Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The last five Stations of the Via Dolorosa are situated inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The church contains, according to traditions dating back to at least the fourth century, the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, at a place known as Calvary or Golgotha, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected. This church has become a shrine, almost to the point of idol worship. Inside, there is a bewildering conglomeration of 30-plus chapels and worship spaces. These are encrusted with the devotional ornamentation of several Christian rites. The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic, and to a lesser degree the Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox.
The history of the churches fighting among themselves for ownership includes fistfights and disputes over who owns the strip of the plaza below the first step up to the entrance of the church. The Immovable Ladder, the small ladder below the top-right window at the church entrance, has remained in the same position since 1854 after a disagreement on who could move it. Of all the Christian holy places, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is probably the most difficult for me to come to terms with. The true meaning of Christ's sacrifice has been turned into a ritualistic and materialistic shrine. The definition of materialistic is one who is focused on objects, ownership and wealth and that summarizes how it felt to me.Read more