Church heads expel patriarch over sale of land to settlers

[emad]

May 06, 2005

Times
From Stephen Farrell in Jerusalem



THE Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem suffered a devastating blow to his authority yesterday when his own church leaders broke off contact with him amid fury over the sale of church lands in Jerusalem to Jewish settlers.

Thirteen bishops and 25 archimandrites said that they considered Patriarch Erinaios dismissed, accusing him of being “incorrigibly caught up in a syndrome of lying, religious distortion, degradation of the patriarchate’s role, and irresponsible mishandling of patriarchate property”.

For weeks controversy has swirled around the Church’s sale of two Palestinian-run hotels to Jewish investors from abroad. The identity of the buyers is unknown but the New Imperial and Petra hotels lie just inside the Jaffa Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s walled Old City, and cater to Western backpackers and Christian pilgrims.

The officials have threatened legal proceedings against the 140th Patriarch of the Sacred City of Jerusalem and of the Whole of Palestine, and his associates “to revoke all suspect deals and restore all that was sold”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-1600451,00.html

[carnie_sf]

1. Wow, a corrupt patriarch

who woulda thunk it?

[David__77]

2. Selling land to settlers is treason.

It's not like anyone besides one group will ever be able to purchase it again. It leaves the market--forever, given the current power dynamic.