A few hours after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrived in Israel on Monday, the true nature of their visit has been revealed: a baptism for North West, their almost two-year-old daughter.
While it was previously believed that the famous couple had come to Israel to visit holy sites in Jerusalem, it turns out that they were specifically coming to baptize North at the Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem.
The Cathedral of St. James is an Armenian church in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem. The Kardashian family is of Armenian descent and Kim and Kanye had visited Armenia prior to their arrival in Israel.
The baptism will take place Monday afternoon and Kim and Kanye will be accompanied by Chloe Kardashian – Kim’s sister and baby North’s aunt.
After the ceremony at the cathedral, the famous entourage will continue to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Most Christians believe this is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City and is mentioned in the New Testament.
Sharon Shavit, the Kardashian family’s producer in Israel, did not comment on the report of North’s baptism.
US reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West were in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday for the baptism of their daughter at the Armenian Cathedral, church officials said, according to AFP.
The couple flew in from Armenia, landing at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport before driving straight to Jerusalem for the ceremony.
As the convoy pulled up to St. James Cathedral in a narrow street of the Armenian Quarter, hoards of fans thronged the car, screaming and wolf-whistling as Kardashian climbed out of the car holding her 21-month-old daughter, North.
“It’s a baptism that will take place,” Archbishop Aris Shirvanian told reporters gathered at the entrance to the church.
“Kim Kardashian’s daughter will be baptized and she will become a Christian officially and a member of the Armenian church.”
The couple disappeared into the church for the ceremony, after which they were expected to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City’s Christian Quarter.
The sprawling church is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and was resurrected.
The couple is also expected to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site at which Jews can pray which is located inside the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.
The US TV star’s Armenian roots are on her father’s side, with the family emigrating to the US from an area that now lies inside Turkey.
Her eight-day trip to Armenia coincided with memorial ceremonies to mark the centenary of the massacres of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.