L. G. A. Cust

“ The visitor alights in the open space in front of the District Offices where, if he is a Patriarch, he is clad with a cope and conducted in procession from the District Offices over the Church Square by the small iron door and through the Nave down to the Grotto of the Nativity and to their Church above and subsequently to their Convent.
When the visitor is of minor importance, or for a pilgrimage, the Orthodox Clergy wait at the wooden door separating the Narthex from the Basilica.
Latin Rights in the Basilica.
The Latins have the right of passage to their Church and Convent. ”

“ The floor of the Rotunda within the circle of pillars is common property. No fixed furniture is permitted in it, and it must be kept free for circulation at all times. The three principal rites clean and sweep it in turns by weeks.
The portion of the Rotunda between the Edicule and the Orthodox Katholikon is known as the Latin Choir. Within this space the Latins hold regular services and the benches, lectern and other pieces of furniture and the hangings on the pillars, as well as the small room in the northern pillar, are their property. ”

“ The great Katholikon or Chorus Dominorum, in the middle of which is the stone marking the Centre of the World, is, as it has been since the 14th century at least. Orthodox property; at the same time, being within the ensemble of the Church, any important or structural innovation should properly be notified to the other two rites. ^ Thus, when in 1922 the Orthodox regilded the gates leading into the Rotunda considering they had exclusive authority over this part of the Church, the Latins objected and the Government ruled that this principle of the Status Quo should be held to apply. ”

“ On the western wall, eastern face, there is an icon of Christ. The Orthodox have no right to sweep or clean the Katholikon while the Armenians are having their prayers in their part of the Church, but may do so after the Armenians descend to the Grotto of the Nativity. ”

“ When the Latins have the right to incense in the Grotto and at the same time the Orthodox have the right to place an icon on the Holy Altar, the Latins incense the Grotto before the Orthodox place their icon. The Armenians turn for incensing then comes, and after they have finished incensing, the Orthodox incensing and office takes place. ”

“ The Peace found the Holy Places once more under the control of a Christian Power, not, as in the days of the Crusaders, under the shadow of a perpetual menace, but sheltered in the world-wide dominion of Great Britain, the Turk pushed back far beyond reach, and, most important perhaps of all, Russian influence extinguished. ”

“ At the termination of the Orthodox office their icon is removed from the Grotto, and when the Grotto has been cleared the Latin procession takes place.
When the Latins receive pilgrims or visitors who are desirous of celebrating Masses in the Grotto, it is the duty of the Father Superior of the Latin Convent or his representative to notify the Orthodox to that effect. When it is the hour for the Orthodox or the Armenian office the special Latin Masses are interrupted until these are performed. Special Latin Masses do not interrupt any incensing by the other communities. ”

“ It is probably true to say that no question more constantly exercised the Moslem rulers of Palestine and took up more of their time than the ever recurring difficulties and disputes arising out of the circumstance that the Christian Holy Places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem were not in one ownership but were shared and served by several communities. ”

“ The Status Quo applies to the northern face of the Armenian Convent which lies on the south side and on the east, to the outside wall of the Church as far as its junction with the new building of the Casa Nova: the opening of new doors and windows or the enlargement of existing ones can only be done with the consent of the three Communities, and efforts that the Armenians have made to enlarge the windows of their convent have been opposed.
On the north side lies the Orthodox Cemetery. ”

“ The homeless Franciscans were given shelter by the Armenians, until they acquired the Convent of St. Saviour from the Orthodox, who had in their turn obtained it from the Georgians. In memory of this, for some time the Franciscans used to hold a service once annually in the Armenian Cathedral, but the custom has now fallen into desuetude. ”

“ Again, the right to hang a lamp or picture or to change a lamp or picture is a recognition of exclusive possession of a pillar or wall. The right of other communities to cense at a chapel implies that the proprietorship is not absolute. ”

“ Most of the church is in the possession of the three major denominations, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian. The minor denominations -Copts, Syrians and Abyss inians - have very little property in the church and are dependent on the others. ”

“ About this time, groups of young men enter the Rotunda through the Orthodox Chapel clapping their hands and singing traditional songs. One or two may be borne on the shoulders of their co-religionists. It is just now when excitement is running high, and the pressure of the throng is very intense, that disputes occur, especially over the line-up from the holes in the Edicule through which the Fire is given.
The District Staff take up a position by the northern seat near the entrance to the Tomb. ”

“ In 1926 the Orthodox carried out some repairs to the exterior of the enclosure wall, but this gave rise to a protest from the Latin Patriarch, on the ground that the shrine and enclosure were common property, and the work was stopped. Before the War some repairs were carried out by the Jerusalem Municipality, at the joint expense of the three rites, and any repairs are to be carried out at the cost of the three Patriarchates. ”

“ They do not hold daily services, but have the right of censing at the shrines: similarly, the Syrian Jacobites have no formal residence and officiate only on Holy Days. Neither the Copts nor the Syrian Jacobites may hold processions unless in company with the Armenians, with the exception that on Good Friday afternoon they each hold a pro­cession independently, after giving prior notification to the Orthodox and the Latins. ”

“ Services are held on these altars by the various rites on the Eastern Churches' Ascension Day; awnings are hung from hooks let into the wall, and the Orthodox place a table (for candles, etc.) midway between the shrine and the entrance to the yard, and the Armenians one nearer the shrine but leaving a passageway between it and the wall of the shrine. The Latins hold their service on their Ascension Day inside the shrine.+ In 1922 they placed an altar outside in the yard, to which the Orthodox Patriarch protested. ”