World Orthodox Leaders Gather in Istanbul

[Ekaterina]

May 24, 2005
World Orthodox Leaders Gather in Istanbul
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 5:32 a.m. ET

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- World Orthodox leaders gathered Tuesday in Istanbul, the ancient seat of Orthodoxy, to decide whether to stop recognizing the beleaguered patriarch of Jerusalem, Irineos I, and assert a rare unified position on the crisis facing the church in the Holy Land.

Representatives of the world's 14 main Orthodox churches gathered in the rare ''pan-Orthodox'' synod presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians.

Irineos has persistently refused to resign despite efforts by his own church members to depose him over explosive allegations that his church leased property to Jewish investors in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider their capital.

He did not speak as he entered the Patriarchate.

Bartholomew prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide the clerics in making their decision as they met in the gold-adorned Cathedral of St. George. It was not clear when a decision would be made.

The Istanbul proceedings are the first major pan-Orthodox summit in more than a decade. The gathering has no authority to formally dismiss Irineos or pick his successor. That duty rests solely with the synod, or governing council, of the Jerusalem church. Irineos refuses to convene the synod.

But leading clerics from churches in Greece, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and other Orthodox countries may use the Istanbul meeting to further isolate Irineos and voice opinions about how to regain the church's credibility after months of upheaval in Jerusalem.

Orthodox clerics supporting Irineos' removal -- represented by six bishops at the synod -- claim they have already voted to remove him as patriarch and seek endorsement from the pan-Orthodox synod representing the highest authority in the Orthodox church.

''The Church of Jerusalem has a problem. We solved it,'' said Cornelius, the Metropolitan of Petra. ''We want our decision justified by the whole Orthodox church.''

But Irineos' attorney, Franciscos Ragoussis, signaled his client would continue to fight his ouster.

A former financial adviser to Irineos is accused of giving Jewish investors 198-year leases for two church-owned hostels and several shops in the Old City. Palestinians were outraged, claiming the deals were part of Jewish encroachment to Arab quarters.

The scandal represented an embarrassment for the Orthodox church and Monday's meeting was widely seen as an effort by Bartholomew and other church leaders to improve its image in the Holy Land.

For Bartholomew, a member of Turkey's tiny Greek minority, the meeting also represents an assertion of his authority, which has sometimes come under challenge from Turkey and within the Orthodox church.

On Tuesday, about a dozen Turkish nationalists shouted slogans and waved Turkish flags outside the meeting, accusing Bartholomew of trying to form an independent state like the Vatican inside Turkey.

''A state within a state: This is called treachery,'' one poster said.

[Ekaterina]

May 24, 2005
Orthodox Leaders Won't Recognize Irineos I
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 12:13 p.m. ET

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- World Orthodox leaders voted Tuesday to stop recognizing the patriarch of Jerusalem, Irineos I, church officials said, asserting a rare unified position on the crisis facing the Church in the Holy Land.

The vote came during a rare ''pan-Orthodox'' synod involving the 12 main Orthodox churches and presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians.

Church members have tried to depose Irineos over explosive allegations that his church leased property to Jewish investors in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians consider their capital. Irineos has persistently refused to resign.

Tuesday's vote, taken during the synod, does not directly call for Irineos' removal, but the act of refusing to recognize his authority is expected to put additional pressure on him to resign.

The Istanbul proceedings are the first major pan-Orthodox summit in more than a decade. However, the gathering has no authority to formally dismiss Irineos or pick his successor.

That duty rests solely with the synod, or governing council, of the Jerusalem church, and Irineos refuses to convene the synod.

Orthodox clerics supporting Irineos' removal -- represented by six bishops at the synod -- claim they already have voted to remove him as patriarch, and they sought the endorsement of the pan-Orthodox synod representing the highest authority in the Orthodox church.

Cornelius, the Metropolitan of Petra, said Tuesday's vote would boost efforts by church leaders in the Holy Land to remove the patriarch.

''He can call himself patriarch, but he is not,'' Cornelius said.

He added that church leaders in the Holy Land would appoint a caretaker by next week.

Irineos was asked by reporters as he was leaving the patriarchate whether he would resign. He said nothing, but waved his finger back and forth as if to indicate no.

[TomS]

Turks Against the Panorthodox Synod
Protest Outside Phanar 24 May 2005 14:35:00

By Athina Saloustrou

A "Committee of Neighbors" consisting of several people holding Turkish flags protested earlier in the area of Phanar over the Panorthodox Synod which is held in the Church of Saint George. "Patriarch Bartholomew is setting a Christian religious court in Turkey," red a hand-written note, which the protestors gave reporters. "This constitutes a confirmation of Ecumenicalism, which means the violation of the Lausanne Treaty and translates into an important step towards the establishment of a second Vatican," said the note. "It’s outrageous for this institution (the Ecumenical Patriarchate) that does not obey the laws of the Turkish state to stand on its grounds," also red the note asking for the Patriarchate's removal. The note is signed by the "Platform of Phener and Balat citizens." Similar views have been voiced in the Turkish Press by representatives of the nationalistic movement , known as the "Grey Wolves."

[Jean-Serge]

The fact is really shocking... Excepted the Georgian church that voted NO and the Polish and Antiochan church that chose abstention, the other suggested Eirenaios to resign in order to re-establish peace in the Patriarchate... And his name has been erased from the Diptycs... not for a matter of faith but due to a secular affair in which his culpability has not been established yet...

Meanwhile ecumenist patriarchs remain in office and are commemorated! Shame on this so-called pan-orthodox synod!

Why did the Patriarch receive such a tiny support? Is this a plot?

The funniest thing is that the Greek church also voted his resignation despite its own scandal...

[spyridon]

So what will happen now? who will take over and it seems that the next big shot there at the church of the Resurrection is the Armenian church,Right?...who exactly owns this church of the resurrection???.......
please forgive me if Im wrong, but I was told that a muslim family has run and managed,and cleaned this church for over 500 years.
apparently this Muslim family hands over the job to the next of kin...
is it not true that the Christians in this area of Palestine are closer to the muslims and almost at peace amongst themselves..Ive also noticed
( personally from my past<I have been a visitor at both of these) there way of worshipping is somehow related, at a orthodox church service of either this Patri-archate of jerusalem or say Coptic Orthodox there way of singing sounds identical to the Muslim prayer that they do 5 times a day in a mosque,and they even use microphones and speakers to amplify this almost spellbinding chant of a yodle..they also take off there shoes,upon worshiping.............
the muslims take off upon entering the mosque and Coptics before walking up in front of the iconostas,or reading or singing......anyway back to the point it seems that the christians and muslims in this area are trying to strengthen ties with each other solely because of property in this holy city. The "this is my land,get out" idea seems more important than the fact that this is a Christian begining to an end....would a non arab or greek be allowed as metropolitan in Jerusalem,probally not-I think Damaskinos of Jaffa will succeed in taking this shakey Ground..............

[Mor Ephrem]

.Ive also noticed
( personally from my past<I have been a visitor at both of these) there way of worshipping is somehow related, at a orthodox church service of either this Patri-archate of jerusalem or say Coptic Orthodox there way of singing sounds identical to the Muslim prayer that they do 5 times a day in a mosque,and they even use microphones and speakers to amplify this almost spellbinding chant of a yodle..they also take off there shoes,upon worshiping.............
the muslims take off upon entering the mosque and Coptics before walking up in front of the iconostas,or reading or singing......

The similarities are due to the fact that the Muslims derived much of their piety (prostrations, taking off of shoes, etc.) from traditional Orthodox Christian practice, and you are right to note that these venerable practices are continued by the Coptic Orthodox Church and the other Oriental Orthodox Churches. Many are also practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Churches (although I've never seen the "no shoe" thing practiced).

As far as musical styles go, it seems that the farther East you go, the music is more "chanty", and this may well have had an influence on Muslim chanting; or, perhaps, traditional Middle Eastern music is just like that. Although I've never seen Slavs use microphones, I've seen Greeks, Armenians, and Indians use them (I've never seen Copts use them, but I wouldn't be surprised).

[Jean-Serge]

The topic is the anti-canonical destitution of Patrairch Ireneaos I and not a comparative study about Christian and Muslim practices...