The Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher Has Reopened After Closing in Protest

The tomb of Christ inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher
At 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher reopened its doors, after remaining closed for two and a half days in protest against the Israeli authorities.
Although no final decision has been reached, the government decided to postpone the tax collection and the study of a proposed law on land ownership. A team led by the Minister of Communications, Tzachi Hanegbi, has been given the mission of opening discussions in order to find a solution for the dispute between the State of Israel and the Christian communities.
The Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian communities that run the sanctuary together announced this epilogue on Tuesday evening:
We give thanks to God for the statement released earlier today by Prime Minister Netanyahu and offer our gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly to uphold the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
In an interview with Le Figaro on February 26, the Custos of the Holy Land, the Catholic guardian of the basilica that stands on the site of Calvary and Christ’s tomb, explained the position of the Christian communities and reproached the Israeli authorities with not “respecting” the Christian presence in the Holy Land. Brother Francesco Patton also declared that the Christians “do not refuse to pay taxes on principle”, but that “relations with the authorities are governed by a status quo that dates back to the Ottoman era and was by turns respected by the British, Jordanians and the State of Israel.”
The Brother also explained:
Our movement is not directed against the State of Israel, but it is time for its leaders to take stock of our contribution to local life. In the Old City of Jerusalem alone, the Custody of the Holy Land puts more than 300 homes at the disposal of Christian families who, for the most part, cannot afford rent. We fulfill a mission which, if we were not there, would weigh on the municipality. This reality must be taken into account in the reflection on the taxation of churches.
Hopefully it will be today, and the discussions with the government and municipality of Jerusalem will be successful.
In the meantime, the thousands of pilgrims and travelers from all over the world who found the doors closed to them and had to be content with praying on the church steps can once again enter to visit Christ’s tomb.
Sources: lefigaro.fr / aleteia.org / afp / FSSPX.News – 3/1/2018