JERUSALEM: GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH UNDER PRESSURE TO RESIGN OVER ILLEGAL LAND DEAL SCANDAL
Record ID:
648282
JERUSALEM: GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH UNDER PRESSURE TO RESIGN OVER ILLEGAL LAND DEAL SCANDAL
- Title: JERUSALEM: GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH UNDER PRESSURE TO RESIGN OVER ILLEGAL LAND DEAL SCANDAL
- Date: 26th March 2005
- Summary: (EU) JERUSALEM (MARCH 24, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY AREA THAT WAS ALLEGEDLY SOLD TO JEWS BY CHURCH; SLV TOURISTS/ PRIESTS STANDING IN STREET; WIDE OF AREA (3 SHOTS) 0.16 2. SLV ARCHBISHOP ARISTARCHOS, A GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH SENIOR CLERIC, WALKING 0.21 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) ARCHBISHOP ARISTARCHOS, A GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH SENIOR CLERIC SAYING: "My consciousness imposes upon me to speak. Some days ago I declared my attitude towards the Patriarch of Jerusalem Irineos. I unselfishly speak after deep thought and with great sorrow. I witness today in front of the church and of our nation that the Patriarch of Jerusalem have to resign so that the Patriarchy of Jerusalem can regain its hurt prestige and continue its mission in the holy land." 1.05 4. MV ARISTACHOS TALKING TO REPORTERS; IRINEOS I, GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH, ENTERING HALL WHERE NEWS CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE; SLV REPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE / PATRIARCH SITTING DOWN 1.29 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRINEOS I, THE GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH, SAYING: "We speak to you today to declare the true facts of this subject." 1.39 6. NEWS CONFERENCE 1.44 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH SPOKESMAN SAYING: "We, the holy Patriarchy of the holy city, condemn the wild attack and the conspiracy against us personally, our Patriarchy and against the Orthodox Patriarchy. No bargaining took place." 2.06 8. CONFERENCE 2.15 (EU) JERUSALEM (MARCH 19, 2005) (REUTERS) 9. SCU ISRAELI NEWSPAPER MAARIV HEADLINES FROM FRIDAY (MARCH 18); SCU ARTICLE ON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH ALLEGEDLY SELLING LAND IN OLD CITY TO JEWISH BUYER/ PHOTOGRAPH OF JERUSALEM PATRIARCH IRINEOS I (4 SHOTS) 2.47 (EU) JERUSALEM (MARCH 24, 2005) (REUTERS) 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ATALA HANAH, GREEK- ARAB ORTHODOX CHURCH SAYING: "We are asking the Patriarch Irineos I to resign now. We don't want him to continue to hold this important position. We don't want a person who did that kind of business with them (Jewish buyers)." 3.09 16. NEWS CONFERENCE 3.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVADIOQGNB8TRNWK9HXJI09T9MKM
- Story Text: Greek Orthodox Patriarch under pressure to resign.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem came under
fresh pressure to resign on Thursday (March 24, 2005) in a
scandal dividing the church over an alleged illegal land
deal that has led to a probe by the church and the Greek
government.
Archbishop Aristachos, a leading church official in
Jerusalem, called for Jerusalem Greek Patriarch Irineos I
to resign over the allegations reported in Israel's Maariv
newspaper last week that a close aide to the Patriarch
illegally sold church land to Jewish investors from abroad.
"My consciousness imposes upon me to speak. Some days
ago I declared my attitude towards his the Patriarch of
Jerusalem Irineos.I unselfishly speak after deep
thought and with great sorrow. I witness today in front of
the church a nd of our nation that the Patriarch of
Jerusalem have to resign so that the patriarchy of
Jerusalem can regain its hurt prestige and continue its
mission in the holy land," Archbishop Aristarchos, a Greek
Orthodox Church senior cleric said in Jerusalem on Thursday.
In response to the accusations, Irineos I held on
Thursday (March 24) a news conference in which he denied
involvement in the issue. He said he does not have the
authority to buy or sell any church property.
"We, the holy Patriarchy of the holy city, condemn the
wild attack and the conspiracy against us personally, our
Patriarchy and against the Orthodox Patriarchy. No
bargaining took place," a Patriarch spokesman said at the
news conference.
The report of the alleged deal angered the church's
mostly Palestinian parishioners who have long complained of
sales of church land in East Jerusalem to Jews. They see
such sales as an Israeli attempt to gain control of
property in the city they want for their future capital.
At another news conference in Jerusalem on Thursday,
Atala Hanan, the Greek-Arab Orthodox church Patriarch, also
demanded Irineos I step down.
"We are asking Patriarch Irineos I to resign now. We
don't want him to continue to hold this important position.
We don't want a person who did that kind of business with
them (Jewish buyers,)" Hanan told reporters.
Earlier this week, Palestinian lawmakers voted to lobby
for the "expulsion" of Patriarch Irineos I as well as to
seek "the Arabisation of the church" and appointment of an
Arab head.
The Patriarch said church officials had not found any
documentation proving the reported land sales had taken
place.
He said any such sale would be illegal because his
former aide did not have the authority to sell church land.
A warrant for the arrest of the former aide has been
issued in Greece, the Patriarch's office said.
Church officials from Athens and investigators from the
Greek government have flown to the Holy Land to question
the Patriarch as part of an investigation into the land
sale.
Greek foreign ministry sources in Athens said there was
pressure on Irineos I to resign. The scandal has inflamed
Palestinian anger over the sale of church property to
Israelis in recent years, including the sale of land on the
southern
outskirts of Jerusalem where the controversial Har Homa
Jewish settlement was built in the 1990s.
The Patriarch called for a joint Greek, Palestinian and
Jordanian investigative committee to be formed.
The Greek Orthodox Church is a major land holder in
Jerusalem, owning thousands of acres of property. The
church is led by Greek clerics rather than Palestinians,
unlike most of the local churches that have recently
appointed Arab patriarchs.
Patriarch Irineos's appointment has been mired in
controversy since he was elected in 2001. Israel initially
refused to recognise him because it viewed him as being
pro-Palestinian. The Patriarch was assisted in his campaign
by a Greek citizen, Apostolos Vasilis, who it later emerged
is a convicted drug trafficker wanted by Interpol.
Vavilis's name has come up in another church scandal at
home over links with the head of the Orthodox Church in
Greece.
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