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Patriarchal Jerusalem.
By Uncle Monty.
Patriarchal Photos
By Alex Albion.
***
From the Wailing Synagogue of Saturday, I then
went the next day of Sunday to the Armenian
Patriarchate's Cathedral of Sts. James at
the Eternal City of Jerusalem.
...
From Orthodox Rabbis, I then went to Orthodox
Christian Archpriests. From no music at the syna-
gogue, I then went to choral hymns of Orthodox
Christianity.
...
From the presence of no women inside the synagogue,
I then went to the cathedral packed with praying
ladies. From the deeply rabbinical atomsphere, I
then went to the ancient rites and liturgies and icono-
logies of the patriarchal eminence of His Beatitude,
Archbishop Torkom Manoogian II, Patriarch of
All-Jerusalem, giving his important ecclesiastical
and religious presence at the Solemn High Mass.
...
The Patriarch of All-Jerusalem,
His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian II.
The Armenian Orthodox Rite.
+
The three-hour long service of the archbishop's was highly
ritual with perhaps 10 other clergy assisting the him in the
preparation of the Holy Eucharist. Berobed in his archie-
piscopal vestments of patriarchal signifiance and splendour,
His Beatitude could at times be hardly seen thru the dense
incense that prevailed like "holy fog" inside Jerusalem's
Cathedral of Sts. James.
+Throughout the service, folks just walked in and out almost
like it was a shopping centre instead of a House of Worship.
The Armenian priests and seminarians were mostly stiff
and unfriendly with their demands not to talk or to take
pictures. Much of what they demanded was pretty well
ignored by most worshippers and non-worshipper alike.
When one of the priests started to remonstate with me
about taking photographs, I told him he must be silent
and not to talk loud as he had demanded earlier of me
and others. He looked at me like daggers, but he finally
reckoned he needed to first shut his own mouth up
before constigating others. Frankly, some of the
Armenian seminarians looked more like thugs
than future men of the cloth.
+
Cloated Orthodox Priests In Attendence.
+
An Armenian Bishop.
The Episcopal Seal of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The Armenian Patriarchate is one of the Holy Keepers of
the Holy Places in the Holy Land that dates back from
the earliest times of Orthodox Christianity. "The Church
of Jerusalem was chronologically the first Church in his-
tory, and the first bishop of that Church was St. James,
called 'the Brother of the Lord" in the gospels. In AD
381, the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople accorded
the honor fit to the See of Jerusalem equal to that of Rome
and Constantinople, so that the occupants of the See were
called 'Patriarchs.'" states the Armenian Patriarchate
literature in English that I found available inside
the Cathedral.
+
Wide View of the Eternal City of Jerusalem.
+
Elsewhere At Jerusalem, A Greek Orthodox Priest.
+
After the Cathedral of Sts. James, I ventured the next day
to visit Jerusalem's Christ Church that is the oldest Pro-
testant Church in the Middle East. It isn't Anglican for
Christ Church had little semblance to Historic Angli-
canism. It was a mix of mild Wesleyanism and Evan-
gelicalism. I didn't attend any services there since I
wanted only to visit the church and its guesthouse
that is situated just across from the old Eternal
City's Tower of David. See the image below
of the interior of Christ Church's guest house.
+
At Jerusalem's Christ Church: The Oldest
Protestant Church in the Middle East.
+
Overall, I so enjoyed Religious Israel and not its politics
and seizure mentality that is seen everywhere inside the
Jewish State and especially with its outrageous injustice
and ill-treatment of the Palestinians. Visiting The Wailing
Wall was for me the real highlight of my Middle East trip.
I shall always remember, too, sitting inside the secret
Wailing Synagogue that for me as an English Anglican
was rare for a non-Jew to experience upfront like I
did. My encounters inside Palestine was also a
journey of discovery for me, if not in a religious
sense then certainly in a social and political sense
for sure. Standing at Bethlehem was an affirmation
of my personal Christian faith, although the city
itself I found rather depressing with the Israeli
30ft high security barricades and gun towers.
Surely, Christ must cry!! I almost did ...
+
Overall, I so enjoyed Religious Israel and not its politics
and seizure mentality that is seen everywhere inside the
Jewish State and especially with its outrageous injustice
and ill-treatment of the Palestinians. Visiting The Wailing
Wall was for me the real highlight of my Middle East trip.
I shall always remember, too, sitting inside the secret
Wailing Synagogue that for me as an English Anglican
was rare for a non-Jew to experience upfront like I
did. My encounters inside Palestine was also a
journey of discovery for me, if not in a religious
sense then certainly in a social and political sense
for sure. Standing at Bethlehem was an affirmation
of my personal Christian faith, although the city
itself I found rather depressing with the Israeli
30ft high security barricades and gun towers.
Surely, Christ must cry!! I almost did ...
+
The Ever Present & Ever Ready Israeli
Defense Forces (IDF) At Jerusalem.
+
I have now returned to complete this latest story of mine
- Patriarchal Jerusalem - at this morning after posting
the outline yesterday. I've been so tied up since
getting back from the Middle East. So thankz for
being patient with my original delay. I hope you
all have a good day, today ...
+
RABBINICAL JERUSALEM. By Uncle Monty.
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Faithfully, Uncle Monty.
+3rd Sunday After the Epiphany, 2012.
+
~ Church Brawl ~
On the same day I was in Bethlehem, the Christmas cleaning
of the Church of the Nativity turned into fistfights and scuffles
"between rival Christian clerics zealously guarding denomi-
national turf at the holy site," reported Associated Press.
"Brooms and fists flew inside the church, which marks the
birthplace of Jesus, as some 100 priests and monks of the
Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches brawled.
Palestinian police rushed in with batons flailing to restore
order." No one was arrested, "Because all those involved
were men of God," noted one of Palestine's top copz
Lt. Col. Khaled al-Tamimi.
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Feedback & Comments
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Bugger Off! By Uncle Monty.
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