Nazareth: Restoration of Grotto of the Annunciation flops

Loud alarm bells are ringing in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. 

The man who has been ringing them is Fr. Ricardo Bustos, a Franciscan missionary serving the Holy Land and Superior of the Basilica of the Annunciation. 

“The rock is flaking,” the cleric said.

In a statement made to the Vatican Radio,  Fr. Bustos explained that “the problem is not new, people have known about it for a long time, but lately the conservation conditions in the Grotto of the Annunciation have worsened, and so, together with the University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze, UNIFI), we have started a long process of conservation work in this part of the Basilica that was flaking away bit by bit. We have made a number of emergency conservation interventions over these past three and a half years, but the results have not been very positive. A month or so ago we built some drainage wells and we hope that these will at least help us stop the flow of rain water that falls during the winter period.” 

So interventions have not provided an adequate response to the problem? “They have - the cleric replied - it’s just that they proved to be useless because the flow of water into the Grotto continued and so, all the restoration work gradually came down. Now we will have to wait until the rainy season stops to see if we can find a way to stop this form of deterioration. Conditions at the moment are highly compromised.”

When he was asked about potential problems in terms of funding for the operation, Bustos commented that “the question is not only one of funding, but of finding the right balance. 

The entire building needs to be air conditioned especially the Basilica’s lower section. Also, visits need to be rethought, because in the other buildings of historical interest, in Italy as well, limits have been placed on visits. We have now restricted entry into the Grotto’s interior, and as of 2006, we tried to stop visitors from entering directly into the Grotto: We installed some railings to keep people back, and we noticed a big change. We have also changed the lighting system inside the Grotto, which now gives a very cold light.”  

Is this warning also aimed at alerting the international scientific community to take an interest in this sacred place of worship which is also a world heritage site? 

“This is a warning as well. We absolutely must find a solution and we are currently looking for one. We entrust this project above all to the Lord and the Virgin Mary, because they are the first to be “involved” in this project. We rely on the grace of the Lord and ask him to grant us the ability to preserve this place of faith for all Christians.”