protected by the Status Quo of the Holy Places passed by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1852, and guaranteed in Article LXII of the Treaty of Berlin (1878). While the Armenians and Franciscans each claim ownership of a third of the church, the Greek Orthodox insist that as descendants of the Byzantine founders they have majority rights. During the past century, decisions by the different churches have been inhibited by fears that they may in some way infringe their hereditary rights.
As this resulted in a lack of action, the Palestinian Authority took positive steps to save the church. This, though, has raised two questions.
First, how could the Christian communities have allowed themselves to become so vulnerable, opening one of the most important Christian shrines in the world to outside interference – and one which is Muslim-dominated to boot?
Second, as this new control, as well as protecting the church, gives the Palestinian Authority credence in Bethlehem, is it an attempt to assert the President’s political party, Fatah? Elections are due, but not scheduled. There are five members of Hamas in the local town council of 15.
However the local mayor, a Catholic, Dr Victor Batarseh, laughed at speculation that the Church of the Nativity would be a political pawn in the wrangle between Hamas and Fatah: “The move is to save the church. It has been pushed by local Christians. There is nothing political associated with it,” he said.
For many people the word Hamas, the more common name for the group calling itself the Islamic Resistance Movement, brings visions of masked gunmen and terrorists. Yet although a third of Bethlehem’s council are members of Hamas, life has been relatively peaceful and prosperous in the town. Indeed, during the past 12 months employment has increased.
Despite some recent problems and the migration overseas of many Arab Christians tolerance of Christians is still manifested in the West Bank by Christmas Day and Good Friday, like Muslim holy days, being public holidays.
Since Christmas Eve 2005 Mahmoud Abbas, following Yasser Arafat’s example, has attended the Midnight Mass. In addition, six of the 132 seats of the Legislative Assembly are reserved for Christians and the three most important Palestinian ambassadorial posts – in London, Washington and Paris – are held by Christians.
But the Arab Christian community around the Church of the Nativity has greatly diminished. Although pilgrims and tourists continue to be the basis of the tourist trade, the local Christians, from being a majority, now make up less than a third of the population.
Dr Batarseh enthused about the international fund which is being set up so donors, large and small, can contribute to the multi-million dollar repair bill. He also spoke warmly about the experts chosen to sit on the supervisory committee of eight. It includes three women and has a majority of Arab Christians.
Venerated as one of the oldest continuously used Christian place of worship in the world, the Church of the Nativity is also the sole major church in the Holy Land that survives intact from the early Christian period.
This ancient basilica marking Christ’s birthplace dates from the fourth century when Empress Helena, the devout mother of Constantine the Great, travelled from Rome to Bethlehem and Jerusalem and started turning an eastern corner of the Mediterranean into a Holy Land.
Helena initiated the practice of enclosing the caves and green spaces connected to the life of Jesus within churches which would echo with daily prayers and religious music. The first magnificent structures, rich in mosaics and gold, were built above two natural and one manmade cave. The massive Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem embraced Jesus’s birth cave, replacing a grove of trees dedicated to the Greek god Adonis. Next, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre rose over what was determined to be Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem. Helena’s church was replaced by Emperor Justinian and in 614, unlike other Christian buildings in the Holy Land, his church was not sacked. The Persian invaders spared it because mosaics on the façade of the narthex displayed mosaics of the Three Wise Men. Some stories say it was because the figures were wearing Persian dress; others that the artist was from Persia.
In June 2007 the church received international publicity after being included in the World Monuments Fund’s list of the most endangered sites in the world. A report described the state of the church as “worrying”. It stated: “many roof timbers are rotting, and have not been replaced since the 19th century. The rainwater that seeps into the building not only accelerates the rotting of the wood and damages the structural integrity of the building, but also damages the 12th-century wall mosaics and paintings.” An earthquake, similar in scale to the disastrous one of 1834, could be catastrophic.
The report avoided the disunity and disagreement between the three communities, but concluded with the hope “that... the three custodians of the church... will work together, which has not happened for hundreds of years...” It took just 18 months of more inactivity before President Abbas stepped in.
A week after the presidential decree another announcement with far-reaching consequences about Bethlehem was made. Its elected council, including its members of Hamas, would be replaced by a committee on January 9.
The bitter contest to gain control of the Palestinian territories between Fatah and Hamas began in 2005.
Hamas and candidates associated with it won many seats in the local elections across Gaza and the West Bank. Their success was capped by victory in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council election. Winning 74 of the 112 seats, Ismail Haniyeh took over as prime minister.
Last summer, conflict and violence between Hamas and Fatah factions in Gaza ended with grenades and mortars being fired resulting in over 40 deaths. Hamas split off to form a separate government in Gaza and Fatah set up a 12-member emergency government in Ramallah, the administrative capital 10 miles from Jerusalem, excluding Hamas from all administration of the West Bank.
In Bethlehem, as yet, there have been no clashes between Fatah and Hamas. But whatever happens politically, co-operation between the churches and whoever is in authority is likely to continue. Few governments will ignore the impact on international relationships with predominantly Catholic countries, such as Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Bethlehem, with its historically vital church, still has a special place in the heart of Christians.