Jerusalem - A 34-year-old priest was found dead on Tuesday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where most Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried, officials said.
The cleric, thought to be an Armenian, was found at the bottom of a flight of stairs and appears to have fallen, a police spokesperson.
"The priest fell down and passed away," Micky Rosenfeld said. "His death was not the result of a criminal act."
The Holy Sepulchre, considered by most Christians to be their faith's holiest site, is uneasily shared by six denominations, including Greek Orthodox, Armenians and Roman Catholics.
"The Armenians are in a state of shock," said Father Fergus Clarke, the senior Franciscan monk at the church, who spoke with the dead man's colleagues shortly after the incident.
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"They tried to revive him but unfortunately it was too late," he said.
Tensions among the various denominations are not uncommon, erupting most recently last November when a brawl broke out between Greek and Armenian monks after a mass at the church. - Sapa-AFP
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