Jerusalem blog 3 - The Holy Sepulchre Church (and slight religious confusion at yours truly's side)
Yesterday (Saturday) we visited the Holy Sepulchre or Anastesis Church - the Church built on - what they think is - the place where Jesus was both crucified and buried. The experience was quite overwhelming: masses of tourists, more tourists, more tourists and hysterical guides trying to get these people all to move in the right directions. I got slightly destracted from the (interesting) talk of our guide as almost next to me a Dutch guide held a very lively and extensive description of how the crucifixion practically had taken place.
To have a better experience and to see how the chúrch would be like during a service, those who wanted could leave this morning at 5 AM. In some strange way, both Anna and me managed to get up in time for this...
To have a better experience and to see how the chúrch would be like during a service, those who wanted could leave this morning at 5 AM. In some strange way, both Anna and me managed to get up in time for this...
Before continuing, just a reminder: I was raised in a church that is sometimes described with 'four white walls and a sermon'. Now the Calvinist part of where I come from is so liberal that we do sometimes have something on our walls and yes, we like nice music and the sermon doesn't have to be longer than 15 minutes. However, if I want to explain the difference with Swedish Lutheranism (within the entire world of Christian denominations the two are obviously strikingly close), I usually sum up the following list: "no bishops, no signs of the cross, no standing for the Gospel, no kneeling, no bowing for the altar as there is no altar at all actually, a very symbolic ("low-church") view on Holy Communion which is generally celebrated once a month".
The Holy Sepulchre church is in all aspects the opposite of Dutch Calvinism. This is not about texts, about believing with the mind, about dogmatics in a complicated sermon. This church is about the heart, about experiencing how 'heaven meets earth' during the services and rituals. Which denomination am I talking about? Well, the church's custodians are no fewer than six: Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox. (Thank you Wiki.) The first three have the biggest roles, while the latter three own smaller shares of the church and have less to say. To avoid conflicts (which anyways have arisen and will arise) a so-called status quo has carefully determined who has custody over which part and what this actually means. It also means that nothing can be changed in the church if not all six groups agree.
The worship schedule is probably very clear, but that doesn't mean that two services can't go on at the same time. This morning around 6 PM, the Copts (I think) started a service of readings (I assume this would culminate in the Divine Liturgy, but that can take hours in total) with a priest and a layman taking turns singing. At 6.30 PM, the Franciscan friars started their Mass and the sound of a large organ overpowered the sound of the singing completely. Whenever there was a silent part in Mass, however, the Copts could be heard again. At the same time, a group of (other) Catholic priests could be seen walking around the church, carrying (unconsecrated) hosts on their way to again another altar. Madness or the best way of coexistence?
All six denominations are, even if very different from each other, very much about the 'heart' and the church breathes a very Byzantine or Orthodox atmosphere. (And a small of incense, unsurprisingly.) When entering, one first sees the 'Stone of Anointing', the place where it is believed that Joseph of Arimatea anointed the dead body of Christ. Many people touch the stone with their hands or head or put their rosery (or another religious item) on this place before taking it home again.
One can also go up to the place where Christ was crucified. Strangely enough - in my eyes at least - this place has been covered by a table (altar? that would be even stranger) where one person at the time can kneel under to worship. There is also an icon of Christ situated in this narrow place.
Downstairs then is the place where Christ was buried, but a wooden construction (church within a church?) has been resurrected at this site. It contains two altars at both sides of the construction, which are being used by the different denominations...
The worship schedule is probably very clear, but that doesn't mean that two services can't go on at the same time. This morning around 6 PM, the Copts (I think) started a service of readings (I assume this would culminate in the Divine Liturgy, but that can take hours in total) with a priest and a layman taking turns singing. At 6.30 PM, the Franciscan friars started their Mass and the sound of a large organ overpowered the sound of the singing completely. Whenever there was a silent part in Mass, however, the Copts could be heard again. At the same time, a group of (other) Catholic priests could be seen walking around the church, carrying (unconsecrated) hosts on their way to again another altar. Madness or the best way of coexistence?
All six denominations are, even if very different from each other, very much about the 'heart' and the church breathes a very Byzantine or Orthodox atmosphere. (And a small of incense, unsurprisingly.) When entering, one first sees the 'Stone of Anointing', the place where it is believed that Joseph of Arimatea anointed the dead body of Christ. Many people touch the stone with their hands or head or put their rosery (or another religious item) on this place before taking it home again.
One can also go up to the place where Christ was crucified. Strangely enough - in my eyes at least - this place has been covered by a table (altar? that would be even stranger) where one person at the time can kneel under to worship. There is also an icon of Christ situated in this narrow place.
Downstairs then is the place where Christ was buried, but a wooden construction (church within a church?) has been resurrected at this site. It contains two altars at both sides of the construction, which are being used by the different denominations...
What do I do? I walk around. I observe. I enjoy the sight of so many pious people, who really have a religious experience here that clearly means something to them. I sit along in the Latin Catholic service that we attend and do my best to figure out which part of the Mass is actually being said. But it seems that I can't live it. I can't completely participate. For some Christians, this must be the ultimate place to worship, as the most essential events of Christianity are said to take place here. But I mainly seem to feel like an interested tourist in this place...
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I hear you (dad, I mean ;-)) demanding pictures. Unfortunately I am really bad at taking pictures: either I forget or they become quite crappy. But here's still an impression.
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| On the way to church. 5.30 in the morning. |
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| Door to the Holy Sepulchre Church. Without tourists - at 4 PM it's impossible to make this picture. |
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| And at last: some low-quality pictures from inside. |
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