Bethlehem walled in

Or walled out, depending on the side from which you view it. The Archbishop of Canterbury went from one side to the other on his Christmas visit to the place of Christ’s birth and death — Bethlehem and Jerusalem — and he was profoundly moved.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was visibly shocked yesterday as he encountered the 30ft high security wall built by Israel around Bethlehem when he led a pilgrimage of British Church leaders to the birthplace of Christ.

The party had to request special permission from the Israeli authorities to be allowed to walk the section of the ancient pilgrimage route between Jerusalem and Bethlehem now cut by the screen of grey concrete.

When you go for the spiritual purpose of visiting so sacred a site as the birthplace as Jesus, the sight and security rituals are jolting. But pilgrims, like the Archbishop, need to go.

He was joined on the ecumenical pilgrimage by three other British Church leaders: the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor; the Free Churches Moderator, the Reverend David Coffey and the Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain, Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian.

Mr Coffey was also clearly moved by the sight of the wall. “We are here to show solidarity with all the people of Israel-Palestine,” he said.

“But I have to admit feeling a strong sense of shock when I first saw the wall.

“It was overwhelming to see it in a place where a child was once born who grew into a man whose life was all about tearing down walls.” After walking through the wall, the party was driven to the start of a four station pilgrimage vigil through the tight, cobbled alleys of Bethlehem, that started at Star Gate and passed through Manger Square.

It culminated in the grotto beneath the Church of the Nativity, the exact location revered by Christians as the site where Jesus was born.

No wall will keep the faithful from revering this place on earth.