The Holy Sepulchre - The pilgrim's new guide

READINGS

HISTORY

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The Holy Sepulchre

THE PILGRIM’S NEW GUIDE

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A photographic introduction to the church with maps, plans and 3-D models

HISTORY

The history of the church of the Holy Sepulchre, recounted by the teachers of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem

READINGS

A selection of readings to accompany the pilgrim on the way to Jesus’ Tomb

Publishing project Raffaella Zardoni Editorial coordination Carla Benelli Tommaso Saltini Texts Eugenio Alliata ofm Enrique Bermejo Cabrera Virgilio Corbo ofm Claudio Bottini ofm Lino Cignelli ofm Giovanni Loche ofm Athanasius Macora ofm Alviero Niccacci ofm Michele Piccirillo ofm Translation

David A. Brodsky

Photos Archives of ATS pro Terra Sancta, Custody of the Holy Land Cover The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

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THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE CHAPELS OF CALVARY

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JESUS’ TOMB THE ROTUNDA NORTH AISLE AND AMBULATORY THE LOWER CHAPELS TRACES OF THE CONSTANTINIAN COMPLEX KEY

HISTORY 24 27 31 35 37 38

The garden next to Calvary The era of Constantine The Crusader transformation The Franciscans at the Holy Sepulchre The last time the Holy Sepulchre was opened A new beginning

READINGS 41 The Death on the Cross 44 The Words of Jesus on the Cross 46 The new tomb 53 JESUS’ RESURRECTION 57 The Liturgy of Jerusalem 59 The Status Quo 61 The Religious Communities at the Holy Sepulchre 64 Information

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INTRODUCTION

HISTORY

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READINGS

SUMMARY

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Jerusalem, the Old City

the Dome of the Rock, while Christians, walking along the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Way of Suffering”), converge on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contains within its walls both Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb in which he was buried and from which he rose from the dead on the third day.

Notwithstanding the ancient and uninterrupted tradition, the appearance of the church, which seems nearly lost within the jumbled constructions of the square, leaves the Christian pilgrim feeling a bit doubtful. Entering into the dark building, he asks himself how it is possible that in such a narrow space there was a hill, a garden and a new tomb. Is this really the place that has played such an important role throughout the centuries? In line, waiting to enter into the small, rundown structure enclosing the tomb that was found to be empty by the women, he repeats to himself the words of the angel: “He is risen! He is not here!” He hears again Peter’s

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ccording to an Eastern saying, places also have souls, and for all the children of Abraham the Old City of Jerusalem has a special significance. Within its narrow streets crowded with people and markets, Jews identify with the Western (“Wailing”) Wall and the whole Temple Mount, Muslims with

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Inside the Co stantinian Rotunda

first courageous speech: “But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.” Leaving the small room of the tomb, the pilgrim is no longer bothered by the noise, the continuous camera flashes and the sounds of mobile phones: now he understands the reason for so many people being here, and why it is that these stones

were unable to survive the centuries unscathed.

For many years, Christian pilgrims arriving at this Church have gone through these stages, from bewilderment – arising from the chaos, the contradictions and the rundown aspect of the building – to profound emotion for the Passion of the Son of God who died for love of man.

This guide is intended to present to

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Benedict XVI, 15 May 2009

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pilgrims and visitors the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with its layers of walls and liturgies, and to accompany them on their visit to the unique and holy sites of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

tanding in this holy place, and pondering that wondrous event, how can we not be “cut to the heart”, like those who first heard Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost?

Here Christ died and rose, never to die again.

Here the history of humanity was decisively changed. The long reign of sin and death was shattered by the triumph of obedience and life; the wood of the Cross lay bare the truth about good and evil; God’s judgment was passed on this world and the grace of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon humanity.

Here Christ, the new Adam, taught us that evil never has the last word, that love is stronger than death, that our future, and the future of all humanity, lies in the hands of a faithful and provident God.”

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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

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his holy place has been sanctified by the blood of Christ. Our consecration adds nothing to its sanctity.”

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These words greeted the pilgrim on his entry into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after its restoration in the 12th century. A restoration carried out by the Crusaders, which gave the church the appearance it still has today: an imposing Romanesque structure that gathers together and connects the monuments scattered among the sites of the passion and resurrection of the Lord. The earliest establishment of the complex was due to Emperor Constantine.

In 325, during excavations he had ordered to remove pagan temples from the site, the tomb of Jesus and the relics of his Passion were found.

The complex of structures created

by Constantine was spread over all of the area of Golgotha in proximity to the Cardo Maximus, the main north-south street of Roman-Byzantine Jerusalem. The Rock of Calvary remained open to the sky, while the tomb was cut away from the surrounding rock and enclosed within the majestic Rotunda of the Anas-

tasis. Constantine’s constructions were destroyed in 1009 by Caliph al-Hakim and reconstructed in 1042

by Emperor Constantine Monomachus.

Parvis

We begin our visit at the Parvis, the entrance courtyard on the south side of the church. The facade, although deteriorated, is one of the most beautiful Crusader works to have been preserved in the Holy Land.

Since the time of Saladin, one of the two doors has been walled shut.

The bell tower provides an indication of the grandeur of the Crusader project, bearing in mind that a 16th century earthquake and subsequent repair works reduced its height by almost half.

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The stairs to the right on the outer facade lead to a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows – known as the Chapel of the Franks – which used to give access directly to Calvary, thus allowing medieval pilgrims to discharge their vows and acquire indulgences even when the church was closed, or when they lacked the money to pay the entrance fee.

Directly beneath is an oratory dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt.

Stone of the Anointing

On entering the church, directly ahead is the Stone of the Anointing (or Unction), in memory of the piety of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who prepared Jesus’ body for burial.

Highly venerated by the Orthodox, it is decorated with candlesticks and lamps. A mosaic on the inner wall depicts the scene.

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a Chapel of the Franks

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Chapels of Calvary

To the right, after entering the church, chapels can be seen on several levels of Golgotha. Archaeologists have confirmed that at the time of Christ the area was located outside the city, and that it was an abandoned quarry filled with earth. These findings are in agreement with the information provided in the Gospels, which speak of a garden. Calvary today rises about 5 meters above the floor of the basilica, while the lowest points of the crypt are 9 meters below. It was thus a very rugged area, where projecting rocks could readily be excavated as family tombs. Similar environs are not infrequently found in Palestine.

Chapel of Calvary

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up a steep staircase one A Going comes to the Altar of Calvary,

which rises above the rock on which Jesus’ cross was raised.

The rock is visible through glass plates on either side of the altar. Pilgrims can touch the rock through an opening in the silver disk beneath the altar, the point where the Cross stood, according to tradition.

It is here that pilgrims discharged their vows, by placing on the altar the small wooden crosses given to them in their country of origin at the beginning of their voyage.

The chapel belongs to the Greek Orthodox and is decorated with lamps and candles according to their tradition.

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Chapel of the Crucifixion

chapel to the side, which belongs B The to the Franciscans, commemorates the crucifixion. The silvered bronze altar was a gift of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando de’ Medici (1588). The decorations and mosaics are 20th century restorations, apart from the mosaic on the vaulted ceiling depicting the Ascension which dates from the 12th century.

Between the two chapels is the Altar of Our Lady of Sorrows. The bust of the Virgin is a gift of Queen Maria of Portugal (1778). A second steep staircase leads downstairs again.

Adam is one of the oldest in the church. In the apse can be seen the crack in the rock caused, according to the earliest Christian tradition, by the earthquake which occurred at the moment of Jesus’ death. The crack was said to have allowed Christ’s blood to fall upon, and thereby redeem, Adam who was thought to have been buried here.

For the first Christians this was also the origin of the name Golgotha: the place of the skull. This tradition has inspired the iconography of the Cross, which places a skull and rivulets of blood at the foot of the Cross, and frequently a small cave.

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of Adam C Chapel Directly beneath Calvary, the Chapel of

Jesus’ Tomb e

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B Edicule Beneath the dome, in the center of

Proceeding towards the west-

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part of the church (it is the A ern flow of pilgrims, more than the

architectural details, that will indicate the direction), a circular stone marks the point where the three Marys, the women in the Gospel accounts, watched the removal of Jesus from the Cross (The Deposition) and his burial.

Passing between two massive columns we enter the Anastasis, or Rotunda, the mausoleum built by Constantine to serve as the setting for Christ’s tomb.

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the Rotunda, the Edicule (from Latin aedicula, literally “small edifice”) today owes its exterior look to the heavy-handed restoration efforts of the 19th century. The facade is decorated with rows of lamps and large candlesticks belonging to the various religious communities. Due to the earthquakes of the past century, since 1947 it has been propped up by steel girders and remains in urgent need of restoration. The inside of the Edicule is divided into two areas.

The first, the Chapel of the angel, preserves a piece of the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb, on which the angel sat on Easter morning.

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A low door (133 cm) leads into the second room, where the body of Jesus was laid on a rock-cut bench, which is now protected by marble slabs. The ornamentation does not detract from the simplicity of this site, destination of millions of pilgrims and the center of Christian faith. Here Jesus conquered death.

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Attached to the rear of the Edicule is the Chapel of the Copts, which dates back to the time of the Crusaders.

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The Rotunda A

Rotunda or Anastasis

The Rotunda, known as Anastasis (Greek for “resurrection”), respects the design of the original imposing Roman-Byzantine structure, in which pillars, groups of columns and large windows alternated in a regular order.

Unfortunately, as a result of the various restorations over the centuries, the windows have lost their direct sunlight and the circular ambulatory

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has been divided into two levels by a mezzanine. During the last restoration the twelve columns of the lower level were restored to their original form. The two columns near the Altar of Mary Magdalene were, in all likelihood, two parts of a single column belonging either to the original Constantinian complex or to Hadrian’s temple. The restoration of the dome was completed in the 1990s.

Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

At the rear of the Rotunda a passageway leads to a shaft-type tomb (“kokhim”) hewn from the rock and contemporaneous with that of Jesus. Discovered in the 15th century, it is said to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. This type of tomb was more common in Jerusalem than the arcosolium (or “bench”) type (which, the Gospels seem to suggest, was used for Jesus’ burial). The tomb provides confirmation that at the time of Christ the area was used for burials.

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Altar of Mary Magdalene

The altar, supported by columns, commemorates the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb. Here the Franciscans officiate.

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Chapel of the Apparition

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From the northern part of the vestibule of the Rotunda one enters the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The Franciscans have been present here since the 14th century. The chapel is dedicated to the apparition of the risen Jesus to his Mother. The event is not reported in the Gospels, but has been handed down by tradition. In the chapel the Column of the Flagellation is venerated.

Choir or Katholikon

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The Greek Choir, or Katholikon, belongs to the Greek Orthodox, who have separated it from the rest of the edifice, leaving it open only to the Anastasis. During its restoration, the foundations of Constantine’s Martyrium Basilica were discovered beneath the Crusader floor. The dome is covered with mosaics in the Byzantine style. The cosmic idea of universal redemption through the death and resurrection of Christ is symbolically represented by a marble basin under the dome known as the Omphalos, or Navel of the World.

TOUR Arches of the Virgin

through the north aisle, eleA Passing ments from earlier constructions

can be distinguished. From the back wall, which dates from the original Constantinian complex, Byzantine columns and pillars from the Cru-

sader transept stand out. On the wall itself holes can be seen, where the multi-colored marble that at one time adorned the building was attached.

Five columns distinct from the others, smaller and with a rough exterior, form the socalled Arches of the Virgin, which commemorate the visits of the Mother of the Lord to the tomb of the Son. This memory was evidently considered to be authentic by the Crusaders, as this was the only part of Constantine’s Triportico they chose to preserve.

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B Prison of Christ

At the end of the aisle is an unadorned chapel which, based on a tradition dating from the ninth century, is called the Prison of Christ.

Its floor is the only remaining “walkable� element from the era of Constantine.

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North aisle and Ambulatory

Proceeding by the Crusader Ambulatory, we come to three chapels dedicated to moments of the Passion of Jesus.

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Chapel of St. Longinus

Dedicated to the Roman soldier who with his lance pierced Christ’s side, from which blood and water immediately flowed out.

Chapel of the Division of the Holy Robes Commemorates Jesus stripped of his garments.

Chapel of Derision

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Commemorates the insults of the priests and people towards the Crucified One. In the chapel is preserved a fragment of the column on which, according to tradition, Christ sat crowned with thorns.

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The lower chapels Chapel of St. Helena

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the Ambulatory, stairs descend to the Chapel dedicated to St. Helena.

A From The stairway walls are covered with small crosses carved over the centuries

by Armenian pilgrims as testimony to their people’s devotion to the Cross.

In 327, Empress Helena, Constantine’s mother, came as a pilgrim to Jerusalem and wished to search for the Holy Cross. The historical account narrates the discovery of three crosses in an ancient cistern, together with nails (one of which is incorporated in the Iron Crown kept in the Cathedral of Monza, another is in the Duomo in Milan, and a third is in Rome) and the titulus – the tablet or plaque which, at the request of Pontius Pilate, gave the reason for the condemnation in three languages (a fragment of this is kept in Rome, at the Church of the Santa Croce). A miracle allowed the Cross of Christ to be identified. The chapel has three naves, with four columns supporting the dome, and dates back to the twelfth century; it is the property of the Armenians.

Historical sources and archaeological excavations confirm that the hall was already used in some manner as part of Constantine’s project. The chapel is adorned with hanging lamps, in the Armenian style.

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of the Finding of B Chapel the Cross

Descending further – and this is the lowest point of the entire church – one reaches the rock-cut Chapel of the Finding of the Cross. The traditional spot of the discovery of the relics is set off by railings. The walls preserve faint traces of 12th century frescoes, while on the ceiling tool marks can be seen on blocks from the ancient stone quarry. The plaster on the walls, made from a hydraulic material rich in ash commonly used at the time of Christ, is evidence that this underground area was at that time used as a cistern.

a wall from Hadrian’s time located behind the apse of the Chapel of St. Helena, probably dating from the second century. The graffiti, depicting a boat with the inscription Domine Ivimus, “Lord, we have come”, is the oldest known testimony of a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre. Since the area is not open to visitors, to see it one must request permission from the Armenians.

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of St. Vartan C Chapel In the 1970s a graffiti was found on

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Traces of the Constantinian Complex

of St. a Hospice Alexander, traces In the Russian

One can get an idea of the dimensions of Constantine’s constructions by seeking their traces in the area surrounding the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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of constructions from the time of Constantine and of Hadrian’s forum have been found.

Traces of the entrance to Constantine’s Martyrium can be seen in the backroom of a confectionery shop on the west side of the Souk (Arab market).

the Coptic Monastery it C From is possible to

descend to the cistern. The deepest parts of the old quarry had been used as cisterns for providing water to Jerusalem.

Where the Mar-

once rose, D tyrium today is the Ethio-

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Passing through two chapels owned by the Ethiopians, we come again to the Parvis, the courtyard leading into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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pian Monastery, made up of small cells that can be seen on the roof of the Chapel of St. Helena.

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1. Parvis (courtyard) 2. Crusader bell tower 3. Chapel of the Franks 4. Entrance 5. Stone of the Anointing 6. Chapel of the Crucifixion 7. Altar of Our Lady of Sorrows 8. Chapel of Calvary 9. Chapel of Adam 10. Place of the Three Marys 11. Rotunda (Anastasis) 12. Edicule 13. Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea 14. Altar of Mary Magdalene 15. Chapel of the Apparition 16. Greek Choir or Katholikon 17. Omphalos 18. Arches of the Virgin 19. Toilets 20. Prison of Christ 21. Chapel of St. Longinus 22. Chapel of the Division of the Holy Robes 23. Chapel of Derision 24. Chapel of St. Helena 25. Chapel of the Finding of the Cross 26. Chapel of St. Vartan

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Key

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The Passion of Jesus in an engraving from 1629

The garden next to Calvary

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oday it is difficult to imagine what the site looked like almost two thousand years ago. Monuments and constructions have radically transformed this area that in the first century was located outside Jerusalem. One also has to keep in mind the changes that have taken place over the course of the centuries in this city, which since the fourth century has been the focal point of the history of the Holy Land, as well as the cause of numerous long wars.

The fact that interest in the site has never waned has led to the near universal acceptance among archaeologists and historians of the account handed down by the Christian tradition, that the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth took place here.

To get a better idea about this site, we should start by re-examining the information the Gospels provide us concerning the place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of the Lord. The Gospels call it the Place

From quarry to garden Today, as a result of archaeological discoveries, we are able to have a reasonably precise idea of the topography of Calvary. The 1961 restorations opened archaeological trenches in various points of the church. From these trenches it is now known with certainty that the area served as a stone quarry from the eighth to the first centuries BC. Evidence of the quarry, of meleke limestone, is provided by the incisions in the rocks made by quarrymen that can be found throughout the whole area, from the present-day Christian Quarter Road to Souk Khan el-Zeit; such traces are also visible in the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross.

The quarry was abandoned in the sec-

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“Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock” (Matt 27:59-60).

The entrance to the tomb was sealed with a stone: “He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away” (Matt 27:60).

From the accounts in the Gospels, some scholars have drawn the conclusion that the tomb was of the type known as arcosolium (with a burial bench or shelf): “But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been” (John 20:11-12).

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of the Skull (Golgotha in Aramaic, kraniou topos in Greek, calvariae locus in Latin). The descriptive term “mount” was not employed until the fourth century, after the surrounding rock had been cut away, with the rock of the crucifixion left as an isolated knoll about six meters high.

In the Gospels, Golgotha is simply referred to as a place. “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull” (Mark 15:22).

“So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:16-17).

A place called Golgotha identifies both the location where the Cross was raised and the garden: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden” (John 19:41).

Golgotha was outside the city, but sufficiently close so that people walking by were able to read the inscription that Pontius Pilate had ordered to be put on the cross: “Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek” (John 19:20).

In the garden there was a new tomb that had been excavated in the rock: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41).

The tomb in which Jesus was laid belonged to Joseph of Arimathea:

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ond century BC and the area was then used for small gardens, while tombs were hewn in the steep rocky walls.

A shaft-type tomb – said to be that of Joseph of Arimathea – can still be seen today behind the Chapel of the Syrians. Its presence shows that in the first century the area was still outside of Jerusalem, inasmuch as the Jewish religion did not permit burial inside the city.

The archaeological evidence indicates that Jesus’ tomb was cut out of an isolated spur of this quarry. The tomb had a low opening, and to enter it would have been necessary to almost get down on one’s knees. After the narrow passageway one reached a vestibule that led to the burial chamber. Here a single burial bench in the form of a shelf had been cut out of the right wall (viewed from the entry).

It is likely that Joseph of Arimathea intended to complete the family tomb by excavating two additional benches on the west and south sides of the tomb, but the events of Holy Week undoubtedly disrupted his plans.

The construction of a new city wall

by Herod Agrippa (King of Judea, 41-44 AD) included this area within the new perimeter of the city. The Christians of Jerusalem celebrated at the Holy Places the memory of the great events. As a result of the disorder that preceded the First Jewish Revolt (66-70 AD), the Christians left Jerusalem for refuge in Pella of the Decapolis. The rebellion ended in a bloodbath. When the Second Jewish Revolt led by Simon Bar Kokhba

broke out in 132 AD, the Roman Tenth Legion stationed in Palestine once again intervened, with the result being the total subjugation of Palestine and the dispersion of the Jews (Diaspora). Jerusalem again underwent a complete transformation.

Ælia Capitolina To prevent any resurgence of Jewish nationalism, Emperor Hadrian founded a new city, Aelia Capitolina – Aelia in his own honor (his nomen, or clan name, was Aelius) and Capitolina because it was to have a Capitol for honoring the Roman gods – where all memory of the Jewish and Christian presence was to be obliterated (the Romans did not distinguish very clearly between the two religions).

The area of Golgotha, at the center of Aelia, disappeared under the new monumental constructions, but the memory of the sites was handed down by the non-Jewish Christian community that remained in the city. St. Jerome wrote in 395: “From the time of Hadrian to the reign of Constantine, a period of about one hundred and eighty years, a statue of Jupiter stood on the site of the Resurrection, while a marble statue of Venus was placed by the pagans on the rock of the Cross and became an object of worship. The authors of this persecution thought that by defiling the holy places with idols, they could take away our faith in the Resurrection and the Cross.”

The era of Constantine

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Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Madaba Mosaic Map

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deaux recorded having seen in Jerusalem a hill called Golgotha located “a stone’s throw” from where the body of Jesus had been buried.

After the discovery, Constantine’s architects developed a new project that included a mausoleum to protect and exalt Christ’s tomb.

To erect the imposing complex of structures, the saddle part of the hill then known as Gareb was further excavated, on the north and west sides. The tomb, now separated from the quarry, no longer resembled a cave, and was referred to instead as the “Edicule” – the small structure, enclosing the tomb, that had been erected at the center of a vast space on which rose the majestic mausoleum of the Anastasis, the only Roman Christian mausoleum.

The spur of Calvary, further reduced in size, was left open to the sky and enclosed within a colonnaded atrium (the Triportico, for its three porticos) which occupied the space between the Anastasis and a new large basilica, the Martyrium: “The larger church is called Martyrium because it is at Golgotha, behind the Cross, where the Lord suffered the Passion”, explained the fourth century pilgrim Egeria.

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n 325 the Bishop of Jerusalem, Macarius, requested and obtained from Emperor Constantine the commitment to destroy the pagan temples that had been constructed over the Holy Places. During the removal of the material that had been massed together by Hadrian to level the land in the area, Jesus’ tomb was discovered. Eusebius of Caesarea described the surprise of the discovery: “Little by little the underground site was uncovered, and contrary to all expectation, the revered and most sacred testimony of the Savior’s resurrection was revealed, and this most holy of caves itself presented a faithful similitude of the Savior’s return to life. Thus, after having been buried in darkness, it again emerged to light and provided to all those who came to see it a clear and visible proof of the wonders that had been wrought there, testifying by evidence louder than any voice to the resurrection of the Savior.”

The surprised tone shows that the discovery had not been foreseen.

It is likely that only the location of Calvary had been handed down, the spur of the hill being too high to have been completely flattened.

Eusebius doesn’t indicate how the tomb was identified as that of Christ; some believe that it may have been through the presence of Christian graffiti.In 333 a pilgrim from Bor-

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1. Mausoleum of the Anastasis 2. Edicule over the Tomb 3. Triportico 4. Spur of Calvary 5. Martyrium Basilica 6. Cistern of the discovery 7. Eastern atrium 8. Cardo Maximus The majestic mausoleum of the Anastasis was inaugurated in 336 (the general layout can still be recognized today). On the eastern wall of the immense apsidal (semicircular) structure, eight doors led to the Triportico, above each a

window stretched skywards; in the interior, alternating columns and pillars provided support for the gallery, crowned by a dome with a circular opening at the top (oculus).

In addition to the stream of light entering via the dome, light filter-

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The Constantinian Complex

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ing from the large windows created beautiful patterns on the preciously adorned Edicule, which housed the Lord’s tomb. Inside the Edicule, in contrast, Constantine wanted no adornment, because nothing could embellish the rock that testified to

Christ’s resurrection.

The entire complex, from the eastern atrium (courtyard) on the Cardo Maximus to the Anastasis, was developed along a 150 meter axis within the confines of Hadrian’s forum.

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The Church of Jerusalem took over the care of the complex, as is confirmed in accounts of pilgrims. In 1896, in the floor of a Byzantine church in Madaba, a sixth century mosaic map depicting the lands between Lebanon and Egypt was discovered. The city of Jerusalem dominates this magnificent mosaic, with the structures of the Holy Sepulchre at its very center.

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HISTORY

The Persian invasion The splendor of the Constantinian structures lasted three centuries. On 20 May 614 Jerusalem was conquered and plundered by Persian invaders.

Once the fury of the devastation, killing and deportations had finally ceased, an edict issued in 622 allowed reconstruction to begin. The restoration was initiated by Abbot Modestus, working with only scarce means and in an uncertain political situation, and drawing on the support of the Christian community. One of the new features was enclosing Calvary within a church.

In 638 Palestine was conquered by the Arabs. Caliph Omar took possession of Jerusalem peacefully.

When he visited the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, he deliberately did not pray inside, so as to avoid having the entire complex turned into a mosque; he did, however, spread out his cloak to pray in the eastern atrium of the Martyrium, which then became reserved as a place for prayer for Muslims. In this manner the Christians lost their principal

access to the church. As the centuries went by, the Arab domination became increasingly hostile.

At the beginning of the ninth century a violent earthquake damaged the dome of the Anastasis. The church was set on fire in 841, in 938 and again in 966.

The destruction of al-Hakim “They seized all the furnishings they found in the church and completely destroyed it, leaving only those things whose destruction would have been too difficult. They also destroyed Calvary and the church of St. Constantine and all that was located within its confines, and they tried to destroy the sacred remains.

This destruction began on Tuesday the fifth day before the end of the month of Safar in the year 400 of the Hegira.”

Yahya ibn Sa’id, Arab historian

In 1009 Caliph al-Hakim ordered the governor of Palestine to destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and to ensure that all traces of it permanently disappeared. Christians were prohibited from visiting the Holy Sepulchre and praying in its ruins.

In 1014 Hakim’s mother, a Christian, began the reconstruction of the church destroyed by her son. In 1021 a peace treaty with Constantinople allowed overall restoration works to begin, and these were completed during the reign of Emperor Constantine Monomachus. Given that it was impossible to rebuild the entire complex, the Rotunda and the chapels commemorating the Pas-

The Crusader transformation

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he Crusaders conquered Jerusalem on 15 July 1099. It was their intention to restore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to all its previous splendor. The Crusaders came up with the idea of joining together the sanctuaries and chapels spread throughout the area by constructing a church, in Romanesque style, at the site of Constantine’s Triportico. The Rotunda was connected by a triumphal arch to the new church, which was set off by columns and pillars. On its upper level it was provided with a gallery, while an ambulatory encircled its lower level. The arms of the transept were asymmetric, with the aisle

HISTORY

the ceiling , above the tribune. The dome of the church is not closed by a stone vault but is in fact made up of wooden beams in a truss form.

In this way the church has a natural opening at the top. The Holy Tomb is located under this open dome.”

During this same period, the exacerbation of the doctrinal and political conflict between Rome and Byzantine culminated, in 1054, with the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches: the division between Catholics and Orthodox that continues to the present day.

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sion were restored, while the Triportico and the Martyrium Basilica were abandoned. The Rotunda was enriched with mosaics.

The Russian abbot Daniel, who visited Jerusalem prior to the Crusader reconstruction, left us this description: “The church of the Resurrection is of circular form and is supported by twelve monolithic columns and six pillars. The floor is made of beautiful marble slabs. It has six entrances, and tribunes with twelve columns. Bright mosaics of the holy prophets can be found on

1 3

2 10

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HISTORY

4

7 9

known as the Arches of the Virgin to the north, and the Chapels of Calvary to the south. In the eastern extremity of the building, and opening onto the Ambulatory, three oratories were built to commemorate events of the Passion. From the Ambulatory, stairs

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descended to the Chapel of St. Helena and the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross. With the loss of the atrium which had opened onto the Cardo Maximus, a new “front� for the structure had to be created, and this was constructed facing the south

The Crusader Church

6. Chapel of the Finding of the Cross 7. New entrance 8. Chapel of the Franks 9. Parvis (courtyard) 10. Bell tower

HISTORY

1. Dome of the Rotunda 2. Edicule over the Tomb 3. Crusader Dome 4. Chapels of Calvary 5. Chapel of St. Helena

5

courtyard (Parvis). To enhance the courtyard, in the northwest corner an imposing five-story bell tower was erected. The new facade contained a separate ceremonial entrance to Calvary via the Chapel of the Franks.

The basilicas were further embel-

lished with mosaic decorations. The new Church of the Holy Sepulchre was consecrated on 15 July 1149, the fiftieth anniversary of the conquest of Jerusalem. A Latin hierarchy for the church was re-established.

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6

HISTORY

Decadence

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Crusader capitals on the facade

In 1187 Jerusalem was reconquered

by Saladin’s army and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was closed.

Through an agreement with the emperor in Constantinople, a Greek hierarchy was reestablished. Catholics, the so-called Franks or Latins, were readmitted during brief truces, only to be expelled again during the brutal Khwarezmian invasion in 1244, when Christians were attacked and slaughtered, and the church was once more seriously damaged. The pilgrim Thietmar wrote in 1217 that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the site of the Passion “are without lamps and without honor and worship, and always closed except when opened to pilgrims on payment of fees.”

Faced with protests from the Christian world, the sultan apologized to Pope Innocent IV, saying that the devastation had been carried out without his knowledge. And he guaranteed that, once the damages had been repaired, the keys would be entrusted to two Muslim families who would open the Church whenever pilgrims arrived (a

situation that continues to the present day). It was a dark period, and unscrupulous officials mocked the wish of the Christian community to have access to the church. Pilgrims, after payment of a tax, were allowed to enter the church and were given a place and a special altar where for several days they could participate in ceremonies performed in their own language.

During this period, Christian colonies from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Armenia, Ethiopia, Syria, Greece and Georgia were established in Jerusalem. The Georgian Queen Tamara obtained an exemption from the tax for her community and permission for it to live in the church. Monks received food and offerings through openings that had been cut out of the door of the church.

The sanctuary gradually decayed.

Western rulers, having lost the chance to recover the Holy Places by force of arms, entered into negotiations with the sultans to guarantee Catholic worship and aid to pilgrims. Success was achieved by the royal family of Naples, who in 1333 obtained the right of residence for the Latin community in Jerusalem.

The Franciscans at the Holy Sepulchre

HISTORY

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St. Francis and his fellow friars supporting the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre, engraving from 1724

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n 1342 Pope Clement VI confirmed the Franciscans, present in the Holy Land since 1335, as the official guardians of the Holy Places. Since that time Franciscan friars have occupied the Chapel of the Apparition of the risen Jesus to his Mother.

Fra Niccolò da Poggibonsi, who visited the Holy Land between 1346 and 1350, described the situation within the Holy Sepulchre: “At the Altar of St. Mary Magdalene the Latins are officiating, namely, the Friars Minor, who are of us, Latin Christians; because in Jerusalem and everywhere overseas – in Syria, in Israel, in Arabia, and in Egypt –there are no clerics, priests or monks, other than the Friars Minor and these are called Latin Christians.”

The Russian Archimandrite Grethenios made reference to the fact that within the church, closed throughout the year with the exception of Easter celebrations and pilgrimages, there was permanently a Greek, a Georgian, a Frank (i.e., a Friar Minor), an Armenian, a Jacobite (Syrian) and an Ethiopian priest.

It was a period of relative calm: the different Christian communities at the Holy Sepulchre managed to celebrate Holy Week services together, including the Palm Sunday procession.

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HISTORY

Under Turkish domination In 1517 the center of power in the Islamic world shifted from the Mameluke dynasty in Egypt to the Ottomans in Turkey. The Sultan, who resided in Constantinople, favored the Greek Orthodox Church, and this led to a great deal of friction between the Greeks and the Latins. An earthquake in 1545 caused the collapse of part of the bell tower. Money and palace intrigues transformed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre into a trophy to be given to whoever offered the most. Between 1630 and 1637 several parts of the church changed hands more than six times. In 1644, the Georgians, unable to maintain the required tax payments, left the church, and shortly thereafter, the Ethiopians also departed.

The Franciscans managed to acquire areas that had been abandoned by the other religious communities. In 1719, after long negotiations, the Franciscans began to restore the dome of the Anastasis. Due to their fear that the works would be interrupted senselessly before completion, more than 500 workers were employed, watched over by 300 soldiers. The dome and the tympanum were redone with blind windows, but the mosaics, which had been too badly damaged, were lost. The Armenians repaired the staircase to the Chapel of St. Helena, and the Greeks tore down the unsafe levels of the bell tower. The Edicule was restored in 1728.

A decree of the Sultan in 1757 assigned to the Greeks ownership of the churches at Bethlehem, the Tomb of the Virgin, and, jointly with the Latins, of parts of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Since that time there have been no further substantial modifications in the ownership of the Holy Places.

The last time the Holy Sepulchre was opened

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n 1555 Boniface of Ragusa, the Custos of the Holy Land, obtained permission to restore parts of the church and to build a completely new Edicule. This was a major restoration project, and the Franciscan left a detailed description of the work carried out. For the first time since 1009, the rock bench on which the body of the Savior had been laid was seen by human eyes. Boniface described the momentous event in a letter:

The Edicule as reconstructed by Father Boniface, according to an old engraving

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“ T

here appeared clearly before our eyes the tomb of the Lord that had been cut out of the rock, in which images of two angels could be seen, one carrying an inscription that said “He is risen! He is not here!”, while the other, pointing to the Tomb, proclaimed “Here is the place where they laid him”. The images of these angels, immediately upon coming in contact with the air, vanished almost completely.

When, out of urgent necessity, we had to remove one of the alabaster slabs which covered the tomb, placed there by St. Helena in order that the holy mystery of the Mass could be celebrated at that spot, there appeared before us that ineffable site where for three days the Son of Man had rested; ut plane coelos apertos videre tunc nobis, et illis, qui nobiscum aderant omnibus vider-

emur. The site, wich had been soaked with a mixture of the sacred blood of Lord Jesus and the ointment with which he had been anointed for burial, and where light as brilliant as the sun glowed in all directions, was revealed to us and venerated together with those present, with spiritual joy and tears.

At the center of the Holy Place we found a piece of wood that had been placed there, wrapped in a precious cloth. No sooner had we taken this reverently in our hands and affectionately kissed it, than with its first exposure to the air the cloth vanished from our hands, leaving behind only a few of its gold threads.

On that precious piece of wood there were several inscriptions, but they had deteriorated so much with age that not a single complete phrase could be made out, although at the beginning of one, the following words in Latin capital letters could be read: HELENA MAGNI...”

HISTORY

Sub Paulo Quarto, et Carolo Quinto Imperatore invinctissimo, anno a Christo nato millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo quinto, XXVII Augusti, hora XVI

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HISTORY

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in an engraving from 1728

A new beginning

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n 1808 a fire caused considerable damage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Permission to repair the church was obtained by Russia on behalf of the Orthodox Church. The works, directed by the Greek architect Nikolaos Komnenos, were far-reaching: in the Rotunda, the Edicule over the tomb acquired its present Eastern aspect, the columns were enclosed within massive pillars, and the circular ambulatory was closed off with partitions; in the Crusader basilica, the Katholikon was walled off, thereby cutting off light to the side aisles and the Ambulatory. To make way for new staircases to Calvary, the sepulchral monuments of Godfrey de Bouillon and Baldwin I were removed as were, more generally, all Latin and Crusader decoration.

A powerful earthquake in 1867 dam-

aged the dome of the Anastasis, which was replaced by a metal structure.

Another earthquake devastated Palestine in 1927. In 1934 the British Mandatory Power, which administered Palestine, reinforced the church with iron girders and wooden supports, leaving the monument completely disfigured. The dome, obscured by a giant scaffold, was no longer visible from below.

In 1954 the three principal religious communities – the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate – presented to the Jordanian Government a common

Paul VI on a visit to the Greek Orthodox Partriarch Benedictos, 4 January 1964

report on the need to carry out restoration works on the facade, the transept, and the dome of the Rotunda. The works began in 1961.

On 2 January 1997 the new dome of the Anastasis was inaugurated. The decoration of the dome consists of 12 golden rays, representing the 12 Apostles, each dividing into three streams of light, symbolizing the Trinity. The light enhances the mother-of-pearl background that sparkles with stars as light passes through the dome. This background is a representation of the biblical description of the luminous cloud that was a symbol of the Divine presence.

Beneath the light that penetrates the transparent lantern of the dome, the precarious state of the Edicule is all too apparent: it is still enclosed by metal girders so as to avoid collapsing under the weight of time.

The unity of the religious community must find the courage and the force to face the tremendous work that will be required to restore the Edicule. Any further delay would be irresponsible in this area that is so subject to earthquakes. It is well understood today that the Persians and al-Hakim cannot be blamed for the deteriorated condition of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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t is very symbolic that, despite the weight of history and the numerous difficulties, the Christians, unfortunately divided, are working together to restore this Shrine which they themselves built in unity, while their divisions allowed it to decay.�

HISTORY

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READINGS

Altar of Calvary

The Death on the Cross

Let us focus our attention on Calvary, the focal point of the Crusader church. This preserves for us half of the Paschal mystery, that part which is painful and meritorious: the crucifixion and death of Christ, new Adam and our destiny of salvation and glory.

The meaning and message of Calvary we can learn only from the school of the Word of God, without which we can know nothing and can see only clouds and confusion.

The word Calvary comes from Latin.

It is a translation of the Hebrew term Golgotha, which means “skull”. The name was due to the appearance of the site, an ancient abandoned quarry filled with rough-hewn rocks.

Today Calvary is located within the walls of Jerusalem, but at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion “the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:17) was outside the Holy City. This is confirmed both by John, who says that it “was near the city” (John 19:20), and by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, who offers a theological explanation for the torture suffered by Jesus outside the city: “Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate the people by his own blood.

Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come” (Heb 13:12-14).

The Cross Jesus died on the Cross which he himself had carried, helped by a certain Simon of Cyrene, symbol of the disciple who carries the cross behind Jesus.

READINGS

CALVARY

Name and location

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F

or Christians, Jerusalem has a heart: the church containing Calvary and the Tomb of Christ. These are memorials of the last events of the earthly life of the Lord, who was made man for our salvation, died, and on the third day rose again, according to the Scriptures. They are Holy Places of Christ supremely Just One, declared by the holy Fathers to be the center and navel of the earth, the sources from which man receives salvation and life. These two Holy Places are interlinked and inseparable, as is the Paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which was fulfilled, and is continuously fulfilled.

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The Cross was a post with two overlapping beams. In the second century St. Irenaeus of Lyon gave it the following symbolic meaning: “The incarnate Word, suspended from a tree in order to redeem us and give us life, brought together the two peoples, Jews and pagans, through the extension of the arms. For there were two arms because there were two peoples scattered to the ends of the earth, but at the center there was but one head.”

The death on the Cross, endured by the Lord for love of us, was, in the words of the historian Eutychius, the most horrible of deaths. This was also how St. Clare of Assisi looked upon it: “Contemplate the ineffable charity with which he chose to suffer on the wood of the Cross and die there the most shameful kind of death.”

The time Jesus was crucified at noon and died at three in the afternoon. It was a Friday, the eve of Passover, on the 13th of Nisan, probably Friday 7 April 30 AD. It was the time, according to the Jewish ritual, in which all fermented things had to be removed from the house to make way for the unleavened bread of Passover. For the New Testament, these rituals were symbols of the Christian mystery: the sacrifice of Jesus, our Passover Lamb, marked the beginning of the new and eternal alliance between God and man.

The scene Calvary is the altar of the world. Christ crucified is both priest and victim of the sacrifice by which the work of

redemption was accomplished. Everything on Calvary revolves around the Crucified One, Lord of nature and history. Everything and everyone acquire meaning from him: his Mother, the pious women, John, the crucifiers, the bystanders, humanity and the entire creation. We are now in the fullness of time. The Cross is the beginning of the ascension into Heaven, John Paul II said. The Cross is the throne of Christ victorious over all the forces of evil: “Regnavit a ligno Deus” – God has ruled from a tree – in the words of the traditional hymn, echo of the Scriptures and the Fathers.

His victory is our victory. Let us make the choice that the good thief did. Let us look at the Crucified One as he did, with humility and faith, and we will finish by surrendering ourselves to the power of his love, by loving him, by invoking his help. In this way we will be saved.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR jesus’ DEATH Jesus’ death had been decreed at the trial carried out by the Sanhedrin and submitted to the decision of the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate.

Indirectly, those responsible for this death are all sinners, that is, all humanity since all have sinned, each person according to the measure of his own sins. Everyone because, like those who were there, we should beat our breasts and look upon him whom we have pierced. The New Testament also refers to the responsibility of the devil and his angels, whom Paul called the

rulers of darkness of this world, and whom he considered to bear the prime responsibility for the crucifixion of our Lord. There is another reason for the death of Jesus, one more profound and decisive than the preceding ones: the merciful love of God the Father, a love that has no why and is the why of all things. God saved sinful humanity out of pure love, because he is merciful.

This is the fundamental truth of the Revelation. The redeeming love of God the Father was shared with, and demonstrated perfectly by, the Son: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This supreme love is his, and Jesus proved it to us here, on Calvary, shedding his blood for us to the last drop. Truly “love crucified the Good Shepherd”, as St. John Climacus observed.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEATH “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He himself bore our sins

in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pet 2:21,24). The death of the crucified Christ serves as an example for us and is our salvation.

It demands to be shared through the faithful accomplishment of our daily duties of sacrifice, prayer, work. No one can exempt us from this, nor be exempted himself. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27), “is not worthy of me” (Matt 10:38).

Let us welcome the call of the Spirit: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:1-3).

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Altar of the Chapel of the Crucifixion

The Words of Jesus on the Cross

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READINGS

The Crucified one was now weak and exhausted but still found the force to speak to us. Each of the seven words on the Cross represents a summary treatise of the Gospel.

They are words of salvation and life that no reading, no matter how penetrating it might be, can ever exhaust.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

St. Aelred commented: to pray for them was too little, he wished also to make excuses for them. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They are great sinners but with little understanding. Jesus is the good brother who teaches us by example to love everyone, even our enemies, for like us they are also sons of the Father who is in Heaven.

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

This is Jesus’ reply to the penitent thief. A single word full of faith saved the thief, remarked St. John Climacus. Truly, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord will be saved.

“Woman, behold your son!”

Mary is given as mother to every single individual and to all mankind, John Paul II explained. It was an act that expressed the gratitude and trust of the Son in his Mother who brought him up. Jesus gives her to us in order that we may all be made in the image and likeness of the Firstborn Son. “Behold, your mother!” Jesus, the friend, having given us his heavenly Father, also leaves us his Mother so that we may share in his filial blessedness.

“I am thirsty.”

Jesus is making a link to the Old Testament, fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 69.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

At the height of his agony, Jesus cries out loudly, uttering the words of the most messianic of the Old Testament psalms. John Paul II commented: “There was a moment of desolation when Jesus felt without support and defense on the part of everyone, even of God.”

Chapel of Calvary, detail of the Crucifix

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“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

“Jesus died as Son. He died in perfect harmony with the Father’s will, for the purpose of the Father’s love which had been assigned to him and which the Son well knew” said John Paul II. The Master is a unique model: after having taught us with his life how to live, with his death he taught us how to die.

Meek and devoted Son of God the Father, he was obedient to him unto death, even the death of the Cross, and loved his brothers and sisters to the point of giving his life for them.

READINGS

“It is finished.”

It is the voice of the obedient Son, a voice full of humble pride. The Son of God, always meek and humble, can say that he did the works of his Father, as had been announced in the Scriptures: the salvation of the world through the sacrifice of his own life. The disobedience of the first Adam brought about the fall of humanity; the obedience of the new Adam saved it and continues to save it.

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READINGS

The Deposition, Chapels of Calvary

The new tomb

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believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was crucified, died and was buried.”

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very Sunday and holy day, when Christians renew their profession of faith, they proclaim with these words the event and the mystery of Jesus’ death and burial. This article of our faith has a firm basis in the texts of the New Testament.

The Gospels describe with care and love the last act of the human story of Jesus, the taking down of his body from the Cross. It may appear strange that the Gospel authors have gone into so much detail describing the passion, death and burial of Jesus. Since these were traditions

The four Gospels are consistent in their descriptions of the burial, at the conclusion of long and dramatic accounts of the passion and death of Jesus, and as a prelude to his resurrection. At the narrative level, these descriptions provide continuity between the death and the resurrection, and they depict an atmosphere of serene expectation following the great tension that characterizes the accounts of the Passion.

In each of the four Gospels, there is the request made to Pontius Pilate

by Joseph of Arimathea for Jesus’ body, and Pilate’s approval.

John indicates that Nicodemus brought an enormous quantity of myrrh and aloes. According to the

READINGS

IN THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS

Synoptic Gospels, Joseph took Jesus’ body down from the Cross and wrapped it in a linen cloth.

John states that Joseph and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus and bound it in burial cloths with aromatic spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Again, each of the authors describes the burial in a new tomb carved out of rock, belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. The burial took place in a garden near the site of the Crucifixion, and Joseph rolled a large stone to seal the entrance to the tomb. Present at the scene were the women who had witnessed the death of Jesus. According to Luke, they were the ones who prepared the spices and perfumed oils, and they then observed the Sabbath rest.

These events unfolded rapidly, shortly before sunset: night was approaching and with it the beginning of the Sabbath rest.

This brief account can be further enriched with additional details transmitted by the authors of the Gospels. Thus John makes reference to the piercing of Christ’s side, an event of enormous significance, and conveys the information that the Jewish authorities took a particular interest in the burials of Christ and of the other two condemned men. It was necessary to rapidly remove the bodies of the condemned in order not to compromise the sanctity of the Sabbath, which in this particular case was the special Passover Sabbath. This also explains why the Jewish authorities asked the Roman prefect to hasten the death of the

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and writings that originated from a community, and from authors who believed in Jesus’ resurrection, the thought comes to mind that the opposite should have occurred, that in the light of Jesus’ resurrection, his passion and death would have been minimized as mere incidents.

Evidently in a perspective of faith this is not the case. The passion and death represent not a defeat, but rather the culminating point of the glorious struggle of Jesus, and the burial is an essential moment in the story of the Son of God made man.

Its function is to testify for all time, against those who would seek to deny it, to the reality and the truth of his death.

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READINGS

Deposition and Lamentation of Christ, Entrance Hall mosaics

condemned men and to remove their bodies (cf. John 19:31).

This detail is in accordance with the Book of Deuteronomy, where it is said that the burial of a person condemned to death must take place before sunset.

In addition, a celebrated passage from the Talmud says that Jesus was hung on the eve of Passover. Matthew speaks of sealing the tomb and posting guards there, while in all four of the Gospels the discovery of the empty tomb is described.

Undoubtedly not all of the details of the narratives have the same weight, and the differences suggest that the authors of the Gospels were not seeking to provide a minute description of all the events that took place. Nevertheless, scholars have provided numerous and important confirmations of the historical reliability of these accounts, which are supported also by the results to date of the scientific investigations carried out on the Shroud of Turin.

THE SECRET DISCIPLES Following Jesus’ death, one might have expected representatives of the Jewish authorities to have carried out the removal of Jesus’ body from the Cross and its subsequent burial in a common grave reserved for Jewish wrongdoers. In the event, things worked out differently: at this point the Jewish authorities disappear, and Jesus’ friend, Joseph of Arimathea, enters the scene. Thus far unknown to the reader of the Gospels, he was to become a wellknown figure to the earliest Christians.

Joseph of Arimathea is the key character in the whole episode.

The Gospel accounts present him as someone of great importance in social and religious terms: a man of wealth and an important member of the Sanhedrin, who did not agree with the decision against Jesus, who was waiting for the kingdom

ory and veneration of all Christians.

The two disciples certainly could not have imagined that they would thereby receive the same promise made by Jesus to the woman of Bethany who had anointed his head with perfumed oil. “Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of, in memory of her” (Matt 26:13).

The Church of Jerusalem and the Christians of the Holy Land commemorate Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus each year on 31 August.

THE BURIAL

READINGS

There is no description in the Gospel accounts of the removal of Jesus from the Cross, and only bare elements are given on how the body was prepared for burial.

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of God, a disciple of Jesus. John also brings onto the scene a second notable disciple, who teams up with Joseph. This is Nicodemus, who at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry had come to visit him at night, and had received from him the proclamation of the new life from above.

These two illustrious characters, members of the Sanhedrin and secret disciples of Jesus, moved by the supreme proof of love of their Master, come out of the shadows invested with an extraordinary courage.

They openly show themselves to be disciples of the Crucified One and each offers him a gift: Nicodemus, precious spices and perfumes for anointing, and Joseph, his new tomb.

The authors of the Gospels have entrusted them forever to the mem-

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READINGS

Burial of Jesus, Entrance Hall mosaics

Regarding the former, one can assume that Joseph was assisted by others. Concerning the preparations for the burial, we can draw both on the information provided in the Bible and what is known from ancient Jewish sources.

According to these sources, the preparatory rites normally included closing the eyes, binding the jaws, combing the beard and hair, washing and anointing the body, covering the face with a cloth (sudarium); then followed the funeral procession for transporting the body to the tomb, with feet and hands bound.

Were all of these measures carried out? The Gospels are silent on most of these points, and in view of the exceptional situation it seems likely that things were done in haste.

The Gospel authors give particular attention to aromatic spices and clothing. Mark and Luke speak of spices and perfumed oils being used in the burial of Jesus, while from John it would appear that the perfumes were solid ones. In fact, in this fourth Gospel, the only one that makes reference to Nicodemus, John mentions an exorbitant mixture of one hundred (Roman) pounds – about 33 kilograms – composed of myrrh, an aromatic resin, and aloe, a perfume, undoubtedly with the aim of showing that the dead person was truly king, as had been written on the tablet attached to the Cross, and as he had been treated. Moreover, the tomb used for Jesus was new,

as was customary for the burial of a king.

Aromatic spices were sprinkled on the body and between the folds of the clothes, ensuring their adhesion with the linen bandages, and were also left beside the body. It is difficult, relying solely on the Gospel texts, to get a precise idea of the burial cloths and their number. Normally the principal fabric consisted of a proper mortuary tunic, or of a piece of sufficiently precious linen, that was used to wrap the deceased’s body, which had to be totally covered.

Jesus’ body was then laid in the tomb which, the authors of the Gospels tell us, was a new one, carved out of the rock, and located in a garden not far from the site of the Crucifixion. The tomb was closed by rolling a stone in front of its entrance. At the time

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of Jesus the poor were buried in the earth; Jesus received the burial that only the rich were entitled to.

The group of women made up Jesus’ funeral procession which, in view of the proximity of the tomb to the site of the crucifixion, must have been very short. Christian piety has always seen Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as one of these women, ready to welcome the Son to her heart as an ultimate act of piety.

The women serve above all as witnesses: they have followed Jesus from Galilee to Calvary, they have seen him die on the Cross and now they are watching the tomb: they will be the first to see him risen, receiving from him the command to proclaim the Easter message to his disciples.

In the burial of the Lord’s body, faith and Christian piety have seen not only an act of love on the part of the disciples, but also the proof that the Son of God incarnate did indeed assume a mortal body and suffer death. This is why the liturgy, arts and literature, both Eastern and Western, have never ceased to contemplate and celebrate this moment. In Jerusalem, in the late afternoon of Good Friday, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christians of the Holy Land and pilgrims from all parts of the world gather together to relive, in an atmosphere of great emotion, this event in Jesus’ life.

The Franciscans lead a solemn and evocative commemoration of the Deposition from the Cross, the Anointing and the burial of Jesus.

No less evocative are the celebrations of the Greek Orthodox priests and of the other Christian communities. Every Friday, the Church spread throughout the world commemorates the burial of its Lord, with the words of the night prayer: “All-powerful God, keep us united with your Son in his death and burial so that we may rise to new life with him, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.”

READINGS

IN THE LITURGY

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READINGS

Jesus’ Resurrection

In the hymns and sequences Christian communities organize worship and profess their faith. The prayers and hymns of these communities consist essentially in the message of Christ dead and risen. The exegetes have identified many of these ancient formulas disseminated throughout the New Testament, particularly in the letters of St. Paul.

Let us cite one, from the First Letter to the Corinthians. In the Corinthian church, influenced by Greek concepts, some denied the resurrection of the body, thus calling into question the

Christ Risen, Edicule, Chapel of the Copts

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In the Acts of the Apostles The oldest account is found in Peter’s speeches in the Acts of the Apostles. In the second chapter, Peter explains Pentecost, a phenomenon internal to the community of Apostles which manifested itself to the people through the sound of a great rushing wind, and by their ability to speak in different languages. Peter explains that the Apostles were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, as had been foreseen by the prophet Joel. The great day of God has come through Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified, but God raised him from the dead, as David prophesied in Psalm 16. The Psalm in fact doesn’t speak of David, since he died and was buried, and his tomb is still with us today. But David foresaw the resurrection of Christ, who was raised and seated at the right hand of God, and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit which he poured on us, as you see and hear. The conclusion to Peter’s speech is clear: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Let us review the essential points of this speech and of the others that followed. The central message is the resurrection of Jesus, of the Crucified One, whom the people knew well. The Apostles are witnesses to this before the people of Israel. The descent of the Holy Spirit is the consequence of the Resurrection.

God God has fulfilled out the ancient promise by raising Jesus who is Lord and Christ, the Messiah. The future has already begun.

The message is strictly God-centered: it is God who has awakened, or raised, Jesus from the dead. The Christology is ancient: Jesus is a servant of God, the faithful servant described by the prophet Isaiah. But the faith is now certain: Jesus is said to be the Messiah, Lord; in other words, God. The message consists in the fact that God raised Jesus. And, in this manner, God has carried out his plan for salvation, as he had promised. This is how the reflections of the Apostles are to be viewed in the light of the Scriptures.

Peter’s speech to Cornelius, in Acts chapter 10, provides details found in the earliest tradition: Jesus was raised on the third day; for several days he revealed himself to selected witnesses; he commanded them to preach to the people so that they might repent and believe.

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Biblical exegetes tells us that the accounts of the Resurrection in the New Testament were composed at different points in time.

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Christian faith itself. Paul cites a traditional teaching, in a formulation that was certainly older than the letter itself written in 56 AD: “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles� (1 Cor 15:3-7).

The oldest Gospel can be summarized, therefore, in four words: died, buried, raised, appeared. And it specifies: for our sins, according to the Scriptures, the third day. The appearances are important because they represent eyewitness testimony; and, it is emphasized: some of the witnesses are still living.

Among those who saw the Risen One, the only ones specifically cited here are the 500 brothers and James, Bishop of Jerusalem. The account speaks of appearances to Cephas and the other Apostles, that is, to the official envoys of the early Church. The women are not named, although they played an important role in the Gospel accounts.

The ancient formulations used here likely reflect the Jewish legal tradition in which they were conceived, and which did not recognize testimony given by women.

In the Gospels The Gospel of Mark was likely writ-

ten between 67 and 70, Luke between 75 and 80, Matthew between 85 and 90 and John towards the end of the first century. The exegetes posit a common written source for Matthew and Luke that preceded Mark. This means that before the Gospels were written, partial accounts of Jesus’ words and deeds were already circulating for the use of the community. The Gospel authors used the already existing materials, and it is certainly true that they did not sit down and write all their accounts together in the same room! Each composed his Gospel by choosing elements from the oral and written traditions, organizing his text in a manner consonant with the needs of his own community and environment, and according to his own conceptions and aims, guided throughout by the Spirit of the Risen One. For this reason one can find differences between the various Gospels. Only a careless reader might think that the Gospel authors were all saying the same things. To deny everything on account of these differences would be unjust. To try to reconcile everything at all cost, as on occasion has been attempted in the past, would be equally unjust. Today the exegetes take note of the differences and seek as far as possible to explain them within the general framework of the individual Gospels. When this is not possible, they leave the problem unresolved. Moreover, the development of different traditions can easily be understood, taking into account the fact that Christian communities were physically far apart, and that communications were difficult: these were the years of the

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Thomas and the miraculous catch of fish, after which Peter is commanded

by Jesus to feed his sheep. The author of the Gospel of John expresses a more advanced theological reflection on the events that he recounts. This can be seen in the appearances to Mary Magdalene and to Thomas. Jesus is the same person that they have known, and yet they do not recognize him. Mary Magdalene, when she sees Jesus, thinks that it is the gardener. She knows that Jesus is dead and therefore tries to find out where they have laid him, for he is no longer in the tomb. The text of John repeats the phrase “she turned around – she turned”. Many exegetes do not like this repetition. Is it an addition, or have two versions of the account been interwoven? In fact, this is precisely the point of the account. The Gospel author makes Mary turn two times to Jesus because she must recognize him twice: first, as being the Messiah who is dead and has been buried; then, as the Risen One. In other words, as the same and as different.

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Jewish Revolts which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion (Diaspora) of the Jews. Viewed in this perspective, the differences, which concern relatively minor details, serve primarily to highlight the agreement on the essential elements of the teaching and life of Jesus. Reading the accounts of the Resurrection in parallel allows us to identify various key points.

For Mark, the essential element is the angel who announces, in the name of God, that Jesus has risen. In contrast with the other Gospels, here the women, out of fear, do not tell anyone what they have seen. For Luke, all of the appearances take place in Jerusalem on the day of the Resurrection. Luke emphasizes the fact that Jesus explained the Scriptures to the Apostles, and opened their eyes so that they would understand that “Christ had to suffer these things, and so to enter in his glory”; for “It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” In addition, the disciples of Emmaus recognized him as he was breaking bread: Christ Risen was recognized by the Word and the Eucharist.

In Matthew, there is an echo of the debate with the Jews. The fact that the tomb had been found empty was indisputable, but the Jews spread the rumor that Jesus’ body had been stolen by the disciples.

Only in John’s Gospel, we read about the story of Peter running to the tomb with another disciple (only hinted at in the Gospel of Luke), the appearance to

Resurrection, Franciscan Sacristy

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Pious women at the burial, Chapel of the Angel

The Crucified One is alive: Mary Magdalene understands this when she hears herself called by her name: “Mary!”.

Alive in his body, but his existence is no longer an earthly one and the relation with him will be different: “Touch me not”. “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live” (John 14:18-19), Jesus had promised before he suffered. And in fact Jesus has returned, risen, to be with the disciples, albeit in a different manner than before: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

In the story of Thomas, Jesus’ statement – “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29) – holds true for us, as it already was true for the Christians for whom John was writing.

Thomas should not have needed to see the Risen One, but should have believed those disciples who, having seen him, told him this.

In the letters of Paul The reflections on the resurrection of Jesus are further developed in the letters of Paul. Reflections that were stimulated, in Paul, principally by two compelling reasons: the Resurrection is the central element of Christian faith; in its absence, faith is empty and cannot save. We have seen that the disciples themselves did not immediately believe; some of the Corinthian Christians found it difficult to accept that the dead could be resurrected with their bodies. In the last century, Jesus’ resurrection was held to be a fable by so-called liberal scholars, who claimed that only what is verifiable by man can be accepted as true. But the resurrection of Jesus, as the greatest act of God in human history, cannot possibly be verified by man. It is anti-historical to deny the Resurrection solely on the ground that it cannot be scientifically verified, and it is logically impossible to seek “scientific” proof of it, inasmuch as faith in the Resurrection will never be the result of human proof. As then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in 1985: “The Risen One cannot be seen like a piece of wood or stone. He can be seen only by the person to whom he reveals himself. And he reveals himself only to the one whom he can entrust with a mission. He does not reveal himself to curiosity but to love.”

Let us also bear in mind that research in the past century has confirmed that many of these so-called “fairy tales” are actually based on fact. They are messages that recall for us that the Son of God, the Lord of history, is forever the good shepherd who does not disdain to seek out the “Thomases” of our time.

The Liturgy of Jerusalem

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Referring to the Sunday liturgy celebrated in the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, Egeria wrote: “Now as soon as the first cock has crowed, the bishop arrives and enters the cave at the Anastasis; all the doors are opened and the whole multitude enters the Anastasis, where countless lights are already burning.

And when the people have entered, one of the priests says a psalm to which all respond, and afterwards prayer is made.

Then one of the deacons says a psalm and prayer is again made. A third psalm is said by one of the clergy, prayer is made for the third time and there is a commemoration of all. Then censers are brought into the cave of the Anastasis so that the whole basilica is filled with odors. And then the bishop, standing within the rails, takes the book of the Gospel, and proceeding to the door, himself reads the narrative of the Resurrection of the Lord. After the reading of the Gospel the bishop goes out, and is accompanied to the cross by all the people with hymns. There another psalm is said and prayer is made. Then

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erusalem is the City of Light and Resurrection. The Risen Christ became for all the light of life, joyful light, infinite life.. This is a real truth, not only an ideal. It is a reality because the Lord is alive forever and extends his Resurrection, in a special way, to those who celebrate its memory at the same place and at the same hour that the historical event took place: when night is vanquished by light, death by Resurrection. This happens here, in Jerusalem. The empty Tomb is a sign of the fulfillment of the Paschal mystery. The first Christians already came to this site, moved by the gratia orationis (“grace of prayer”), as the pilgrim Egeria noted in the fourth century. “But what above all is very pleasant and admirable here – wrote Egeria – is that the hymns, the antiphons, and the lessons, as well as the prayers which the bishop says, are always relevant and appropriate both to the day and place of celebration.” The celebrations in which she participated are being renewed today by the Franciscans, based on research into sources identified by the Vatican Council.

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ut what above all is very pleasant and admirable is that the hymns, the antiphons and the lessons are always relevant and appropriate both to the day and place of celebration.”

Egeria

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the bishop blesses the faithful and the dismissal is made.”

In their renewal of the Sunday vigil celebrations of Lent, the Franciscans of the Holy Land can be said to be reviving, with simplicity and joyous understanding, the ceremony performed sixteen centuries ago by the Christian community of Jerusalem, as faithfully described

by Egeria.

Every Saturday of Lent at 23.30, the Franciscan Community, led by the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land, comes down to the Basilica of the Resurrection. The Vigil is held in the Chapel of the Apparition and begins with the procession of the celebrating ministers carrying the Holy Gospel, accompanied by incense and candles. The Book of the Gospel, symbol of the presence of Jesus Christ, Word of God, is then solemnly placed on the altar. After the Invitatory Psalm – which prepares the community for conversion, for hearing the Word of God, and praising the Lord – and after the hymn evoking the Lenten period, comes the singing of the Psalmody. Following each psalm and antiphon, there are moments of silence in order to give space for private contemplation, followed by a prayer. The texts are chosen from the old Spanish liturgy, which has strong echoes of the ancient liturgy of the Mother Church of Jerusalem. Then follows the proclamation of the readings and three canticles from the Old Testament. At this point of the Sunday vigil, the most characteristic element of the Jerusalem liturgy is introduced, since it is particularly relevant and appropriate to this site: the commemoration of the Resurrection. The Assem-

bly leaves the Chapel of the Apparition and, holding lighted candles symbolizing the light of Christ Risen, goes to the tomb of the Lord, with the Father Custos carrying the Evangeliarium (Gospel Book) and the deacons incensing it. During the procession the assembly sings the antiphon: “The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it, alleluia, alleluia.” The Tomb and the Evangeliarium are then incensed. At the end of this celebration the assembly returns to the Chapel of the Apparition, where the Custos – following the liturgy described by Egeria – proclaims the Gospel of the Resurrection. The vigil concludes with the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, and the solemn acclamation of the Risen Christ with the Kyrie eleison.

The Paschal character of the ceremony is evident throughout: in Jerusalem, in the Basilica of the Resurrection it is always the Passover of the Lord. The empty Tomb is witness to it, the Gospel proclaims it: “The Lord is truly risen!”.

And as the Franciscan community leaves the basilica, the Greek Orthodox priests begin their Eucharistic liturgy, accompanied by a marvelous choir of Russian nuns who bring to mind the myrrh-bearing women on Easter morning. They too proclaim the Gospel of the Resurrection, as later in the evening will the Armenian Orthodox priests. And in this way, while the night is at its halfway point, there is a step towards unity in the proclamation of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and living eternally, who overcomes and transcends all divisions.

The Status Quo

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he Status Quo is a collection of historical traditions and influences, of rules and laws, which establish the relations, activities, and movements that are carried out in those parts of the church where ownership is shared by different Christian denominations.

For centuries, the different Christian communities have lived side by side under Islamic domination, despite their profound differences in dogma, ritual and language. The Franciscans, who have been in the Holy Land since 1335, had over time acquired ownership of numerous places within the Holy Sites, and from 1516 to 1629 were in fact the largest owners.

Following the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, the Greek Patriarch, who had thereby become a subject of the Ottoman Empire, was granted jurisdiction over all Greek Orthodox adherents throughout the Empire. With the Turkish conquest of Palestine in 1516, this jurisdiction expanded to include the Orthodox Christians of the Holy Land.

From that point, with the approval of the Ottoman Sultan, the Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem were Greek.

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In 1622, at a time of bitter conflict between the Western powers and the Ottoman Empire, a dispute arose over the ownership of the Holy Places.

The Franciscans, vulnerable to accusations of being spies for foreign powers, were placed in a difficult position, and in order to protect their rights had to appeal to the ambassadors of the European powers. The Greeks had the support of Russia, and the Holy Places became almost a traded commodity, particularly in the period from 1690 to 1757. In the first half of the 19th century, the alliance between Turkey and Russia had direct consequences on the question of the Holy Places, and in 1852 the Sultan promulgated the Status Quo nunc, freezing the conditions existing at the moment of the agreement, as had been sought by the Greeks.

The Status Quo was confirmed as a legal instrument and continues to the present day as the sole frame of reference for resolving litigations and disputes. In the absence of official texts, notes of a private nature have to be relied on, often leaving the legal situation confused and uncertain.

Two Muslim families have the privilege of guarding the door of the church, which is opened according to a Nightly ceremony of the closing of the church

schedule agreed to by the three largest religious communities. At the end of the First World War, with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and with the Holy Land becoming a British Mandate, the problems of the Holy Places became international ones. The Mandatory Power was unwilling or unable to act, and the Jordanian Government, which succeeded it in 1948, continued the same policy. The United Nations intervened on numerous occasions, naming commissions and pleading for the internationalization of Jerusalem, but without achieving any concrete results.

At present, the three principal communities – Greek, Franciscan and Armenian – have managed to reach an understanding for the restoration of the church. The restoration works, which began in 1961, continue to the present day, albeit at a relatively slow pace.

The Religious Communities at the Holy Sepulchre

FRANCISCANS It is the Friars Minor who have the mandate to protect the Holy Land which Jesus consecrated by his presence. This is a special mission that has been entrusted to them by the Holy See since 1342, as a legacy of the prophetic visit of St. Francis to the sultan of Egypt in 1219.

The Franciscans at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre celebrate daily the Roman Catholic liturgy and provide assistance to the pilgrims who throng the Shrine. Their life here is regulated by the liturgical functions of the various hours of the day and night. The Status Quo sets forth how, when and where the different religious communities are to take turns for praying, regulating

not only the liturgical calendar but also most of what takes place every day, month and year.

The Franciscans begin their celebration of Mass after the Armenians, at four in the morning, and conclude their services with a solemn community Eucharist at the Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre at seven in the evening. For other prayers, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is used. Between four and five each afternoon (an hour later in summer) the Franciscans lead a procession throughout the Shrine, incensing the altars and chapels. The evocative ritual, with groups of pilgrims joining in, commemorates with hymns, antiphons and prayers the moments of the passion, death, burial and resurrection of the Lord.

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nd Providence decreed that, alongside the brethren of the Eastern Churches, for Western Christianity it would be the sons of Francis of Assisi, the saint of poverty, gentleness and peace, who in truly evangelical style would give expression to the legitimate Christian desire to protect the places where our spiritual roots are found.”

John Paul II

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GREEK ORTHODOX

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The Greek Orthodox Church has been present in the Holy Land for 1,700 years, as the direct descendant of St. James, the first bishop of Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem considers itself to be the Mother Church of the Holy Land, with its own Katholikon (cathedral) lying at the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Orthodox Church celebrates its prayers, services and holidays according to the Byzantine tradition and following the Julian calendar. Among the most ancient Orthodox liturgies is the Ceremony of the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday.

ARMENIANS The Armenian nation, the first to embrace Christianity as a national religion, has been present in Jerusalem since the fifth Century. The Chapel of St. Helena belongs to the Armenians. Their services are celebrated using the ancient Armenian language.

COPTS The Copts are the descendants of the first Christian community in the Nile Valley (the term Copt means Egyptian). A tradition holds that they arrived in Jerusalem with St. Helena in the fourth century. In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Coptic Orthodox Church has possession of the altar attached to the rear of the Edicule of the Tomb, where each Sunday the mass and liturgy are celebrated in Coptic, the language of Egypt before the spread of Arabic.

SYRIANS

The Ethiopians (or Abyssinians) represent the first Christian country in Africa. Their community, imbued with the monastic spirit, during Medieval times enjoyed considerable rights in Jerusalem that were lost during the Ottoman period.

Today a small community of monks lives in poverty in cells on the roof above the Chapel of St. Helena.

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ETHIOPIANS

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The Syriac Church of the Antioch rite is the direct heir to the ancient JudeoChristian Church, and today represents Syriac-speaking Christians of the East.

The language of its liturgy is Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Since the eighth century one of its archbishops has resided in Jerusalem. The Syrians own the chapel in the west apse of the Rotunda.

Information Opening and closing times of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Summer: 5.00 - 21.00 daily. Winter: 4.00 - 19.00 daily.

Sunday Mass Summer: 5.30 - 6.00 - 6.30 (Solemn Mass in Latin) - 18.00 Winter: 4.30 - 5.00 - 5.30 (Solemn Mass in Latin) 17.00

Weekday Mass Summer: 5.30 - 6.00 - 6.30 - 7.00 7.30 (Solemn Mass in Latin), Saturday 18.00 Winter: 4.30 - 5.00 - 5.30 - 6.00 6.30 (Solemn Mass in Latin) - 7.15, Saturday 17.00

Daily Procession Summer hours: 17.00 daily; Winter hours: 16.00 daily.

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The passage from summer to winter hours is regulated by the corresponding official time in Israel, and for this reason we suggest that this be confirmed with the church or the CIC – Christian Information Centre (located inside Jaffa Gate, opposite the Citadel, tel +972 2 6272692 - www.cicts.org) – where one can obtain information regarding all of the services of the various Christian communities at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Acknowledgments: The Studium Biblicum Franciscanum for access to the archive of plans, texts and designs; Marie Armelle Beaulieu for iconographic research; Paola Pozzo for developing the models of the church; Irene Boschetti, Osvalda Cominotto and Silvana Tassetto for text editing.