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Published by
AsiaNews, June 13,
2005
Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate "hostage of Israeli and Palestinian
government. |
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by Aryeh Cohen
The two
governments have not yet recognized the removal of
Ireneous and claim they have authority to
determine who shall be the new Patriarch.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - The Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate of Jerusalem has addressed an appeal
"to all the religious institutions in the world
and to all governments... to safeguard [the]
independence, autonomy and unity" of the
Patriarchate. The appeal, dated 9 June and
distributed widely by the Press Office of the
Patriarchate, is signed by the interim
administrator, or Locum
Tenens, Metropolitan Cornelios. It protests the
refusal of the Israeli and Palestinian governments
to recognise the canonical removal from office of
the former Patriarch, Ireneos, and contrasts this
refusal with the correctness of the attitude taken
by the Kingdom of Jordan, which "responded
immediately and recognised the dismissal of Mgr.
Ireneos, and the election of the Locum Tenens, in
order to lead the Patriarchate to elections" of a
new Patriarch.
The appeal rejects the claim of governments that
they have authority to determine who shall govern,
or not govern, the Patriarchate. It says that,
while "it is true that, for historic reasons" the
election of either the Patriarch or the Locum
Tenens is customarily "approved" by the local
governments, this "approval" is simply "an
indication of mutual respect and trust and the
recognition by the government/s of the will of the
Church. It was never meant to be a vehicle for
intervention, directly or indirectly, in the
internal affairs of the Church." Instead, in the
present situation, the Locum Tenens observes, the
Patriarchate is being reduced "to a status of
hostage, unable to fulfil its mission and provide
for its administration."
Ireneos I is accused to have secretly sold to
Jewish investors real estate in the Old City not
far from Jaffa Gate that belonged to the
Patriarchate. As a result of this act, the
Jerusalem Synod removed him from office on May 7.
On May 24 the pan-Orthodox Synod in Istanbul
(Constantinople) stripped Ireneos I of its title
of patriarch. Since then the Government of Israel
has sent armed police into the Greek Orthodox
monastery in the Old City of Jerusalem to keep
ex-Patriarch Ireneos in possession of the
Patriarch's apartments, against the will of the
Patriarchate's Synod.
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