Battered Shrines

On Jerusalem's Mount Zion, just outside the Old City, stands the towering white stone Church of the Dormition of Mary. Traditionally the place where the Blessed Virgin died, the site has long been one of the holy places of Christendom. In the Arab-Israeli fighting it has also been a prime military objective, last occupied by Israeli troops as a strategic outlook post.

Last month the troops were pulled out and the shrine ordered returned to the Benedictine order, which owns it. Inspection by Roman Catholic and Israeli officials revealed severe damage: tapestries had been destroyed, the altar smashed, gaping holes torn in the circular ceiling of the chapel. On behalf of the Benedictines, Catholic authorities refused to take the church back without full reparations, and put the damage between $300,000 and $500,000. This week a joint commission began trying to work out a satisfactory settlement.

Between 20 and 30 churches have been seriously battered in the Palestine war. Total damage to church property since 1948 has been estimated at between $900,000 and $2,000,000, and Christian officials are pressing for full reparations. The Israeli government has promised special consideration when its Parliament considers a bill for the settlement of all war damages. Said Premier David Ben-Gurion: Israel will pay for church damage "where we are found to be responsible. I couldn't imagine any possible conflict between us and the Catholic Church."

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