ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A tale of Christmas cheer from Bethlehem, at the Church of the Nativity. An unholy row broke out between Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergy last week over the cleaning of the church.

Following Christmas celebrations, dozens of black-clad clerics from both churches - armed with brooms and cleaning materials - began to work on different parts of the church, built over the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born.

But an Armenian priest supervising the work thought a broom held by a Greek Orthodox priest encroached on their space, and angry words swiftly became a fight.

Palestinian policemen at the scene intervened and the priests resumed their cleaning - a second fight was then also quelled. No one was hurt in the brawl, and police made no arrests.