El Rey de Jordania
Abdullah II financiará la restauración de la tumba de Cristo en Jerusalén, es
la iglesia del Santo Sepulcro.
Radio vatican - Sección Ingles.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II to restore Jesus’
Tomb
Bishop William Shomali, Latin Patriarchal Vicar
in Jerusalem, warmly welcomed the decision of King Abdullah: “This is excellent
news, news of a highly symbolic character, since the Holy Sepulchre is the most
sacred place for Christians of all confessions. This decision shows the
kindness of the King towards Christians and his constant concern to preserve
the heritage of Christianity, including his role as guarantor of the Holy
Places, Christian and Muslim, Jerusalem, according to the Wadi Araba agreement.”
Jordan’s Royal Court informed the Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem of the “makruma” (Royal Benefaction) in a letter
addressed to His Beatitude Theophilos III on 10 April. For his part, the
Orthodox Patriarch praised the generosity of King Abdullah, recalling how His
Majesty remains the faithful guardian and custodian of Muslim and Christian
Holy Places of Jerusalem.
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the
Latin Custody of the Holy Land announced during Holy Week that restoration
works on Christ’s Tomb would begin soon after the Orthodox Easter solemnities.
The Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Basilica of the Resurrection, has been
the holiest site of Christian pilgrimage since the 4th century. The Latin
Patriarchate of Jerusalem reports that the restoration work was needed because
scientific studies had revealed grave problems of moisture from the
“condensation of the breath of visitors,” and oxidation due to candle smoke.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem says the
aedicule, the place of burial and Resurrection of Christ, will be the object of
the restoration. It has remained
untouched since 1947 when the British put in place steel support beams as part
of a restoration project that never took place. The funds offered by His
Majesty for the project will be entrusted to a Greek team led by Professor
Antonia Moropoulou of the National Technical University of Athens.
The three main Christian denominations that
worship at the Church include the Greek Orthodox, Latin and Armenian
Churches. All have agreed to cooperate
for the realization of the restoration effort.