Victory for Palestinian Authority: Church of the Nativity becomes UNESCO World Heritage site

First time for a Palestinian site to be included on UN list. Palestinians celebrate and seek recognition for 20 other sites in East Jerusalem, Gaza and West Bank. Criticism from Israel and the United States who see a “politicization” of Unesco, contrary to the peace process. For Custody of the Holy Land the decision is “great news”. The Churches have received assurances from Abu Mazen on their freedom as places of worship, according to the status quo. But the holy places should be “places of peace and serenity” for all the pilgrims.

6/30/12

www.asianews.it/news-en/Victory-for-Palestinian-Authority:-Church-of-the-Nativity-becomes-UNESCO-World-Heritage-site-25164.html

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Satisfaction and pride among Palestinians, Israeli criticism and the quiet appreciation from the Custodian of the Holy Land are the sentiments that dominate today in Bethlehem after Unesco announced it was including The Church of the Nativity and the pilgrimage route between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on its list of World Heritage Sites. This is the first time a a Palestinian site has been included on the list.

Meeting yesterday in St. Petersburg (Russia), the Heritage Committee of UNESCO (21 members) voted with 13 yes, 6 no and 2 abstentions to the proposal of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), presented in an “emergency procedure “,” because of the decay and degradation” of the site and the “separation barrier”, consequences of the occupation by Israeli forces.

Hanan Ashrawi, a Christian Orthodox, on behalf of the Executive Committee of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) said that” the Palestinian people gladly welcomes this decision as a moment of national pride and an acknowledgment of the uniqueness and the richness of their own identity and their heritage.”

Nabil Abu Rdeina, spokesman for Palestinian President Abu Mazen, said that “this is a historic day for justice” that the world – he added – has again expressed its opposition to the occupation and was on the side of justice and of international legitimacy, recognizing the Palestinian right to a State.

Issam Juha, director of the Palestinian Center for the restoration of national heritage, the author of the proposal, is overjoyed and has stoutly denied Israel’s allegations of an attempt to politicize the issue. “This is not political – he says. It is a technical decision based on value. This place is sacred to all mankind and especially for two billion Christians worldwide.”

Nimrod Barkan, Israel’s delegate to UNESCO, said that his country was not opposed to enclosing the Church of the Nativity on the list of World Heritage sites, but has criticized the urgency of the procedure, seen as a way to embarrass Israel and mine the peace process.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded all the UNESCO as being “not motivated by political and not cultural reasons.” The U.S. delegate, David Killion, said he was “deeply disappointed by the decision.”

Israel and the United States criticism is directed more at UNESCO than the question about the Church of the Nativity. Last year the UN body was the first to recognize PNA as a member thus opening the way for international recognition of a Palestinian State. Last year Abu Mazen had presented the candidacy of Palestine as a UN member state, but without success.

In a kind of retaliation against the “politicization” of Unesco, the United States withdrew its annual contribution of 80 million dollars, representing a fifth of the UN budget.

Given the success of the initiative, the NPC has compiled a list of 20 sites that Palestinians would like to include in the list of World Heritage, distributed in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. These would include the city of Jericho and its archaeological sites.

Fr. Pizzaballa, Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land expresses quiet acceptance of the UNESCO decision, which he calls “great news”. At first, when the proposal had been raised, all the churches who officiate in the church (Greek-orthodox, Catholics and Armenians) had expressed opposition over fears that the action of the PNA could distort the use of the holy place.

Speaking at the Franciscan Media Center, Fr. Pizzaballa, however, ruled that “President Abu Mazen, the president of the Palestinian Autonomy, has said very clearly, even in writing, in a formal letter to our Churches (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Armenians and Custody) that guarantees the full autonomy of Churches in management of holy sites and respect the status quo and normal functions. This insurance is very important. ”

“Our hope as churches – he added, reiterating the position always taken in the issue – is that … the holy places are considered first of all holy places and religious and that cultural, political, local or international issues, are excluded from the management, life, and dynamics of the holy places. They must remain a place of peace and serenity for all pilgrims and not become a place of difficult coexistence. This is our hope for Bethlehem and all the holy places. ”

The Basilica of the Nativity was built in the fourth century under Emperor Constantine, and encloses the cave and the manger where Jesus was born and laid. In the sixth century, it was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt under Justinian. According to tradition, in 614 the church was saved from Persians destruction, thanks to the depiction in the upper part of the structure of the three Magi in national costume. In 2002 it suffered a siege by Israeli troops who wanted to flush out some Palestinian militants who had taken shelter there. It has long been in need of urgent restoration of the walls and columns, blackened by the fires and the roof, which is very unstable is in need of repair. In 2011 the church was visited by at least two million pilgrims. (JL)

What else can we do but pray? Let's hope that this means that the terrorists or militants or whatever they call themselves will now show respect for Christian sites. That would be most welcomed.

Slava Bohu!
Praise God



Unworthy
Kolya

And just what good do we think this recognition will bring? Will it save such a site from those who want to destroy or deface it? No. Islamists in Afghanistan have destroyed World Heritage sites already and they continue to do so. Atheists will do the same. Those who destroy have one goal - destruction.

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."

The history of Palestinian stewardship of religious sites in Palestine does not inspire confidence.

I don't see any reason for controversy here. Do you know that some of the Rusyn wooden churches are also World Heritage sites? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_Churches_of_the_Slovak_Carpathians

Ah, Father Deacon, what you need to understand is being declared a World Heritage Site frees up funding from UNESCO and other organizations, creating new opportunities for graft and corruption within the cash-strapped PA.

Church of the Nativity in UNESCO; Mount Tabor a "national park". It's time to save the Holy Places

by Joshua Lapide
7/2/2012
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Church-of-the-Nativity-in-UNESCO;-Mount-Tabor-a-national-park.-It's-time-to-save-the-Holy-Places-25170.html

The inclusion of the Nativity in the list of "World Heritage sites" is welcomed by Catholics because the Church is in urgent need of restoration, so far hampered by the Orthodox community. Importance of ensuring its "architectural integrity" to avoid its ruin, similar to that taking place in the Holy Sepulchre with the construction of the Katholicon. Also important to monitor Israeli attempts to place the holy sites in Galilee "under the State protection".


Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - The inclusion of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem among "World Heritage sites" by UNESCO, once again focuses attention on the problems and precariousness of the Holy Places, a result of the often unjust interference of Christian communities themselves and the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

Let us begin with the Church of the Nativity. The Custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Pizzaballa, expressed cautious optimism on the issue. But Christians - especially Catholics - are less cautious, and openly welcome the UNESCO recognition. In this way, in fact, the Palestinian Authority will have the possibility to launch an international campaign to collect much needed funds for the restoration and repair of the roof above the basilica, which needs an urgent intervention.

The Church of the Nativity - with that of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the crypt of the tomb of Mary at the foot of the Mount of Olives - are subject to an international legal norm known as the "status quo". It does not deed the Catholic Church or other Christian communities the title of ownership of the Basilica. Rather, it comprises a complex distribution of rights of possession, use, management, the observance of which is guaranteed by the State. They also have a duty to intervene to enforce the status quo if there is concern over violations; to ensure the soundness and practicability of the buildings where there is no unanimity among the mainline churches present there. These churches are: the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land (which, by papal mandate, represents the Catholic Church), the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Up to now, in fact the Greek-orthodox have thwarted any joint intervention to repair the roof of the Basilica, of which there is an urgent need. If there were a uniform agreement, the three communities would have to fund repairs on the building themselves (as was the case in the recent past in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem). But the lack of agreement and the dangerous state of the roof has forced the Palestinian National Authority to intervene and provide for its restoration.

From one point of view, therefore, the Palestine move calling on UNESCO to declare the Basilica of the Nativity as a "world heritage site" will save the holy place and make it easier to find the necessary funding for repairs, which promise to be very expensive. Moreover, the Christian communities who officiate at the Nativity have received the written guarantee that the NPC has no intention of intervening in the use of the Basilica and indeed, will ensure the smooth running of all religious functions according to the "status quo", which is also guaranteed in Article 4 of the 'Basic Agreement' between the Holy See and the PLO (2000).

Among Catholics, there are those who expect something more from UNESCO: the inclusion of the Church of the Nativity in Heritage List should also ensure the architectural integrity of the sanctuary. This is to prevent any future alteration or destruction of the Church of the Nativity similar to what happened in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is a beautiful jewel dating to the period of the Crusades, originally with a circular form. But a few decades ago, the Greek-orthodox built the so-called Katholicon, two walls enclosing the shrine which upset the architectural space of the building. Now, on entering the church you are no longer greeted by the so-called Stone of the Anointing in front of the columns of rotunda and Aedicule which crown the Holy Sepulchre itself, but a simple, bland wall, which destroys the architectural logic of the most important church in Christendom .

Thus, it is vital to guarantee the present and future architectural integrity of all the holy sites not owned by the individual churches.

The vast majority of holy places (in fact, all the others, which are not governed by the "status quo") are owned by the individual churches. As private property, they should not be taken over by any state in any way to make any capital, even if they themselves are of global importance. For some time, for example, the Israeli state are pushing for some holy places such as Mount Tabor, Capernaum, and other Catholic shrines in Galilee to be put under the "protection" of the state. The Catholic Church opposes this in principle: they are the private property of ecclesiastical bodies and can not in any way be transferred to others. Moreover, it is not clear what value this "protection" would have: to protect them from whom? If the state wants to protect them, all they need to do is respect them and maybe even some positive actions, without trying to become too involved, risking undue interference.

From this point of view, the decision of UNESCO to include the Church of the Nativity in the World Heritage list, while positive, is likely to offer support and a pretext for attempts to nationalize other shrines in Israel and Palestine.

This is why, the Catholic Church has been insisting that, for example, the definition of Mount Tabor as a "national park" and other major shrines in Galilee be removed, because they are Catholic shrines and private property.

Making these sanctuaries "national parks" denies the fact there are church property and undermine their sacred character.