Jesus' baptism site to be cleared of mines

Access to the site where Jesus is believed to have been baptized had long been restricted because of the land mines left after the 1967 war, but a new project now aims to clear the area of explosives.

"It is a source of much pain that a traditional site of the Baptism of Christ is now a site scarred by the debris of war," Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said in a statement. "In making the land safe again, the HALO Trust is bringing a symbol of hope to a region that struggles with deeply-held divisions. At the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of reconciliation, so it is an inspiration to see HALO's work helping communities to overcome these divisions. Everybody wants to see this land returned to use by the local Churches as a place of peaceful prayer and worship: HALO is reaching across the divide to make this vision a reality."

HALO Trust, a British mine clearance organization, had previously cleared mines in areas along the West Bank of the River Jordan. It was approached by the Israeli National Mine Action Authority to also remove explosives planted at the site of Jesus' baptism, and Israeli and Palestinian authorities and eight Christian denominations have given the group their nod of approval.

"At a time when many religious sites are being destroyed in the Middle East, the clearance of these churches by the HALO Trust offers a powerful symbol of hope," said Mor Severios Malke Mourad, Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox church in Jerusalem. "The Syrian Orthodox church supports HALO's deminers in their task, which will enable us to conduct mass and prayer in safety."

According to HALO Trust, since the 1967 Day War, seven churches that belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church, as well as the Roman Catholic Church have been inaccessible because the site, known as Qaser al-Yahud, consists of a minefield that measures 136 acres. The Wall Street Journal reports that bombs were planted there because Israel wanted to prevent attacks from across the border. In 1994, a peace treaty was signed between Israel and Jordan, but while the area has been relatively peaceful, the place has not been totally safe to visit. Part of the area was demined in 2011, but estimates suggest that there are still around 3,000 antipersonnel and antitank mines, as well as improvised explosives, the number of which is yet unknown.

"The Franciscan church has long tradition of worship at Qaser al-Yahud, particularly at Epiphany," said Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of The Holy Land. "Whilst we continue to do so today, our access has been limited due to the deadly legacy of landmines. We look forward to the day when, thanks to HALO, we will be able to celebrate the sacrament of Christ's baptism in safety."

Also to be cleared of mines is a piece of property that is owned by the Armenian Orthodox church.