The Christian Denominations in the Holy Land
There is such a range of Christian denominations and churches in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem, that it is difficult to get a clear picture of the Christian community as a whole. This document aims to provide an overview of the way in which the different denominations relate to each other.
The Holy Land’s Christian identity comes from its church affiliations (i.e., denominations), and local Christian community. There are 13 official denominations of Christianity in the Holy Land. Each denomination has a jurisdiction that serves the mission of existence, that of keeping their church property viable and their parishioners observant. Three Patriarchs reside in Jerusalem; Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian. In addition, there are 10 other Archbishops and Bishops, five Catholic: (Melkite, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, and Chaldean); three Orthodox: (Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian) and two Protestant: (Anglican and Lutheran).
The Catholic Church
Latin/Roman Catholic Church
The largest communities in the Holy Land in the Catholic Church belong to the Latin Rite. After the withdrawal of the Crusaders, the Franciscans slowly took over the remnants of the Latin Christian community when they settled in Jerusalem. In 1847, Pope Pius IX re-established the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Franciscans became Custodians of the Christian Holy Places. At the time of the restoration of the Patriarchate, there were 10 parishes with 4,270 faithful and after a century, there were 55 parishes with 41,000 faithful. During that time in history, the Patriarchate had jurisdiction over Israel, Jordan, and the island of Cyprus. Currently, the Patriarchate deals with Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. After the appointment of the first Patriarch, Msgr. Valerga (1847-1872), many parishes were established and schools, seminaries, and other buildings were built. Many religious orders of priests, monks and nuns came into the country when Msgr. Bracco (1872-1889), the second patriarch, and Msgr. Piavi (1889-1905), a Franciscan who became third patriarch, came into office. The events of World War I impeded the expansion that Msgr. Camassei (1907-1919) hoped to accomplish but Msgr. Barlassina was very active between 1920 and 1947 until World War II impeded his building projects. Upon his death, the apostolic delegate, Msgr. Testa, officiated over the church until the appointment of Msgr. Gori (1949-1970) as the Franciscan Custos.
Due to the division of the country when the State of Israel came into being in 1948, it became necessary to appoint auxiliary bishops. Msgr. Gelat became the first Arab Latin bishop in 1948 and Msgr. Kaldany succeeded Msgr. Chiapperre (1958-1963) as the Bishop of Galilee, in 1963. Msgr. Beltritti was the appointed coadjutor in 1965, and became Patriarch in 1970. During Msgr. Gori’s appointment, many seminaries opened in the West Bank villages and new churches were built there. By 1977 there were 16 male religious orders and 26 female orders in the country. There were 170 Latin churches and chapels, and 33% of them were considered Holy Places. There were also 186 religious establishments, eight hospitals, eight clinics, and several homes for the elderly.
The Melkite Church (Greek Catholic Church)
The Melkite Church had its beginnings in the Greek Orthodox Church but came under the Catholic Church when some of its bishops converted to Melkite beliefs. The Melkite is an official denomination that is part of Latin Catholic Church. They are Byzantine Rite Catholics of diverse Eastern Mediterranean (Levantine) and Greek origin who come under the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope. They claim links to the early Christians in Antioch. In 1837, the Melkites were granted their own Patriarch and established their Patriarchate in Jerusalem in 1848. By then, they started to build churches and parishes in several cities in the Holy Land such as Galilee, Jerusalem, and cities in the West Bank. Currently, Msgr. Hakim Maximus V, who was once Archbishop in Galilee, is its Patriarch. The Melkite Christians number about 50,000 parishioners, and belong to more than 26 parishes and churches, located mainly in Galilee. Until recently Father Elias Chachour was Archbishop in the Galilee.
The Armenian Catholic Church.
This denomination follows and accepts the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in the Vatican and they are in full communion with the other Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Catholic Church. Since 1740, the Armenian Catholic Church has had its own Patriarchate in Beirut; and by 1855, had a Vicar living in Jerusalem. In 1887, the Armenian Catholics had a church built along the Via Dolorosa, located near the Third and Fourth Stations of the Cross. Many Armenians living in the Holy Land belong to the Latin Rite.
The Chaldean, Coptic and Assyrians Catholics.
Chaldean, Copts and Assyrian Catholics in the Holy Land are very few in number. The Chaldean church originates from Iraq and is also known as the Assyrian Church. Chaldean families have been living in Jerusalem since 1903. The Coptic Catholic church arose from a union between the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt in 1442. There are a few Coptic families living in Jerusalem. They belong to the Franciscan parish and use the Chapel on the 7th Station of the Cross-(located on the Via Dolorosa) for their liturgical services. The Assyrian Catholic community originates from Ethiopia and consists of several families that integrate within other Christian denominations; however, there are no Assyrian Catholic families living in Jerusalem. These denominations follow the Roman Catholic Pope in the Vatican while maintaining differences in their liturgical services.
The Maronite Catholic Church.
Members of the Maronite Catholic Church have their origin in Lebanon and still maintain a stronghold there and since 1895 one of its Vicars has lived in Jerusalem. There are still a few Maronite villages in Galilee but most of the others were destroyed during the 1948 war. There are churches in Haifa, Nazareth, Acre, El-Jish, and Jaffa, all of which are subject to the Archbishop of Tyre.
The Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church refers to a united group of Christian Churches that share the Christian faith through same theology, tradition, and worship, combining the Greek, Middle-Eastern, Russian and Slavic culture. The meaning comes from the Greek word Orthos (‘right’) and doxa (‘belief’), also it means conventional, and their beliefs, practices and followers are more conservative than Catholic or Protestant churches.
After Constantine the Roman Emperor made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire the church hierarchy was based alongside the civil hierarchy of the empire in Byzantium, later named Constantinople and now Istanbul. Christianity spread from its eastern roots westward to Europe, which became more dominant in church politics. After the Great Schism or East-West Schism in 1054 the eastern and western parts of the church divided on doctrinal and political differences and the eastern part of the church continued to observe the traditional orthodox doctrine and practices, while the western church became the Catholic Church.
The Orthodox Church believes it is the direct descendant of the Early Church and holds the traditional beliefs and customs that Jesus Christ established. Each of the Orthodox Churches has its own geographical area and title that reflects how the gospel was spread and relates to the cultural traditions of that group of believers.
The Greek Orthodox Church
The present Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem probably has the largest community of Christian believers in the Holy Land. It has jurisdiction over the Holy Land and Jordan. Cyril II (1845-1872) was the first Greek Patriarch to take up residency in Jerusalem. Formerly, he lived in the Phanar, located in Constantinople and rarely visited Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Church suffered from the rise of Russian Orthodox influence, Protestant missionaries and Catholic institutions, yet it made great progress in opening schools and building churches. By 1914, it had no less than 83 schools.
In 1925, the British Government appointed the Bertram-Luke Commission to examine the distressed financial state of the Greek Patriarchate. The commission discovered a long-standing dispute between the Patriarchate and the Arabic Orthodox laity, but failed to suggest a solution. The dispute concerned the administration of church property and the election of the Patriarch. The government at the time confirmed the Patriarch and approved the modus vivendi of church organisation
Simon Garfet was appointed the first Arabic Orthodox Bishop in June 1960. Great progress has been made in building churches and schools since then. The Patriarchate has a dozen educational institutions under its jurisdiction, including those in Jordan; most of them primary schools. It has 90 churches and 30% of them are considered Holy Places. The Greek Orthodox Holy Synod has 18 members, Archbishops or Archimandrites and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre has 105 members. There is also a resident Metropolitan in Nazareth.
The Monophysite Church or Oriental Orthodox Church.
The word “Monophysite” comes from the Greek language which means “only, single” and “nature”. It conveys the theological interpretation of Jesus Christ as having a single and only one nature, in which the historical Incarnation of Jesus Christ is a union of the divine and human as the incarnation of the eternal Son or Word of God. Christians who rejected the Council of Chalcedon in 451 became Monophysitist, such as Christians from Egypt and parts of Syria. Their theological belief maintains that in the one person of Jesus Christ, Divinity and Humanity are united in one. This theology, which may also be called Miaphyticm, is that of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
The Monophysite Church is comprised of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Church and Syrian Orthodox Church. A description of each church along with its history in the Holy Land is presented below.
The Armenian Orthodox Church
The Armenians have been in the Holy Land from early times, and in the 7th century, had no fewer than 70 convents. Armenians Orthodox monks lived with the Greeks in monasteries. There has been an Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem since 1311. At the beginning of the Ottoman Period, Sultan Salim recognized the Armenian Patriarch as head of all the Monophysite churches. At the beginning of the 17th century, he was in financial straits, but Kirkor Baronder (1613-1645) provided the resources to build half of the Armenian monasteries still in existence. In 1667, the Armenian Orthodox Church established a bishopric in Bethlehem. There was a dispute between the Armenians and the Greeks over ownership of the Monastery of St. James, but it was settled in 1833 and they began publishing “Sion”, a monthly religious publication at the Patriarchate. In 1843, they founded a theological seminary.
For a long time, there has been dispute over the election of the Patriarch. The Fraternity of St. James, which includes the Patriarchate, runs the election and has to notify the appropriate government authorities the name of the person who resides as Patriarch in Jerusalem, Syria, and Cyprus. The Patriarch in Jerusalem now rules the Armenian Orthodox Church in Israel and Jordan. Besides Jerusalem, there were churches in Jaffa, Ramla and Haifa. The Armenian Orthodox Church owns considerable property in the Holy Land, and co-shares rights with other communities in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Church of the Nativity, and the Tomb of the Virgin Mary.
The Coptic Orthodox Church
The relationship between the Holy Land and Egypt is very ancient, and many of the early monks living in the Holy Land were Egyptian. After the Council of Chalcedon in 451 the Coptic Orthodox Church became autonomous. The Coptic Church, like its sister Oriental Orthodox churches, believes in one nature of Jesus (i.e. monophysitism). They believe that He is perfect in His humanity, but His divinity and His humanity are united in one nature called, “the nature of the incarnate word”.
Over many centuries the Copts had several churches in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem. During the Mamluk Period, they received preferential treatment and obtained a convent next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The first Coptic Bishop in Jerusalem was enthroned during the reign of the Orthodox Patriarch Cyril (1235-1243), and slowly obtained certain minor rights in the major shrines. Although the convent, Deir es-Sultan, is in the hand of the Copts, it is difficult to establish the respective rights of the Copts and the Ethiopians to it.
Since 1838, the Copts have had greater authority and regard the Ethiopian monks as “guests.” There is a large Coptic convent in Jaffa, originally intended for use by the Egyptian Coptic pilgrims during Easter. During the rule of Mehmet Ali, Bishop Abraham established the Coptic Khan near the pool of Hezekiah in Jerusalem. After 1850, Bishop Basilios II built St. Anthony’s Church and Monastery at the ninth Station of the Cross. Around 1700, they built St. George’s Convent and Church and both are located near the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. They also built other convents in Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth, and Jordan.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
There was a strong bond between the Holy Land and Ethiopia, even before the evangelization of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian community believes that their presence in the Holy Land relates to the biblical story of the meeting of the Queen of Sheba, who was the ruler of Ethiopia and Solomon, King of Israel. The story dates back to 1000 BCE. Other sources suggest that the presence of Ethiopians in the Holy Land dates back to the conversion of Ethiopia’s Queen Candace to Christianity in the 1st century, which resulted from the encounter between the apostle Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts Chapter 8 verses 26-40). Her conversion led many Ethiopian pilgrims to settle in the Holy Land.
The Ethiopian community in Jerusalem lives in a convent called Deir es-Sultan, which is on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Copts dispute their presence in this convent, and both claim a right of ownership. At one time, the Ethiopian church depended on the Coptic Patriarch of Egypt. The Firman of 1852 confirmed the actual situation, but the Ethiopians always claimed the right to live in the monastery and worship in the Chapel of the Archangel Michael and the Chapel of the Four Living Creatures which opens onto the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In February 1961, the Jordanian government gave orders to return the two chapels, but withdrew the order a few weeks later. In 1970, the Israeli government gave the chapels back to the Ethiopians with the provision that the Copts have the right of passage from their convent. The case of ownership of this convent is still open to dispute because politics are involved more than religious differences, between Israel and Ethiopia. There is a political agreement between both countries allowing Ethiopian Jews to immigrate to Israel.
The Syrian Orthodox Church.
The Jacobites, officially designated as Syrian Orthodox, take their common (if less accurate) name from Jacob Baradai, who built up the Monophysite Church in Syria in the 6th century. They are of the Syriac rite, the ancient rite of Antioch, and they use the Liturgy of St. James. The Bishop lives in St. Mark’s Church where there are still some interesting manuscripts and icons. Currently other manuscripts are in the homes of members of the community.
From 793 to 1099, there were Jacobite Bishops in Jerusalem and Tiberias. There has been a permanent bishop in St. Mark’s Church in Jerusalem since 1971. They have some minor rights at the main shrines, but are always subordinate to the Armenians. The community is more in number than those living in Jerusalem as there are other Syrian Orthodox Churches and monasteries in the Holy Land, although as part of the Christian community in the Holy Land they many of its members migrated.
As mentioned earlier, the Syrian community believes that the history of St. Mark’s Convent in Jerusalem, which includes St. Mark’s Church, goes back to the first days of Christianity and they considered a possible site of the Last Supper. Members of its congregation built the Church of the Virgin Mary, located close to the Nativity Church in Bethlehem. The Syrian Orthodox Church also maintains chapels in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Israeli authorities have closed St. John’s Monastery, located near the River Jordan since 1967, due to its location in an Israeli Military area. Entry into the monastery is prohibited because mines surround it.
The Russian Orthodox Church.
The Imperial Palestine Society, established in 1847, focused on Russian pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Later it assumed responsibility for providing free education to the native Orthodox community. Soon there were schools in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Ramla, Jaffa, and Haifa. In 1844, a Russian Archimandrite arrived in Jerusalem and immediately after the Crimean War Russia began playing a more active part in church affairs in Palestine.
In 1858, Czar Alexander III appointed the first Russian Orthodox bishop in Jerusalem, a Jewish convert named Levinson. The Czar appealed for the support of the faithful and two organizations were set up in Russia and Palestine to deal with pilgrims. Year by year, the number of Russian pilgrims increased. By the end of the century, they numbered 10,000 yearly, many of whom stayed from Christmas until Easter. Their presence necessitated the construction of the Great Russian Hospice outside the walls of Jerusalem in 1860. It was built on what had been the military parade ground. The Great Russian Tower, with its beautiful grounds and churches on Mount of Olives, arose in (1870-1887).
The Russian settlement for nuns started in the village of Ein Karem, in 1871, and the Czar paid the expenses to construct the road from Jerusalem to Ein Karem. In 1883, the members of the Russian Church formed the Orthodox Palestinian Society and in 1888 construction of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene began in Gethsemane. Russia also acquired many other holy sites in the country. In 1902, Turkey granted a firman giving Russia the right to open schools in Galilee and 23 schools were opened.
The Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) strengthened the Russian position according to the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano (1879). However, World War I halted pilgrims coming from Russia and this caused schools to close. For years, many of the Russian establishments in the Holy Land that catered to pilgrims faced a loss of revenue so were rented or occupied by nuns because there were very few clergy present, and very few families to minister to. Today, there are two independent Russian missions: the Patriarchate of Moscow oversees one mission, and the Russian Orthodox Church (located outside Russia) oversees the other. Russia does not run parishes for local Christians; mainly their work is serving the Russians who are living in the Holy Land and the Russian pilgrims who come to see the holy sites.
The Romanian Church.
The Rumanian Orthodox Church is in Jerusalem does not have a permanent local community. However, the Rumanians who live in the Holy Land live there on a temporary basis and are employed in construction and agriculture in Israel.
The Protestant Church.
There are approximately 20 Protestant denominations present in The Holy Land, most rather small and insignificant in numbers. They larger ones include the Anglicans and Lutherans and others include the Church of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, First Baptist Bible Church, , Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, Pentecostal, Scottish Presbyterian, Southern Baptist Convention, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Brethren, International Evangelical Church and Quakers. Many of the Protestant denominations are part of the United Christian Churches in the Holy Land group, which fosters their interests in Israel. The first Protestant mission was an American mission from 1838 to 1843. As the Anglicans and the Lutherans are the two largest Protestant denominations they are the only ones to be considered here.
The Anglican/Episcopalian-Lutheran venture. In 1841, the British Parliament issued a law that sanctioned the consecration of English bishops for places outside the British Isles; Palestine was one such place. England and Germany jointly made nominations to the Holy See for a Protestant bishop in Jerusalem.
For many years, the Lutherans had a representative in Jerusalem. He was a converted German Jew, named Alexander Wolfe. He became the first Protestant Bishop of Jerusalem, Michael Solomon Alexander (1841-1845). The general understating was that the focus of the Protestant mission was to minister to the Jews and the Moslems in the Holy Land and not to interfere with Eastern Christians. Christ Church was set up under this joint Anglican/Lutheran authority but the venture ended in 1849, after which Christ church became an Anglican church under the authority of the British government.
The German nomination, Samuel Gobat (1846-1879), was a Swiss Lutheran, who proselytized among the local Christians. In 1853, he built the Bishop Gobat School, established with the aid of the Church Missionary Society in Jerusalem and left the Bethlehem District to the German Lutherans. The best known of the German Lutherans was J.J. Schneller who founded schools in different parts of the Holy Land. By 1931 the British Church Missionary Society had 31 schools and churches in Nazareth, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Ramallah. Bishop Barclay (1879-1881) followed Bishop Gobat, then there was no Protestant Bishop for six years.
In 1886, when the Lutherans failed to establish an Episcopal mission, Prussia withdrew from the contract. It subsequently became an exclusive Anglican/Episcopalian bishopric, whose jurisdiction extended to all the Middle East (with the exception of Egypt and Sudan, which separated in 1920).
Under Bishop Blyth (1887-1914), the title changed from Bishop of Jerusalem to Bishop in Jerusalem, to appease the Orthodox Patriarch Nicodemus. He had a disagreement with the British Church Missionary Society and gave several of its institutions to a group of Anglican Arab Christians, including St. George’s Church in Jerusalem which eventually became the Anglican Cathedral. A Palestinian Church Council that recognized the Bishop only in spiritual matters governed these Anglican Arab Christians. Bishop Blyth founded the Jerusalem and East Missionary Society after his disagreement with the Church Missionary Society over proselytising among the Eastern Christians. Under him, the London Society for Promoting Christianity among Jews began in 1820. He led the Christchurch congregation and, in 1879, he built the English Missionary Hospital in Jerusalem.
In 1958, the first Arab Bishop, Najib Coubain, was appointed, based at St George’s Anglican Cathedral and his jurisdiction extended to Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. In 1970, Kenneth Cragg was appointed Auxiliary to the Archbishop; and, in that same year, the Israeli government gave official recognition to the Anglican Church as a religious body under the name, “The Evangelical Episcopal Church”.
The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City and the Augusta Victoria complex (including a chapel) were built by Kaiser Wilhelm to ensure the Lutheran presence in Jerusalem.
