Patriarch of Jerusalem refuses to resign despite pressure over alleged land scandal

Published by the Associated Press, April 3, 2005

ATHENS, Greece April 3, 2005 (Associated Press)- The leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem insisted in a newspaper interview published Saturday that he would not resign, despite mounting pressure from the Greek government and Palestinian authorities to do so over reports about the lease of church land to Israelis.

Patriarch Eireneos I, 65, has denied selling or leasing church property in traditionally Arab East Jerusalem to Jewish investors, despite claims to the contrary by his former financial manager.

The charges have infuriated Palestinians who fear the alleged deal while not illegal would expand Israeli control ofJerusalem. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state while Israel claims the whole city.

The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the largest landowners in the Holy Land and owns prime property in traditionally Arab east Jerusalem.

The properties that were reportedly leased to Jewish investors include the Imperial Hotel, Petra Hostel and several shops near Jaffa Gate in the walled Old City. The report was first carried in the Israeli daily Maariv, and Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have launched separate investigations.

"Why should I resign? I have not committed any crime ... I don't care about pressure from governments, I'm not quitting," Eireneos said in an interview published in Saturday's edition of the Eleftheros Typos newspaper. "If any property transfer deals have been made, they are invalid," he said. "I have not signed anything."

Greece's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday urged the patriarch to realize "the gravity of the situation" over the land scandal. The ministry maintains close ties with the Jerusalem patriarchate, which has a legal presence in Greece.

Jerusalem's Greek patriarchate is one of the main Christian denominations in the Holy Land, with about 100,000 mostly Arab faithful. It is closely linked to the Greek Church, and Eireneos and most of his hierarchy are Greek.

Eireneos insisted there was a conspiracy to rid the Holy Land of Greeks. "There are enemies, visible and not visible, who want the Greeks to leave the Holy Land."

Greece's Orthodox Church has refused to defend Eireneos, while several of the patriarch's Greek aides have openly called for his resignation following the near-daily allegations of corruption.

Earlier this week, 10 metropolitan bishops of the patriarchate sent Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis a letter asking him to intervene for Eireneos to step down.



Volume 7 Number 14 - Tuesday, April 5th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY