Elected

Published by The National Herald, August 28, 2005

New Patriarch of Jerusalem Elected Unanimously

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem named a new patriarch this past Monday, August 22, to replace (now former) Patriarch Eirineos, sacked over an alleged land deal with Jews in East Jerusalem which enraged Palestinians and sparked a church crisis.

A 14-member church synod elected Metropolitan Theophilos of Tabor in Galilee by a vote of 14-0 to succeed Eirineos, who has been demoted to monk, but who has denied the accusations. Palestinian authorities have said they could find no evidence that Eirineos was involved in leasing church property to Jewish groups.

Church rebels had dismissed Eirineos earlier this year over the Church's leasing of prime property in East Jerusalem to investors interested in expanding the Jewish presence there. The long-term leases angered the Church's predominantly Palestinian flock, which claims East Jerusalem as the capital of its future state.

Eirineos had refused to step down, blaming the affair on rivals who wanted to oust him. His refusal prompted the leaders of the world's Orthodox churches, which have 300 million followers worldwide, to vote in a Supreme Synod held in Constantinople this past May to stop recognizing him as Patriarch of Jerusalem.

But Eirineos continued to resist demands to step aside, arguing that a former aide signed the leases without his knowledge. Eirineos was not immediately available for comment on the election of his successor.

Patriarch Theophilos III is a Greek national who has served in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and represented the Church of Jerusalem in Moscow and Qatar, and reportedly has close ties to the Greek Orthodox leadership in the United States.

Dozens of worshippers shouted ''well deserved'' when the Synod elected him as Patriarch in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Christianity's holiest shrine in Jerusalem. Theophilos apparently also enjoys support from clerics still loyal to Eirineos, which probably helped bolster his credentials as a compromise successor.

"Our aim was to elect a patriarch who will be worthy and capable to help the Patriarchate restore its prestige," said Archbishop Aristarchos, Chief Secretary of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. "We feel that we are stronger now to face and overcome more effectively the crisis which we have just passed," he added.

Atalla Hana, a senior cleric at the Patriarchate, said Theofilos ''vowed yesterday and today before the Synod and the religious men of the church to return all the properties that were leased to Israelis.''

Palestinians object to the lease or sale of any property in Jerusalem to Jews because they fear such moves would cement Israel's grip on the eastern sector of the city, which is holy to Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The Greek Orthodox Church is a major landowner with title to thousands of acres of property in Jerusalem. Israel captured East Jerusalem along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized internationally.

Under Church canonical procedures, the governments of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority must still approve Theophilos’ election.

At press time, Israeli officials had not yet adopted a position regarding the election, but a ministerial committee was looking into the controversy. Israel has said in the past it would not work with Eirineos' replacement. Asked what the Church would do if Israel refused to do business with Theophilos, Hana said the Church was not interested in Israel's position on the new Patriarch.

Palestinian officials said their governing authority would likely respect the Synod's decision. Jordan's position was not immediately clear.

Jordanian legislator Audeh Quwas, who was closely involved in investigating the Eirineos affair, said Jordan's approval of Theophilos' election was all but assured: ''It is only protocol that Jordan's blessing must be given for completion of the process,'' he said, calling on the new patriarch ''to reverse the mistakes of Eirineos, and this means going to court'' to overturn the property leases.

The Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land is led by Greek clerics rather than Palestinians, unlike other churches in the region which have opted in recent years to appoint Arab patriarchs. Palestinian Christians have complained of a Greek monopoly in the church, however, and have demanded a say in decision-making. Aristarchos said the nationality of the new Patriarch is not a major issue.

The Church of Greece welcomed Theophilos' election to Jerusalem’s Patriarchal throne. The Greek Government did the same, noting that the "flawless election of the Patriarch of Jerusalem puts an end to a long period of problems and uncertainty that threatened to undermine the authority of this institution."

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis conveyed his congratulations to Theophilos and to the entire Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher for the "moderation and wisdom in which they faced the provocations of the past few months."

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias sent a telegram of congratulations to the newly elected Patriarch, as did Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis and Hellenic Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki.

Mr. Molyviatis expressed confidence that unity among the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher and a "spiritual reconnection with the faithful will be achieved" under Theophilos' "wise guidance." Mrs. Psarouda-Benaki congratulated him on his unanimous election.

Greece is keen to maintain a longstanding influence in the Holy Land, which stems from its strong historical and cultural links with the Jerusalem Patriarchy.

The highpoint of the Patriarchate's influence comes on the eve of Orthodox Easter, when thousands of worshippers attend a 1,000-year-old "Holy Fire" ceremony held in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of Jesus Christ. Pilgrims believe the flame brought out of the tomb by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and subsequently flown to churches in Greece, is sparked by a miracle.



Volume 7 Number 35 - Tuesday, August 30th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY