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The Orthodox Christian News Service

By Lily Galili

Israeli government officials are troubled by the apparent deepening of Greece's involvement in the affair of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. Officials have complained that while Israel is holding off on deciding the fate of Patriarch Irenios I, who is no longer recognized by most of the Greek Orthodox world, it has given Greece an opening to intervene by funneling funds to sustain the paralyzed patriarchate and establishing regulations governing its continued functioning.

Those same Israeli officials consider this a dangerous precedent that might lead to greater involvement by the entire European Union in matters previously arranged between Israel and the churches.

Now that Jordan has officially removed its support for Irenios, the next step awaits the results of a probe by Minister Tzachi Hanegbi. Israeli officials have admitted that Israel finds it difficult to help oust the patriarch, because the grounds are his suspected involvement in a deal to sell church property in Jerusalem's Old City.

However, in response to a request from Irenios to "restore order to the patriarchate," Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz expressed candid doubts that he would be able to remain in his post.

The other churches in Israel are also concerned - by what they perceive to be Israel's overinvolvement in a church's internal matters. A senior official of the Catholic Church told Haaretz: "If Israel intervenes like this in the affairs of the most powerful and richest church, in the future it might intervene likewise in ours. We are worried in following the developments in Israel, as well as Greece's conduct in the matter. We are concerned that after it gains control of the patriarchate, [Greece] will not let any other political entity maintain a foothold - not just Israel, but also Jordan and the Palestinian Authority."

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