Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old Walled City, Jerusalem. June 2016
Ground Zero
For years I had observed other people's pilgrimages with fascination. I visited the four holy sites of Buddhism. I saw the burning ghats in Varanasi (Kasi) where many Hindus hope to end their lives. I visited the great Shinto shrines of Japan that hold the imperial regalia. I saw Muslim pilgrims at Jeddah airport kiss the ground after exiting the terminal. Now it was my turn.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem is down a narrow, unmarked street and not easy to find. St Peter's Basilica [see: St Peter''s] in Rome by contrast has a HUGE avenue and Egyptian obelisk pointing the way. This old church, founded by St Helena [See: St Helena], is down a narrow alley that opens onto a small square. The church is smashed in among other buildings and is no longer a free-standing structure. The square is filled with pilgrims (mostly tour groups) and the entry is non-descript. I must admit, my first impression was "Is this really it?"
The interior is so holy and so hotly contested that different sects of Christianity control different parts of it and BARELY cooperate with each other. In fact, during the Ottoman Era the church in-fighting was SO bad that the Muslim ruler of Jerusalem took the keys from the priests and gave them to a prominent Muslim family. That family has had the responsibility of opening and locking the church door for centuries ONLY BECAUSE the Christians inside fought too much amongst themselves. Many of my friends should contemplate that scenario for a millisecond. The holiest ground in Christendom's key masters are Muslims (and it is a job of pride and prestige for that family).
The interior is dark as there are buildings all around the church plus ancient churches had few windows to start with. The air is thick with the smell of incense, people, and RELIGION. Up to the right upon entry lead stairs to a balcony of sorts with a long queue of people waiting. This is "Golgotha", the hill where the cross of Jesus' crucifixion stood. These days, one can reach down in a hole to touch the stone on which the cross rested. I passed on that - the line was too long. Just below was a marble slab where Jesus' body was anointed before being taken to the tomb. That stone is rubbed with all sorts of items which I assume are being taken as cherished relics to friends and family back home. There would be a story in what people rub on that stone alone.
Walk around to the left and one enters a large room with a small chapel inside. The light was shining in gloriously on my first visit (it was otherworldly). This is the Chapel of the Resurrection where the Tomb of Jesus is located. That queue was enormous. I was disappointed to say the least. I explored more of the church instead - some basement levels where I am sure other miraculous stuff happened. I also noted sections of the church were closed off and in poor repair. Again, that in-fighting amongst the "owners" of the church led to the place barely holding itself together. It is incredibly serious stuff, too - the disagreements. Perhaps someone's cross was too large or their vestment the wrong color. These are religion-defining issues for sure! (eye roll)
Since I was in Jerusalem for about a week, I figured I would return when the church first opened (being an early riser). I came back another morning and it was far less crowded. The cross queue was still too long! However, the tomb queue was reasonable. We shuffled forward. I was there with some Indonesian and South Asian Christians. Everyone was given a few seconds inside the tomb and could touch the place the body of Christ was laid out. The priest barked at everyone nonstop to keep it moving (somewhat diminishing the experience). The man who was with me in the tomb (a tiny space) also barked at me that we had to leave. I chuckled to myself. Here I was in the very burial crypt of Jesus Christ hearing shouts of "get in and get out, keep moving". It was something less than religious.
My recommendation for anyone? Go with a guide! That church is filled with history and every stone seemingly has a story. If not, you might have to be satisfied with just the big three (cross, anointment stone, and tomb) like me. I visited the church four times at least. Every walk into the Old City (I love that place) I stopped by. The people watching was incredible and, it was Ground Zero after all. Thank you St. Helena - you are massively underrated as a saint - you invented "one stop shopping" for religion.