Unholy dispute over sewage spoils Easter at the site of Christ's tomb

A fierce inter-denominational dispute over precedence at what Orthodox Christians believe is the Easter miracle of Holy Fire is holding up desperately needed repairs to the 122-year-old lavatory block at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the focal point of Christianity.

The latrines at the church in Jerusalem are currently emitting an acrid stench because of a blockage in a gradually descending drain that takes waste under the adjacent Coptic monastery.

Plans are being drawn up for a wholesale restoration of both the lavatories - originally constructed for monks living in the Church but now also used by the visiting and worshipping public - and the drainage system to prevent the frequent blockages.

But their implementation requires agreement between the three predominant communions at the church, Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox. The Armenians have so far refused to give their consent without a resolution of the conflict with their Greek Orthodox counterparts over precedence at the Holy Fire ceremony, which takes place at 2pm today.

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists will continue to converge this weekend on Holy Sepulchre, traditionally held to be on the site of the Crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of Jesus, for this ceremony which has been conducted for more than 1,000 years. The crowds have been increased because the Orthodox and Catholic Easters fall at the same time this year.

While confirming that it has imposed a "temporary delay" on the comprehensive restoration plan, the Armenian hierarchy says the immediate blockage could be resolved if the Coptic monks were not refusing to allow Jerusalem municipality engineers emergency access to the sewage pipe.

The Copts are demanding a private stall in the lavatory block - of the sort long enjoyed by their Greek Orthodox and Armenian colleagues - in return for allowing the access needed to clear the blockage. The three dominant communions have refused the demand, saying it would upset the delicately balanced 150-year-old "status quo" agreement which governs the frequently rivalrous relations between the six denominations represented in total at the church.

Fr Athanasius, a spokes- man for the Franciscan monks at Holy Sepulchre, said yesterday that pilgrims had complained several times about conditions at the latrines and that some visiting overseas Diocesan representatives had offered to fund the restoration. "There is no problem about money," he added.

He said that three years ago a blockage created an overflow of sewage that backed up into the Franciscan section of the Church, where the monks have their own separate bathroom facilities. He said that methane from the waste had tarnished silver in the Franciscan sacristy after the overflow, which took some three months to overcome. Fr Athanasius added: "We obviously need to deal with this. This is one of those issues that are so fundamental to human dignity that you just have to agree to do what is needed."

Israeli police are expected to maintain heavy security today at the church. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, accompanied by an Armenian priest, is due to enter the darkened shrine containing the supposed remains of Christ's tomb. A few minutes later they are due to emerge simultaneously with candles lighted by what both Orthodox traditions hold is the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit. The fire is then used to light thousands of candles held aloft by worshippers. The dispute is over whether the Greek Patriarch, who has historically entered the inner chamber first, should, as the Armenians contend is traditional, allow his fellow cleric to leave it ahead of him.

Police were called to quell brawling in 2002 when the then Greek Orthodox Patriarch Irineos tried to leave the inner chamber first. The Armenian Archbishop Aris Shirvanian said yesterday that the following year Patriarch Irineos had "physically blocked the entrance of our representative into the Holy Tomb". The Armenian priest was forced to wait in the outer chamber and then enter later to light his candles.

The Armenians complain that the Israeli government and the high court have failed to respond to a petition seeking enforcement of what they insist is the traditional status quo. This year they have refused an appeal by the police to allow the Irineos-imposed system to prevail.

Archbishop Shirvanian said that Armenians had drawn up their own plan for modernising the lavatory block and added that the veto might be lifted after the immediate Easter crisis was over.