- Title: WEST BANK: JERUSALEM GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH FIRES PATRIARCH OVER SCANDAL
- Date: 7th May 2005
- Summary: (W4) RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 06, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SCU PICTURE OF GREEK PATRIARCH IRINEOS ON WALL; VINICIUS TALKING TO REPORTER 0.07 2. MV HEAD OF RAMALLAH GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH VINICIUS SEATED IN INTERVIEW 0.13 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF RAMALLAH GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH COMMENTING ON VINICIUS' DISMISSAL, SAYING: "Suddenly the Patriarchate was closed and the keys were taken away, nobody enters and nobody leaves the Patriarchate. The Patriarch was outside the Patriarchate. He wasn't (physically) forced to leave because he was already outside. Personally I don't know where he is." 0.37 (W4) JERUSALEM (RECENT - APRIL 2005) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS GREECE) 4. JERUSALEM GREEK PATRIARCH IRINEOS IN CHURCH 0.56 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd May 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVAEBOPFI4QOXYWWIGCQFRBXGQ8K
- Story Text: Jerusalem Greek Orthodox Church fires Patriarch over scandal.
The highest decision-making body of the Greek Orthodox
Church in Jerusalem fired Patriarch Irineos I on Friday (May
6, 2005) over his suspected involvement in the sale of church
land to Jewish investors, a church official said.
Irineos, who has denied the allegation, had no immediate comment.
Archimandrite Attallah Hanna said the patriarch fled the church
after the 18-member Holy Synod informed them of their decision.
"The minute he heard the news, he ran away from the church,"
he said. "We don't know where he went."
The church's leadership of 13 archbishops and 25 archimandrites
had announced on Thursday it no longer recognised Irineos as its
patriarch in wake of recent newspaper reports that said he helped
lease church land to Jews.
The news had angered Palestinians, who see such deals as attempts by
Israel to gain control of Arab East Jerusalem, which they want as the capital
of a future Palestinian state. Irineos had blamed the affair on rivals who
wanted to oust him.
The Greek Orthodox Church is led by Greek clerics rather than
Palestinians, unlike other churches in the Holy Land that have
opted in the past few years to appoint Arab patriarchs. The church
owns thousands of acres of property in Jerusalem.
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