CanÂ’t the dispute between rival groups be resolved so that this Christian treasure can be restored and safe-guarded for the ages?

If pilgrims worshipping in the Church of the Nativity look up at the roof, they will see a battlefield threatening the future of one of Christendom's most holy sites.

Squabbling over crucial roof repairs between the three Christian communities who share custodianship of Jesus's birthplace is endangering the 1,500-year-old basilica.

Large holes in the 500-year-old lead roof have let rainwater flood inside for years. It streams down the walls and threatens to wash away Crusader-era murals and destroy Byzantine mosaics.

A botched repair by the Greeks, in which the roof was given a waterproof lining, has created new problems as condensation now eats into the plaster and rots wooden beams.

The most authoritative survey for decades found that the wood was so badly damaged that a large truss was only being prevented from crashing to the floor by friction.

But while the three communities accept that repairs are needed, mutual suspicion means they cannot agree on how to carry them out.

The impasse means that each year the winter rains destroy more of the church's once magnificent interior.

The situation is a true scandal, in my opinion, an abrogation of the notion of Christian brotherhood, with monks and priests of different Christian sects playing politics over one of Christianity’s holiest spots – the church marking the traditional spot of the birth of Jesus Christ. If anything, the words of one priest and scholar understate the disgracefulness of the neglect of the church.

Fr Michele Piccirillo, a Catholic priest and archaeological expert, said: "The Church of The Nativity should be a symbol of what we are as Christians, not a symbol of disunity and disagreement. The condition of the roof is unbelievably bad and it must be settled not just for the benefit of the church but for all Christianity.'' The church is venerated as one of the oldest continuously used Christian places of worship, surviving earthquakes, floods and military occupations.

Not only does the roof need to be repaired for the benefit of all Christians, it needs to be repaired for the benefit of all humanity. Like the Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban, the Church of the Nativity belongs to the heritage of all people, regardless of their religion. That those charged with caring for it have allowed the structure to fall into monumental disrepair boggles the mind.

From this blogger’s standpoint, the best thing that could happen would be for the care of the structure to be removed from the control of all the groups involved – and to have the Israeli government effect the repair of this cultural treasure which holds an important spot in its tourism industry.

Posted by: Greg at 12:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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