JERUSALEM, October 13, 2026 (WAFA) – The new French Consul General in Jerusalem, Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison, visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Monday and officially entered the Church of Saint Anne, as part of a diplomatic tradition reflecting France’s commitment to protecting holy sites, Christian communities and institutions in the Holy Land.

The French Consulate General in Jerusalem said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the visit reaffirmed France’s protection of Latin Catholic communities of French origin, a tradition rooted in the privileges established in 1535 between French King Francis I and Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

It added that the consul general’s reception at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre followed the traditions associated with the 1852 Status Quo, which regulates the rights and obligations of Christian denominations regarding religious rites and property within the church. France, alongside Italy, Spain and Belgium, plays a role in preserving this arrangement, it noted.

The consulate said Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land accompanied the consul general from Jaffa Gate. At the church entrance, he was received by the three religious authorities responsible for the site: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

The consul general’s procession then passed through the alleys of the Old City to the French-owned Church of Saint Anne, where a Te Deum service of thanksgiving was held in honor of France.

In an address on the occasion, the consul general reaffirmed his country’s commitment to standing alongside Eastern Christians and working with its historic partners to protect the rights of Christian communities and institutions in the Holy Land and promote peaceful coexistence based on respect and mutual enrichment.

T.R.