Church Rupture in Jerusalem

Published by The National Herald, May 8, 2005

JERUSALEM (AP, ANA) - Ling off all contact with the embattled Patriarch Eirineos I of Jerusalem beceaders of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land announced this past Thursday, May 5, that they are breakause of corruption suspicions and consider him dismissed.

According to reports posted by the Athens News Agency, a letter was handed to Eirineos in person and was also sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), asking that a Supreme Synod be convened to resolve the problem. The Supreme Synod would have the authority to dismiss Eirineos.

Eleven bishops and 23 archimandrites of the church made the announcement in a statement faxed to the Associated Press. Their dismissal is not binding, but it ratchets up internal pressure on Eirineos to step down over the reported leasing of prime church property to Jewish settlement groups in Jerusalem's Old City for 198 years.

The Jerusalem Patriarchate, which owns large amounts of property, is one of the main Christian denominations in the Holy Land, with about 100,000 faithful, most of them Arabs.

The Patriarch has denied wrongdoing, but such land transactions, while legal, are politically explosive because Palestinians see them as abetting Jews in their efforts to expand their presence in East Jerusalem. Palestinians consider that sector of the city as capital of their future state, while Jews claim the entire city as their eternal and undivided capital.

In their letter Thursday, the rebel clergy accused Eirineos of being "incorrigibly caught up in a syndrome of lying, religious distortion, degradation of the Patriarchate's role, and irresponsible mishandling of Patriarchate property."

They declared him persona non grata, and served notice that they would bring legal proceedings against him and his associates "to revoke all suspect deals and restore all that was sold." Eirineos was not available for comment at press time, but earlier this week, he described his opponents as "worms and trash," adding, "Let them cut off my hands if I have stolen anything. The mud they have slung at me is still fresh, but it will dry and fall off."

Dimitri Diliani, head of a coalition of Palestinian Christians, called the clergymen's revolt on Thursday a "historic move of disobedience" which would further isolate Eirineos and create more pressure on him to resign.

Palestinians, who consider the alleged land deals a betrayal, have held several protests against Eirineos outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem , demanding that he step down.

During Orthodox Easter celebrations, hundreds of pilgrims joined a handful of local Christians in celebrating Orthodox Easter in Christianity's holiest site, where tradition holds that Jesus rose after being crucified and buried, but current and ancient disputes intruded on the sanctity of the occasion.

Worshippers celebrated peacefully despite plans by Palestinians to protest the Eirineos' participation.

Pilgrims from Russia, Serbia, Greece and other nations kneeled to rub oil, crosses, religious pictures and other articles across a rectangular orange stone representing the place where the body of Jesus was prepared for burial, just inside the entrance of the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the traditional site of Calvary.

Though the Easter holiday is supposed to be one of joy, new and old disputes clouded the celebrations. Many Palestinian Orthodox Christians stayed away because of the land dispute.

Last Saturday, April 30, a dozen Greek and Armenian clergymen briefly scuffled over who would be first to emerge from the tomb of Christ with the ceremonial flames, said to come from Jesus, reflecting a dispute dating back centuries.

Custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is shared by a number of denominations, which jealously guard their responsibilities under a fragile network of agreements hammered out over centuries.

Standing beside her son, Maria Ediotis, 60, of Australia said she was filled with emotion "in this place where God's intentions can be felt."

"I saw some things here yesterday I didn't like," she said. "I don't know why people have to fight. Jesus blessed everybody."

Atena Chaiu, 67, from Queens, New York said she was hesitant about coming to Israel because she feared terror attacks. Even so, she joined her sister and a group of 35 Romanian pilgrims because "this is a special trip. It's a beautiful place to be celebrating Christ."

Police carved a wide path with barricades to make way for Eirineos to conduct services in the church.

Palestinian demonstrators were absent after objecting to the Patriarch's alleged role in the land scandal as recently as the Orthodox Good Friday evening, when four Palestinian men were arrested for shouting at Eirineos, and for allegedly assaulting police officers.

A dozen police dressed in riot gear were all smiles as last Sunday's events drew to a calm close.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported last Sunday that Eirineos leased church property in Jerusalem to Jewish groups to prove to Israeli authorities that he does not sympathize with the Palestinians, citing the Patriarch's former financial manager, Nicos Papadimas.

The alleged deal has infuriated Palestinians, who fear it would expand Israeli control of (traditionally Arab) East Jerusalem, which they want as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Israel claims the whole city as its indivisible capital. Eirineos has denied the allegations and accuses Papadimas of embezzling church funds.

For two years, the Israeli government had refused to approve Eeriness' election as patriarch, suspecting him of being anti-Israel and having close ties to the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, who died in November.

But in January 2004, Israel suddenly confirmed Eirineos in his post, and shortly afterwards, Papadimas told Haaretz that the Patriarch signed over two Palestinian-inhabited buildings in Jerusalem's walled Old City to an anonymous Jewish lessee working through a company in the Bahamas.

The newspaper did not quote Papadimas directly, and did not say where they contacted him, saying only that he is hiding in the United States.

Papadimas, who vanished three months ago, is wanted in Greece after Church of Greece officials in Athens accused him of absconding with $800,000 in church funds. His wife is wanted on separate charges of money laundering. Separately, a European arrest warrant has been issued against Papadimas, Greek officials said.



Volume 7 Number 19 - Tuesday, May 10th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY