Patriarch Eirineos: I Stand by the Canons

Published by The National Herald, May 30, 2005

BOSTON - The National Herald interviewed embattled Patriarch Eirineos of Jerusalem upon his return to the Holy Land this past Wednesday, one day after a Supreme Synod in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) removed him from the Diptychs and asked him to relinquish his patriarchal throne amid controversy which has polarized the Church in Jerusalem.

It was the second interview Patriarch Eirineos conducted with the Herald, the first published in last weekend’s Greek edition (EqnikoV Khrux, May 21-22, page 1).

In spite of the great ecclesiastical opposition which has come crashing down on his shoulders, a defiant Eirineos told the Herald he is still the "canonical patriarch of Jerusalem" and said he refuses to resign. The text of the most recent interview follows.

TNH: Your Beatitude, would you please comment on yesterday’s decision by the Pan-Orthodox Synod at the Ecumenical Patriarchate to remove you from the Diptychs of the Orthodox Church?

EIRINEOS: I am the canonical Patriarch of Jerusalem, and I am very surprised with this decision because the majority of the Prelates and representatives of the various Churches had condemned the group of the insurgents who oppose me. How is it that they now support the rebels and consider them canonical by making such a decision against the canonical Patriarch?

TNH: Would you give us some sense of the climate at the Phanar? What happened during the Synod?

EIRINEOS: It seemed there was a prejudice, and those who are familiar with the situation say that things were fabricated in advance, and that they had certain objectives.

EIRINEOS: I personally do not know, but the whole climate was very bad. I didn’t like it, at all, because hierarchs and representatives of various Churches who, when they first arrived at the Patriarchate, were strongly against the insurgents, after awhile agreed during the Synod to the removal of my name from the Diptychs.

TNH: To your knowledge, did the Ecumenical Patriarch make any one-on-one attempts to influence the outcome?

EIRINEOS: I do not know if Bartholomew talked to the participants one by one, or if others did. What I know is that, when Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria, as well as when the representatives of the Church of Cyprus and others, first came, they did not have the position which was finally taken at the end in the Synod.

TNH: Would you comment on the stance of Archbishops Christodoulos of Athens, Anastasios of Tirana, Patriarch Theodoros and representatives of the Church of Cyprus?

EIRINEOS: I am unable to comment on that. The results provide the answer. I received support from non-Greeks, from the Patriarchates of Antioch and Georgia, and from the Church of Poland. Three Patriarchs - the Patriarchs of Serbia and Bulgaria, and the Archbishop of Chechnya - did not attend the Synod.

TNH: If we understand the synthesis correctly, out of the 14 total Prelates, six have not adopted yesterday’s decision, or they have taken different positions?

EIRINEOS: Yes. I was informed by the Patriarchate of Bulgaria that there have been attempts from both the political and ecclesiastical levels to influence them. What does that tell you?

TNH: Will those six continue to commemorate your name, and to recognize you?

TNH: What do you plan to do now? You say that you are the canonical Patriarch of Jerusalem. Tomorrow those who oppose you will elect a topotiritis (locum tenens, acting prelate).

EIRINEOS: These acts are ecclesiastically invalid and illegal because, in order to appoint a locum tenens, the Throne would have to be vacant, but the Throne of Jerusalem is not vacant. The insurgents can not disown the Patriarch. These things are outrageous and unheard of.

TNH: But the Pan-Orthodox Synod validated the decisions of the "insurgents" yesterday.

EIRINEOS: Is this correct. Is this validation based on the holy canons? Canonically, insurgents? actions are punishable. There are written opinions by prominent professors, Feidas and Angelopoulos. Why was their opinion not allowed to be taken into consideration?

EIRINEOS: It is their problem. In spite of all the pressure I have withstood, I have said that I am not resigning because I have not fallen into any dogmatic error, or any other kind of mistake.

EIRINEOS: Do I cease being Patriarch? Diodoros, my predecessor, had also been removed from the Diptychs at one time, and in the Ukraine a few years ago, for example, the Patriarch of Moscow would not commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch because of the issue in the Ukraine, there are so many other such cases.

TNH: Your Beatitude, let’s clarify. You are saying that you are not vacating the Throne?

TNH: What will happen if your opponents appoint a locum tenens and proceed to elect a new Patriarch?

TNH: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to you as "former patriarch" yesterday.

TNH: When you arrived in Constantinople, did Bartholomew advise you to resign?

EIRINEOS: Yes, as did everyone who came. The Patriarch of Alexandria, and the Archbishop of Athens said the same. They tried to convince me to resign, and I told them I am not resigning.

EIRINEOS: That supposedly I am not accepted by the majority of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher. But we know how the majority was formed. Up to a week ago, I had the majority, and now within a week I have the minority? Moreover, they’re lying when they say that I am by myself, and that I have been abandoned by everyone. There are four Synod members and about 30 Holy Sepulcher fathers (who still support me). How am I alone?

TNH: But the question remains, if a locum tenens is appointed tomorrow, where do you stand?

EIRINEOS: What do you mean, where do I stand? I will be the Patriarch. All their actions are anti-canonical.

EIRINEOS: Not at all. He just goes about his business, despite all the efforts on the part of some representatives of the Churches who suggested during the Synaxis (gathering) that there should be an effort to call both sides to the table. Doesn’t he know that all this is anti-canonical? I got up and said I am willing to forgive them, and to accept them, but Bartholomew insisted, "We don’t see how this effort could succeed because the gap is too deep. The others are unaccepting." What does that mean? They don’t accept? The Sacred Canons provide a solution for this case.

EIRINEOS: The mutineers have made their move and have managed to get the King (of Jordan) to withdraw recognition. But the Israelis and Palestinians have not followed the Jordanians.

TNH: Your Beatitude, I want to ask you directly. Have you embezzled any property belonging to the Jerusalem Patriarchate?

EIRINEOS: The fact that the majority of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher has renounced me. That is what Patriarch Bartholomew kept saying.

TNH: If the majority of the Synod at the Phanar renounces him, then should he resign?

EIRINEOS: What plans? I continue to be the Patriarch. I have loved the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church since I was a little boy. My feelings and conscience have not changed towards our martyred Patriarchate, the Holy Sepulcher, and our nation.

TNH: Your Beatitude, before we conclude this interview, I would like to clarify that your position is, you do not accept yesterday’s Synod decision, and will continue to remain canonical Patriarch of Jerusalem.

TNH: Why do you think that Archbishop Christodoulos has taken this stance towards you?



Volume 7 Number 22 - Tuesday, May 31st, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY