The abbot of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem was asked by staff at the Western Wall to cover his “really big and inappropriate” cross.
In a video that was shared by Germany’s Der Spiegel newspaper, the worker can be heard telling Nikodemus Schnabel that his cross is “really big and inappropriate for this place. It’s a Jewish place, you need to respect that.”
Schnabel responded that the request was “very harsh” and “not respecting” his rights.
“This is not a provocation. I’m an abbot. This is my dress,” said Schnabel. “The cross is part of my dress code, I’m a Roman Catholic abbot. You want me to not dress as my faith tells me I should dress.”
Schnabel later wrote on Twitter: “The unfortunately not so nice end of a nice tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is painful to see how the climate in this wonderful city is changing more and more for the worse under the new government. Jerusalem is big enough for everyone!”
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation apologized for the incident.
“The Western Wall is open to all. It should be emphasized that there are no regulations regarding this matter at the Western Wall Plaza,” a statement said.
“The usher approached and politely asked if it would be possible to cover the cross to prevent any discomfort, as has recently occurred in the Old City, out of a desire to respect both the visitor and the site. When he refused, access to the site was obviously not denied, and the usher respected the decision and continued on her way.”