Posted on 12/26/2005 3:47:24 PM PST by rang1995
A Byzantine mess for Greek Church
The specter of anti-Semitism has once again raised its repulsive head, this time in, of all places, Jerusalem. The Greek Orthodox Church, the city's largest private landlord, is entangled in a complicated internal fight, at the core of which is the idea that it not lease land to Jews. Or, more precisely, that it no longer lease land to Jews. The Greek Church, the dominant Christian sect in the Holy Land, has a history of cordial relations with Israel. It has long offered long-term - really long-term - leases to Jews, including plots on which sit Israeli government buildings. But in March, a battle began over a 198-year lease of three large properties adjacent to the Jaffa Gate in the Old City. What was the problem? The properties in question were considered to be strategically detrimental to the Palestinians' stance in their negotiations for sovereignty in the Old City and East Jerusalem. Ah, the plot thickens.
The transaction became a cause célèbre as agitators whipped up anti-Jewish sentiment in the Palestinian Christian community, and church officials demoted the Patriarch, Irineos I, to a monk. They installed a new leader, Patriarch Theophilos III, who pledged not to lease land to Jews - the Jaffa Gate properties and, apparently, all other holdings of the church. He also installed as a bishop a radical Arab cleric who has expressed appreciation for suicide bombers.
The beleaguered Irineos, who now shelters in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, argues that his ouster and the election of Theophilos were illegal under civil and canon law. Dueling lawsuits now fill the dockets in Israeli and Jordanian courts.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
This article is grossly misrepresenting the facts of the situation. What is at issue is a particular new lease grant under shady circumstances, which resulted in the removal of a patriarch. The editorial went beyond the facts of the case to suggest all leases to jews are under threat and to smear the church with anti-semetism.
The Church leases a huge amount of property to Israel and will continue to do so. For example, the Knesset itself is on property owned by the Greek Orthodox Church.
This, from Publius, should be at the top of any and all threads about the "Palistinians."
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism."
PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein, March 31, 1977
16 posted on 12/23/2005 2:12:00 PM EST by Publius6961 (The IQ of California voters is about 420........... .............cumulatively)
Here a PLO executive Committee member admits "The Palestinian people does not exist".
Well i can only go by what the editorial says..I have heard the old patriach on radio,saying this was a "fix" and not done the coorect way. But in the end coming out with those ideals in todays world. Do you think israel will give a darn over whose land the knesset sits??or will the greek church be in Athens?
Actually, it has to do with the canons of the Holy Orthodox Church which forbid bishops, even patriarchs, from alienating church property. The canons were specifically drawn up to prevent the kind of deals between the church and the government (or those cosy with the government) that Ireneos entered into.
Applying the rules originally drawn up to prevent the secular authorities of the Christian Empire and monied interests allied to them from getting profits at the expense of the church to the secular authorities of Israel and monied interests allied to them is not anti-semitic, just proper canon law.
Ireneos was a scandal in corners of the Orthodox world which don't give a fig for the 'Palestinian cause', and was rightly deposed. If Irenoes's actions had been on the up and up, he could have passed them through the Holy Synod of Jerusalem, instead of making back-room deals on his own.
Sounds good,(your explanation)but it seems (smacks of )this is being done just to Ass-kiss the palestinians out of fear or reprisals..There will be a 3rd coming-the day the Knesset gives the land back to the orthodox church or Palestinians--Good luck on that one
Rang, this editorial is complete hogwash. The Reader is right. Irenaeous was a crook who blackmailed his way into the Patriarchate and was rightly deposed by the Holy Synod of the JP, an action confirmed by all the other Patriarchs of Orthodoxy...and believe me, there is no great love among those men, or their Churches, for the dog vomit PLO or their fellow travelers Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
I think you're being a bit generous.
The Jerusalem Patriachate is the oldest of all Orthodox Christian jurisdictions; dating back to Pentacost it is the original Church of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is very sad that great church must endure its current trials in the crossfire between arab and jew. It's parishoners are predominently arabs. There are many beautiful arab Christian people. There are also many who see themselves as arab first and Christian second. Many of these latter are undoubtedly "closet" muslims infiltrating the Church much the same as the soviet KGB did the Russian Orthodox Church. Historically the Patriarch has not had much confidance in the arab clergy. But it looks like one may have just been elevated to Bishop by the new Patriarch. If he is a terrorist sympathizer, this could prove to be very bad for the Patriarch. There is no place in the church for those who espouse killing of innocent people including school children.
In point of fact, the IQ bit was directly from Publius6961's post. But I agree that is a functional description of the California electorate.
Too many smart socialists for too many years have left California in a Mell of a Hess.
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