12 September 2023

Mr Secretary General,

Dr Khouri,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We bring you greetings from the holy city of Bethlehem. Our gathering today at the Headquarters of the World Council of Churches, where we have this exhibition of the restoration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, gives us a unique opportunity to reflect upon the significance of Bethlehem and this great church.

The exhibition shows the renovation of the church building itself and the beauty of the mosaics, the columns, and the different types of tiles and crafted wood. It is of crucial importance that this unique architectural structure be carefully and faithfully preserved, but the basilica is more than a building of historical or artistic interest, and Bethlehem is more than just another city.

We venture to suggest that Bethlehem and its basilica must be understood in three aspects.

The first and obvious aspect is its place in history. There has been a church on this site since the early 330s and the present structure dates from the reign of the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It was one of the first of the Holy Places to be reconstructed by the Emperor Saint Constantine and his mother Saint Helena, and it is the oldest complete church in the Christian world. The Rum Orthodox Church has been the guardian and servant of this church from its very foundation, and has been a witness down the ages to the embodiment of our common sacred history in the region and to the divine-human encounter. For here the divine Logos was revealed.

The second aspect to understand is the theological significance.

Your Nativity, O Christ our God,

has shone to the world the Light of knowledge; for by it, those who worshipped the stars

were taught by a star to adore You,

the Sun of Righteousness,

and to know You, the Dayspring from on High. O Lord, glory to You!

As the hymnographer writes,

There is a rich theological and spiritual depth to Bethlehem and the basilica which is inexhaustible. Bethlehem is the city of peace and righteousness where the Sun of Righteousness shines. Bethlehem is the “house of bread” where the One who feeds the world with the Bread of Life was born. This basic human need of physical and spiritual nourishment is at the heart of the message of Bethlehem

Lastly we must mention the universal aspect. Bethlehem and the basilica are signs of hope not just to one community or Church, but to the whole human family without distinction. Pilgrims of all faiths and none come here every day, drawn, as the Magi of old were drawn, by a star of hope in their hearts. A star of hope for a better world. A star of hope for that peace “which passes understanding” (Phil. 4:7). As we struggle to preserve a vital and vibrant Christian presence in the Holy Land in the face of a resurgence of radicalism and hatred in the society, and as our world is plunged deeper and deeper into confusion and despair, the universal spiritual vocation of Bethlehem and the Basilica has never been more urgent. The Church of the Nativity is no mere archeological site or museum: it is a living witness to hope and to light and to life.

All this is the heritage that the Churches, and especially the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, have energetically guarded and preserved for all humanity throughout the ages.

It is in the context of all these reflections that we thank the World Council of Churches for highlighting the restoration of the Church of the Nativity by hosting this exhibition. In this way we demonstrate our fellowship within the WCC and it brings to the attention of the member Churches the importance of solidarity with the Christian community of the Holy Land. And we recall today with gratitude that the Patriarchate of Jerusalem was among the earliest supporters and participants in the work of the WCC. More personally we are mindful of the time we spent here as a young priest, representing the Patriarchate at the highest level of the work of the WCC.

Your support for this work of restoration is all the more significant when we realise that the Church of the Nativity is a symbol for us all of the unity of the Christian family for which the WCC exists and for which we all fervently pray. For in the church are important mosaics, now revealed and restored, of the Seven Ecumenical Councils with their inscriptions in Greek and Latin of the decrees of the councils.

We wish to take this opportunity to thank you, Mr Secretary General, and your distinguished team, for putting on this exhibition and for hosting us. We would also like to express our gratitude to the team who carried out the renovation work, and pay tribute to the collaboration between the three communities to ensure that the work could be completed. Most of all, we convey our appreciation to His Excellency the President of the Palestinian State, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, who took the initiative and who has been instrumental in the restoration work and who continues to show concern about preserving the Church of the Nativity, which is a symbol of hope and peace and a symbol unity and co-existence for the Palestinian people, both Christian and Muslim.

May God bless you, Mr Secretary General, and the mission of the World Council of Churches, and may God bless all the peoples of our beloved Holy Land.