JERUSALEM, Aug 13, 01 (CWNews.com) - The Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land has elected a new leader for the church, selecting a new patriarch from among a list of several who had been rejected by Israel under an ancient protocol.
The synod of the local church elected Metropolitan Irineos to succeed the late Diodorus I. Under an ancient Ottoman law, the Greek Orthodox synod in the Holy Land submits candidates to the sovereign power in the area, which now includes Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. While the latter two accepted all the names on the list of 15 men, Israel objected to five, including Irineos, citing "security considerations" and "interests in Jerusalem."
Israel withdrew its objections earlier this month after coming under Greek Orthodox and international pressure to stay out of the church's affairs. "This election result is a great disappointment for the Israeli government," Rabbi David Rosen, a leading Israeli inter-faith activist, said. "Irineos is seen as less amenable and less willing (than other nominees) to kowtow to Israeli interests. This result proves the real futility of the effort and assumption you can draw the map to suit your own political interest," he said.
Since the Greek Orthodox Church owns large tracts of land in Jerusalem, it exerts a huge influence on the political environment. Diodorus had leased or sold several large tracts of land to Israel to the displeasure of many Arabs. Israel was seen as wary of the church being led by a pro-Arab patriarch.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
13. august 2001