(Bethlehem) moments of terror prevailed in Bethlehem when the Grotto of the Nativity was on fire. The fire in the crypt of the Church of the Nativity Bethlehem broke out a few hours after Pope Francis returned to Rome.
The Catholic Church leader had visited the Holy Land for three days from Saturday to Monday. On Sunday, he had also come to Bethlehem. He also visited the grotto below the Cathedral built by Emperor Constantine the Great and prayed at the spot Jesus Christ was born.
Regarding the cause of the fire, there is no certain knowledge. It is assumed that one of the oil lamps had ignited a tapestry. Within a few seconds parts of the birth grotto were in flames. Because, besides the tapestries there was not much combustible in the grotto, the damage had been limited. "The shock we received when we saw the flames was great," said an Armenian monk. The cleanup is underway. Like the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, several Christian churches share in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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