Members of the Greek Orthodox clergy use a mixture of diesel and sawdust to scrub the floor of the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.Reuters
Members of the Greek Orthodox clergy use a mixture of diesel and sawdust to scrub the floor of the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.ReutersThe annual clean-up of the Church of the Nativity ahead of the Orthodox Christmas turned into scuffles between rival Christian clerics at the holy site.ReutersMembers of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergy used their brooms as weapons during the flare-up at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.ReutersPalestinian police officers stand guard after members of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergy exchanged blows at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.ReutersA Palestinian labourer holds a broomstick that was broken in the scuffle between rival members of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergy.ReutersPalestinian police officers try to restore order after a fight broke out between members of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergy at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.ReutersGreek Orthodox clergymen help clean the Church of Nativity ahead of the Orthodox Christmas in January.ReutersA member of the Greek Orthodox clergy helps scrub the floor at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.ReutersMembers of the Greek Orthodox clergy use a mixture of diesel and sawdust to clean the floor of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.ReutersPalestinian police officers try to restore order during scuffles between members of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergy at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.Reuters
While Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace and goodwill, rival groups of Greek and Armenian Orthodox priests have come to blows at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity over plans for the Orthodox Christmas on 7 January.
Both groups of clerics hold joint jurisdiction over the church, which is believed to be built on the spot of Christ's birth.
Confused tourists and pilgrims, who had travelled there to celebrate the Christmas season, looked on in bewilderment as about 100 priests fought with brooms during the annual clean-up of the church.
Palestinian police broke up the fight with batons and shields.
"It was a trivial problem that... occurs every year," Bethlehem police Lieutenant-Colonel Khaled al-Tamimi told Reuters.
"No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God," he said.
Nobody was seriously injured in the scuffles, according to police.
Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where many Christians believe Jesus's body was taken after crucifixion, has also seen similar incidents.
