Maybe the Israelis can help keep these monks apart.
Posted on 12/28/2011 12:52:00 PM PST by marshmallow
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.
The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations — Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox. Wednesday's fight erupted between Greek and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing each other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.
The monks were tidying up the church ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in early January, following celebrations by Western Christians on Dec. 25. The fight erupted between monks along the border of their respective areas. Some shouted and hurled brooms.
Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee, and no serious injuries were reported. A Palestinian police spokesman would not immediately comment.
A fragile status quo governs relations among the denominations at the ancient church, and to repair or clean a part of the structure is to own it, according to accepted practice. That means that letting other sects clean part of the church could allow one to gain ground at another's expense. Similar fights have taken place during the same late-December cleaning effort in the past.
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Hilarious!
Peace on earth and whatnot!
Maybe the Israelis can help keep these monks apart.
Didn’t the same two groups of Orthodox mi9nks pull this same stupid and scandalous stunt last year?
Didn’t the same two groups of Orthodox monks pull this same stupid and scandalous stunt last year?
Didn’t the same two groups of Orthodox monks pull this same stupid and scandalous stunt last year?
Yes, yes & yes.
Not at this particular site, but my sister (who was in the IDF “tour guide” branch of military police*) had to pull her side arm and her fellow soldiers (all female) leveled their M4s at nuns of conflicting denominations that were pissed at each other for some reason and were coming to blows.
* A lot of the Christian sites are in arab occupied areas (e.g., Bethlehem) so Female IDF soldiers get put as guards for nuns and the like, chiefly to protect them from the arabs that would love to get their jollies by raping nuns.
Yes.
Every year since I can remember. Different instigators, depending on the time.
There is a lot of maintenance that doesn’t get done because they can’t agree, which pisses off the Tourism board.
I think they finally agreed to let Jewish (and thus neutral) contractors re-do the roof of the Nativity that the muslims shot up.
Jesus wept.
The Armenians have a distinct rite which predates the Latin Rite but they are also Roman Catholics.
It takes less courage for these Christians to fight each other than it would to unite against common foes.
“Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee”
I first read that to say, “Presbyterian security forces rushed in to break up the melee”
LOL!
This is a disgraceful!
You mean Eastern Rite Catholics?
Could this be one of the factors why the Vatican wants to take over the shrines?
The Latin and Eastern Rites are Roman Catholic because they are under the bishop of Rome. Greek and Russian Orthodox are not Roman Catholic.
That is right, these were Orthodox Christians who were going against each other with brooms. The Catholics have a chapel at the Nativity Shrine. The Orthodox control the main shrine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5RnVfXFd5MU
One of the monks in that video was even recording the brooms fight his smart phone.
“Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee”
Maybe the Palestinians are LEARNING what Israel IDF had to put up for years.
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