Jerusalem Christians held a protest at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, fearing that the “pilgrim street” leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher would be blocked. The interfaith situation in the city was commented on by the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, writes RIA Novosti.

“This is a very dangerous trend that can lead to the loss of the status quo and the gradual ousting of Christians from the city, which is the cradle of Christianity. This is a common problem for all Christians, not only Orthodox Christians. That is why His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos was supported by the heads of all Christian churches in the Holy Land.

Jerusalem is a unique city sacred to three religions. Over the centuries, many wars have been fought for its possession, there has been a lot of struggle and enmity. But the result of this complex process was not a victory for one of the parties, but the establishment of a certain balance of power. It has been suffered for generations, and its violation can lead to dire consequences.

Historically, Jerusalem is divided into quarters: Christian, Muslim and Jewish. For years, the Jerusalem Patriarchate has been trying to challenge the illegal sale of a radical group of its properties in the Christian Quarter at the Jaffa Gate. In fact, we are talking not only about the possible loss of free access to the Holy Sepulcher, the way to which opens at the Jaffa Gate, but also about the threat to the Christian presence in Jerusalem, ”said the hierarch.