The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Cardinal Vincent Nichols have backed the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem in his campaign to uphold the 'Status Quo' agreement whereby churches enjoy open access and can worship in peace in the holy city.
The Patriarch, Theophilos III, last week warned of the potentially 'catastrophic' consequences of legislation in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and met with the two British Church leaders at Lambeth Palace and Westminster Cathedral.
The Patriarch, who is widely seen as the most senior Church figure in the Holy Land, shared issues of concern with Welby and Nichols, including proposed changes to land tenure in Jerusalem.
He highlighted a proposed bill signed by 40 Knesset members that would restrict the rights of Churches, including the Episcopal Diocese in Jerusalem, to deal independently with their land.
Last month, he received the backing of Pope Francis when the pair met at the Vatican, with the Pope saying: 'The Holy City, whose Status Quo must be defended and preserved, ought to be a place where all can live together peaceably; otherwise, the endless spiral of suffering will continue for all.'
Now, both Archbishop Welby and Cardinal Nichols have expressed their support. Welby said: 'I join other Church Leaders in calling for all parties to uphold the Status Quo and resist weakening it. I believe that a continued Christian presence in the Holy Land is of paramount importance.' The Archbishop asserted that Jerusalem must remain a place where people of all faiths can live and thrive together.
Cardinal Nichols said: 'Jerusalem's Status Quo should be respected. It is a City holy to three faiths and Christians are an important and integral part of this community. The continuing presence of Christians as bridge builders across the Holy Land is essential for all who wish to live in peace.'
The Patriarch, who also recently visited king Abdullah II of Jordan, told journalists last week: 'We have the great honour to be with you representing the Christian communities from the Holy City of Jerusalem, the cradle of Christianity as well as our Church which traces its roots back through one unbroken line to the very birth of Christianity in the first century...We have been mandated by all the Church leaders in the Holy Land to share our story and raise awareness of the challenges we are facing as a Christian community in Jerusalem.'
'Recently we have seen the emergence of a trend that threatens to undermine the Christian presence and destabilise the peace of the Holy City of Jerusalem. The "Status Quo" rule that has guaranteed the rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims to live, flourish and thrive together in Jerusalem for centuries is in grave danger. This code, that has safeguarded our religious freedoms and provided access to the most holy places for all people, is being dangerously undermined. If we do not act soon it will be too late. And the outcome will be catastrophic.
'Before, we stood silent, bearing patient witness to a harsh campaign against us and against our Church. Every day we face false accusations, suspicion and slander. Our detractors target our heritage and our integrity. Today, our calling and commitment to the Lord means We can accept this no longer and this has lead us to break our silence and simply say: enough is enough.'
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem faces discord on two fronts: one from Palestinian Christians who believe what the Patriarch's team insist are false reports claiming that the Church has sold property to the Israelis or 'Jews'; and the other from extremist Israeli settlers who want to drive non-Jews out of the Old City. A spokesperson for the Patriarch today claimed that the bill in the Knesset was 'linked' to settlers, who show no sign of being 'reined in' by the current Israeli government led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In response to the bill proposed in July, the Patriarch and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem released a joint statement condemning the bill at the time. The statement said: 'We cannot stress strongly enough the very serious situation that this recent systematic assault on the Status Quo has had on the integrity of Jerusalem and on the well-being of the Christian communities of the Holy Land, as well as on the stability of our society.
'We therefore, as those to whom Divine Providence has entrusted the care of both the Holy Sites and the pastoral oversight of the living, indigenous Christian communities of the Holy Land, call upon our fellow Church leaders and faithful around the world, as well as the heads of governments, and all people of good will, to support us in order to ensure that no further attempts are made from any quarter to change the historical Status Quo and its provisions and spirit.'
