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Catholic World News News Feature

Orthodox clergy in open rebellion against Jerusalem patriarch May 06, 2005

Several dozen Greek Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem have signed an open letter rejecting the authority of Patriarch Irineos and calling for his removal from office.

In a letter to media outlets in Jerusalem, 13 Orthodox bishops and over 25 archimandrites said that Patriarch Irineos is "persona non grata" in their churches, because of his misuse of authority and abuse of trust. They charged that patriarch with "lying, religious distortion, and degradation of the patriarchate's role," and said he bears "all direct responsibility for the corruption" in the Orthodox patriarchate.

Patriarch Irineos, who has clashed frequently with the leaders of other religions in Jerusalem, became the focus of fierce protests among Orthodox believers when it was revealed that he had sold church properties in the Christian section of Jerusalem's walled Old City. The sale of property in a Christian neighborhood to Jewish investors outraged Orthodox parishioners, who are extremely sensitive to the preservation of the ancient Christian community in Jerusalem.

The Greek Orthodox patriarchate of Jerusalem claims about 100,000 believers, most of them Palestinian. Although Patriarch Irineos has rejected public criticism in the past, the latest protests appear to threaten his ability to continue in his current office. In their protest letter, his critics threaten to take legal action to strip the embattled patriarch of his authority to manage church properties.