Church of All Nations - a temple built by many denominations

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Going to the Holy Land, tourists first of all want to see the monasteries and temples of Jerusalem, a city considered the cradle of Christianity. Moreover, Orthodoxy is not the only confession widely represented in it. There are many churches and other Christian denominations here. Looking at their location on the map of Jerusalem, one can imagine the history of a fairly large segment of the life of Christ.

Church of All Nations

Twilight and silence constantly reign in this unusual temple of God. The sun's rays, which enter only through the dark blue stained-glass windows, are scattered. And only a small glow, formed from candles and lamps, enhances the contrast of darkness and light, symbolizing the last night that Christ spent on earth in heavy thoughts. This happened before the arrest of Jesus, before he “drank the cup of suffering.”

Here is the stone on which he prayed on his last earthly night. Today onThis place is the Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of the Agony. The stone itself was left under the vaults of the temple, next to the altar, framed by a “thorn” wreath.

History

The Church of All Nations was built in the Garden of Gethsemane. The project belongs to the Italian architect Antonio Barluzio. The temple was erected in 1924 directly on the foundation of the chapel, which was erected by the crusaders in the twelfth century. It has been abandoned since 1345. It is noteworthy that the medieval chapel itself was also built on the foundation of an even more ancient temple. It was a fourth-century Byzantine basilica, destroyed by an earthquake in 746.

Building a temple

Building the Church of All Nations began in 1920. During the construction of its underground part at a depth of two meters, a column and fragments of a mosaic were found right under the base of the chapel. After that, the work was stopped, and excavations began immediately. Archaeologists have made their own adjustments to the original plan of the church. Construction was finally completed in 1924.

The temple, built by Franciscan monks, originally belonged to the Roman Catholic denomination. The Church of All Nations in Jerusalem was built with funds sent from communities of different countries, and not only European ones. Apparently that's why they named it that. As already mentioned, the second name of the temple is the Basilica of the Agony. It alludes to those dark events to which the church is dedicated. The mournful twilight reigning inside reminds tourists of them.

For constructionthe Church of All Nations was donated funds from twelve states with different faiths. Under its ceiling are the coats of arms of France and Great Britain, Italy and Germany, the USA and Spain, Belgium and Canada, Chile and Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. On the walls, mosaics are lined with paintings that reflect the scenes of the Gethsemane Prayer, the Tradition of the Savior and the Taking of Christ into custody. And inside the modern temple today you can see the remains of an ancient mosaic floor - confirmation of the existence of a Byzantine church on this site.

Description

The Basilica of the Agony took five years to build. Two types of stone were used as a material: outside - Bethlehem pink, and in the interior - brought from the quarries of Lifta, located northwest of Jerusalem. Inside, the Church of All Nations is divided into three galleries by six columns. Thanks to a competent decision, visitors get the feeling of one open huge hall. Purple glass was used throughout. This technique perfectly conveys the feeling of oppression from the agony of Jesus, which is also added by the ceiling, painted in dark blue, like the night sky.

The facade of the church is supported by a number of Corinthian columns with modern mosaics reflecting the thesis of the essence of Christ - the mediator between the Almighty and man. The author is Giulio Bargellini. The amazing combination of a semi-circular dome, thick columns and mosaics on the facade gives the church a classic look.

Interior decoration

All four columns of the facade arestatues of the evangelists. Above them is a large panel called "Christ the High Priest" by Bargellini, an Italian master who designed the Church of All Nations in Jerusalem. The inscription under the mosaic is a quote from the Epistle to the Hebrews of the Apostle Paul.

In front of the altar is the main shrine of the Basilica of the Agony. This is the stone on which, according to legend, the Savior prayed for the last time at night before being taken into custody. There is a large crucifix directly behind the altar.

The Jerusalem Church of All Nations belongs only to Catholics. That is why representatives of other faiths in Christianity use another for services - an open altar located directly next to the temple.

It is located in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christians of various denominations hold services here, including Catholics, Orthodox, Armenian Gregorians, Lutheran Protestants, Evangelicals, Anglicans and others.

The Church of All Nations has a unique location. It stands at the very foot of the Mount of Olives, on its eastern side.