Ceremony

Published by The National Herald, June 10, 2005

Interview with Met. Cornelios: "No Outsiders This Time"

BOSTON - The Holy Synod and the Monastic Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre at the Patriarchate of Jerusalem are not going to accept any outsiders as candidates for the Church of Jerusalem’s Patriarchal throne, arguing that the Patriarchate’s protocol restricts the pool of candidates.

In an exclusive interview with the National Herald, Metropolitan Cornelios of Petra, who was appointed locum tenens (acting vicar) of the Patriarchate in Jerusalem on May 30, said it is not even an issue.

"No, no, there is no such an issue," he said, citing that "our regulations do not allow anyone from outside to be a candidate."

Being an outsider was apparently a stumbling block for the deposed Patriarch Eirineos, whom many members of the Jerusalem Patriarchate seem to consider an outsider who was imposed on them from Athens.

Cornelios declined comment on whether or not he is going to be a candidate for the Patriarchy: "My priority now is to deal with the problems of the Patriarchate" he said. Cornelius said he believes that the deposed Patriarch, Eireneos I, was at least indirectly responsible for the alleged long-term leasing of real estate properties in Jerusalem’s Old City, which was the major accusation providing the occasion to oust him.

Cornelius is charged to lead the process to elect a new patriarch hopefully during the month of June. The text of the interview follows:

TNH: Your Eminence, how do you feel about your unanimous election as locum tenens of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem?

CORNELIOS: I feel very glad because the entire Synod and the Brotherhood of the Holy Land united to elect me to deal with the problems the Patriarchate faces today.

CORNELIOS: Starting tomorrow, we are going to send letters informing the governments of Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority that the Patriarchate has turned this page, and that the entire Brotherhood requests the recognition of the locum tenens, so that the problems of the Patriarchate are dealt with. We are a living organism, and thus life should go on. When we receive the recognition of the locum tenens, we are going to proceed with the election of a new Patriarch.

CORNELIOS: I served as locum tenens during the last patriarchal election of Eireneos, and it was easy and quick. I hope it is going to be the same this time, as well.

TNH: It has been said you are a person that all three of the States you mentioned before accept. Would you care to comment on that?

CORNELIOS: Yes, we have good relations. The Patriarchate in general has good relations everywhere with the Orthodox flock.

TNH: How much time is required for the election of a new patriarch after recognition of the locum tenens is procured?

CORNELIOS: At this time, my primary concern is to deal with the problems of the Patriarchate.

CORNELIOS: I cannot answer you at this point. My priority is to deal with the problems of the Patriarchate and the formal recognition of the locum tenens, and then we are going to have time to think and to decide.

TNH: What is it going to happen with Patriarch Eireneos, who insists that e is still the canonical Patriarch of Jerusalem?

CORNELIOS: That is his problem. He can insist on anything he wants, and he can make any decisions he wants. We know that the Patriarchate now has a new locum tenens. The Brotherhood is united, and whatever Patriarch Eireneos says is his own problem.

CORNELIOS: I hope and pray, as we said during the Synod, that we should proceed united, and with love.

TNH: Are there any specific persons that are considered favored for the Patriarchy?

TNH: Since a lot of talk is going on about the possibility that someone comes from outside from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, would you accept him?

CORNELIOS: No, no, there is no such an issue. First of all, those who say these things offend us, and at the same time, they do not know the regulations. We have spent our entire lives here. I have been here at the Patriarchate for 55 years. I even know where each stone is located. I know the people, the mentality and the language, plus our regulations do not allow anyone from outside to be a candidate.

TNH: If Archbishop Anastasios of Albania wants to become Patriarch of Jerusalem, would you accept him?

CORNELIOS: I gave you the answer before. Our Brotherhood has competent hierarchs.

TNH: Why did things reach the point that Patriarch Eirineos had to be dethroned? Why did all this happen?

CORNELIOS: The Synod was not aware of many problems and circumstances. The Patriarch was asking our opinion only on secondary issues, and he was making decisions and taking actions by himself, which is against the democratic principals of our Church.

CORNELIOS: No. The only (democratic) thing he did was set the agenda, but only for secondary issues. He did not present the serious and important matters. Let me give an example. More than a month ago, he ordained a bishop without placing it in agenda; he did the same regarding the appointment of a synodal member, and with so many other matters.

TNH: Is Patriarch Eirineos responsible for things he has been accused of? Specifically, did he lease real estate properties in the disputed old province of Jerusalem for a long period of time?

CORNELIOS: If you have an employee, and you authorize him to act and decide on your behalf, who has the responsibility? There are also proxies signed by lawyers. We should not only hear what he says. We should also see the reality and consider the facts.

TNH: Do you know where the former accountant of the Patriarchate, Nikos Papadimas, is today?

CORNELIOS: To be honest with you, I do not. It is rumored that he is in the State of Israel. I have not communicated with him. I do not wish to communicate with him. And I do not care where he is today. The only thing I want is to clarify the matter of the Patriarchate’s properties.

Patriarch Eirineos was effectively kicked out of office by his own flock on May 7 when 12 out of the 18 bishops in the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem voted for his removal. Leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land unanimously selected Cornelios as temporary replacement (and acting vicar) for the embattled patriarch, even as Eirineos maneuvered to block his removal by striking a deal with his alienated Palestinian flock.

The Jordanian Government has published a letter in which it asks Eirineos, who was advised by a rare Pan-Orthodox Supreme Synod (held in Constantinople on May 24) to resign as Patriarch of Jerusalem, to return his diplomatic passport which was issued to him on his ascension to the Patriarchate’s throne. The letter bears the signature of Jordanian Interior Minister, Awni Yirfas, and is dated May 31.

The Greek Government, meanwhile, turned up the already fierce pressure on Eirineos to resign, issuing him a new passport which changed his title to "former patriarch," Greek Foreign Ministry officials said.

Eirineos accused the Athens Government of having contributed to his downfall in a letter published last Sunday, June 5, in two Greek newspapers.

The newspapers published portions of a long letter dated May 31, which Eirineos sent to Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, claiming there was a "plot" by some prelates at the Patriarchate. This plot had led "senior members of various services in Greece to implicate members of the Greek Government" in the affair through secret diplomacy, the letter states.

In the letter, Eirineos also attacked deputy foreign minister Panayiotis Skandalakis who, he said, had visited Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and asked him "to replace the Patriarch of Jerusalem because that was the wish of the Greek Government," arguing that the affair "not only presents the Greek Government as the rival of the Patriarchate, but also undermines peace in the region by creating a climate of tension."

Eirineos has been embroiled in a controversy since mid-March over the long-term leasing of choice church property to Jewish businessmen allegedly trying to expand the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem, a mainly Palestinian area. Reports of the leases have aroused the furor of the Palestinians, who make up most of the Orthodox Christian flock in the Holy Land.

The Patriarchate has said the land deals were conducted by Papadimas, its former financial officer. Papadimas vanished several months ago, and has European arrest warrants against him. Eirineos has insisted he did not know about the leases.

Eirineos has also repeatedly declared he refuses to step aside, even though the controversy has prevented him from wielding the full powers of a functional patriarch.

During the Supreme Synod in Constantinople, a majority of world Orthodox leaders decided they would no longer recognize him. Bolstered by that vote, the Holy Synod in Jerusalem appointed Cornelios to take Eirineos’ place as the Patriarchate’s temporary manager until a permanent replacement is found.

Cornelios served as acting patriarch before Eirineos’ election nearly four years ago. Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority had not officially recognized Cornelios as locum tenens at press time.

Legally, however, church leaders can not dismiss Eirineos. Only the governments in areas where his flock lives have the power to do so, by withdrawing recognition of him.
Jordan did so last week, in a royal decree signed by King Abdullah II. For now, Israel says it will not support anyone who opposes, in principle, the sale of property to Jews in east Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority seems to support the rebels, and Palestinian officials have reportedly stated that the Palestinians’ main objective is to cancel the alleged property deals, and that it matters little to the Palestinian Authority who serves as patriarch.

Meanwhile the Holy Synod of Jerusalem has asked all the priests who celebrated Sunday services with Eirineos as patriarch to "please explain" their participation.

They have also been asked to sign a statement agreeing with the decisions of the Supreme Synod. Failing to do so, they were warned, would lead to suspension.

In a related development, a Greek prosecutor this past Tuesday, June 7, filed espionage charges against Apostolos Vavilis, a central figure in the recent Church scandals in Greece and Jerusalem, court officials said.

Vavilis was arrested in Italy on separate drug-related charges in April, and is due to be extradited to Greece later this summer. Vavilis - whose aliases included Apostolos Pavlos, or Apostle Paul - was charged with forgery, fraud and "revealing state secrets" to foreign government agents.

A former police informant, Vavilis was closely linked by the Greek Press to Eirineos, and to Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and the recent corruption scandals involving senior clergy in Greece. Earlier this year, Greek prosecutors charged Vavilis with money laundering and using a false identity card.



Volume 7 Number 24 - Tuesday, June 14th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY