Comments on: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men . . . Except for the Priests Beating Each Other With Broomsticks

By: Mike Melendez

Mike Melendez — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:52:33 +0000

So maybe the new translation of the Gloria in the Catholic mass has something to it:

“and on earth peace to people of good will”

Though I can’t beat Colbert’s proclamation that “consubstantial” is now “Istanbul”.

By: Judy K. Warner

Judy K. Warner — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:41:01 +0000

We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem several years ago. Two groups of priests — I think the same as in this story, Armenians and Greeks — were processing near the boundaries of their “territory” and when they came near each other swung their censers at each other in a hostile way, almost striking each other. But they didn’t come to blows.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:19:14 +0000

Joe, you do realize that the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been held by a Muslim family for the better part of the last millenium because it can’t be trusted to Christians in light of all the sectarianism, yes?

By: Michael Snow

Michael Snow — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:23:02 +0000

Definately ” the funniest and most depressing Christmas-related news item.”
Having failed at stimulating interest in the story of the Christmas truce when Christians quit shooting each other, maybe we can all take comfort that the weapons were only brooms.

By: A Random Friar

A Random Friar — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:59:46 +0000

The Holy Sites tend to be tinderboxes of ecclesial strife. There are very hard and fast rules as to who can do what and when and how. Any deviation can result in turf war. It’s very sad.