Israel’s deputy foreign minister has issued an apology to the Coptic Orthodox Church after a Coptic priest was beaten by police during Holy Saturday observances at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Police confronted pilgrims outside the church on May 4, as thousand of Christians arrived for Easter celebrations, according to the Orthodox calendar.
As the police broke up the crowds in the narrow streets, Father Arsanios, the 85-year-old head of the Coptic Church in Ramallah, was beaten and temporarily lost consciousness.
The priest was treated at a local hospital and released, but a video of the incident circulated quickly on the Internet.
According to The Times of Israel, three high-ranking Egyptian diplomats were evicted from the church during the liturgy.
The apology from Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Ze’ev Elkin, came after Israel’s ambassador in Cairo was summoned by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and given a “strongly worded” complaint.
The leaders of the Christian churches in the Holy Land had issued a statement which said: “We, the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, watched with sorrowful hearts the horrific scenes of the brutal treatment of our clergy, people and pilgrims in the Old City of Jerusalem during Holy Saturday [in the Julian calendar] last week.
“A day of joy and celebration was turned to great sorrow and pain for some of our faithful because they were ill-treated by some Israeli policemen who were present around the gates of the Old City and passages that lead to the Holy Sepulchre.”
The heads of churches also condemned all “measures and violations of Christians’ rights to worship in their churches and Holy Sites” and urged the Israeli authorities to allow “full access to the Holy Sites during Holy Week of both church calendars”.
Following a directive from the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, within two years all Eastern Catholics and the Latin Patriarchate in the Holy Land will officially adopt the Julian calendar date for Easter.
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Image: CNEWA