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Haaretz.com ... Theofilos's invitation addressed him simply as "bishop," Aristarchos said. Irineos I attended the annual party for Christian leaders, said Avi Granot, political adviser to Israel's ceremonial president, Moshe Kastsav. |
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Reception
on Dec. 27, 2006 given by the President of Israel Mr. Moshe Katsav
on the occasion of the New Year, for the Heads of the Christian
Communities in Israel. |
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JERUSALEM
PATRIARCH IRENAIOS IS INNOCENT OF CHARGES |
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- January 5 2007: BREAKING NEWS! THE LAWFUL PATRIARCH IRENAIOS OF JERUSALEM IS FOUND INNOCENT! An independent investigation by the Palestinian Authority has found Patriarch Irenaios *innocent* of the accusations made against him of an alleged "inappropriate" church property sale to a group of Israeli investors. This was used by Patriarch Bartholomew to illegally replace Patriarch Irenaios with his own man, Theophilos III, who was made a Bishop only 3 months before Patriarch Irenaios' dismissal. The Ecumenical Patriarchate stirred up the Sacred Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, inciting some of them against the innocent Patriarch Irenaios so as to have him removed from office. Patriarch Irenaios was not deposed but rather dismissed. Thus he remains the lawful Patriarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate according to Israeli law. |
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Patriarch Irenaios had fully consented to the wishes of the Palestinian
Authority's investigation of the accounting books and transactions.
At the same time, the illegally elected new Patriarch Theophilos III
would not comply with the investigation. A "Vavylos Phocas,"
who uses three aliases, and a Mr Papadimos, have been cited as the
guilty parties who worked in the Patriarchal accounting office. It should also be noted that Theophilos III is not recognized by the Israeli Government but Patriarch Irenaios is recognized by them as the lawful Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. The title of the special News Report will be: "Patriarch Irenaios Was Framed! Patriarch Irenaios Is Innocent!" Please do not miss this ground breaking News Report! @ http://sbn-nathanael.livejournal.com/ |
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| Article/book
#: 21920 Title: PA clears Greek Orthodox patriarch in property deals By: Associated Press (AP) |
Published in: Ha'aretz Date of issue: Tuesday, 5 July 2005 |
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It was not clear to what extent the findings might have been influenced by the PA's attempt to wrest the properties from Jewish hands. Senior Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said their main objective was to cancel the property transactions, and that Irineos has been cooperating with them. |
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The
Patriarch of Jerusalem, Irineos I, is innocent !!! |
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15/07/2005
HAARETZ.com "The PA decided to revoke recognition at the timing of its choice, and as far as I know, it was recommended by the committee set up to examine the affair. The committee's report is very different from the position of Irineos' Palestinian lawyers, clearing him of all involvement in the real estate deal," she said. |
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Eleni
Sourani Greek consul general in Jerusalem |
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| The
statement issued by Dr Emil Jarjoui Dr.
Emil Jarjoui is the head of the Palestinian Ministerial Investigation
Commission for the deal of Jaffa Gate, member of the Executive Committee
of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and member of the
Palestinian Legislative Council. The investigation
commission led a professional, honest and objective investigation,
by meeting and investigating with 20 people in relation with the
Patriarchate, including bishops, institutions, companies, banks,
governmental bureaus and lawyers’ offices, and examined a
large number of testimonials and documents. The commission has adopted
more than one source of information and issued a report of 50 pages
composed of 13 chapters with annexes and letters. Although it has
been a year since that report has been issued, no official or public
authorities, here or elsewhere, have protested nor denied any of
its documents or even made an attempt to prove untrue. Even those
people named in the report and accused of criminal violations, betrayal,
robbery and fraud, did not protest. • There is no evidence to convict Irineos of Jaffa Gate deal. He is not involved in it and had no knowledge about it neither while it was prepared, taking place nor while signing it, he also did not participate in it, did not benefit from it and did not authorize anyone to make it neither earlier nor later. Therefore it was not presented to the Synod for validation according to the Patriarchate’s laws, so it is void and illegal. • It was Papadimas, the church financial officer, who signed the deal, taking advantage of an authorization granted to him to accomplish a house rent. Later on, Papadimas disappeared, embezzled money from the Patriarchate funds and fled away. He is now a suspect, he keeps important relations with clergy in the Patriarchate, other right wing and settlement Israeli parties, and information and governmental services. He was employed in the Patriarchate under pressure from the Greek Military Attaché in Tel Aviv embassy. Irineos was a victim to a dangerous conspiracy “yes a major and dangerous conspiracy”, to dismiss him, in concert with some of the Patriarchate’s employees, Synod members...Read More |
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| Article/book
#: 24741 Title: Greek Orthodox Church sets bizarre patriarch precedent |
By:
Lily Galili Published in: Ha'aretz Date of issue: Sunday, 21 August 2005 |
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Barring any last-minute changes, as of tomorrow morning Jerusalem's Greek Orthodox Church will have two patriarchs: Irineos the First, who is recognized only by Israel, and a new patriarch recognized by most of the Orthodox world, and by Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. This bizarre state of affairs presents a problem for the Greek Orthodox Church, but more of a problem for Israel, which is on a collision course with the Orthodox world. Israel's stubborn position has provoked harsh criticism from the Greek government, which is embarrassed by the affair and seeks to end it quickly.Dr. Peter Qumri discloses and documents: The truth and background of the conspiracy to remove Irineos, and the reality of Theophilus and the corrupts controlling the inside of the Patriarchate. Dr. Peter Qumri is a Palestinian public figure, well known for his interest in the Arab Orthodox issue, the Patriarchate and the happenings in. |
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Former
Deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis stated that the decisions
of the Panorthodox Meeting have to be accepted by everone, noting,
"Whoever deviates or does not conform will bear the responsibility
of any negative developments" |
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| He
had a significant role in the establishment and leadership of a number
of boards of trustees and other Orthodox committees, the founder of
Orthodox youth movements and Sunday schools, holder of the Holy Sepulcher
medal of the “high commander” rank, which is the highest
medal a layman can have. Al Quds newspaper published a long interview with Dr. Qumri concerning this issue on 13.04.06. Then in June 2006 he sent a long letter to Metropolitan Theophilus, making it also an open letter to the congregation and whoever is concerned. What follows is a summary of the positions and primary information that appeared in the long interview and letter: ...I was among the first who called to withdraw the confidence from the Patriarch Irineos. And I say frankly with a living conscience: Now I condemn myself for my hastiness and I apologize for my rashness, since what accompanied the news was a major revolution that no one could stand in its way. Then this revolution acted under the influences, internal and external, on both levels, of the Church and of the relation between the Church and the members of the Arab congregation. History will write about these facts in the future, and I say honestly that it was a conspiracy by the Greek government, in the person of Skandalakis, the deputy foreign minister who was fired two months ago from his office, when the Greek government discovered the extent of his conspiracy against the Patriarchate and the situation of schism to which it led. This is added to the plot of the Oecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeo in Constintinople against the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The reason for this plot was that the Greek deputy foreign minister had held for himself an amount of 4 millions dollars from the rent of a piece of land owned by the Patriarchate in Greece willing to transfer it to an Olympic village at the last Olympic games held in Athens in 2004. Irineos was against the corruption and bribery that accompanied this deal and he warned to go the courts to annul it. ....I don’t support Patriarch Irineos, but I support the right. There is nothing more hurting than to feel the injustice done to others. Every conscientious man is asked to stand with the right and to lift the oppression. Patriarch Irineos has the right now to hold the throne and the spiritual leadership, since he was elected democratically. Read More |
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| Article/book
#: 37261 Title: Hanegbi confirms Israel's support of ousted Greek Patriarch Irineos |
By:
Lily Galili Published in: Ha'aretz Date of issue: Monday, 24 April 2006 |
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Holy
Fire, (Patriarch Irineos I) |
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A
summary of the open letter sent by Dr. Peter Qumri to Theophilus
and the congregation |
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Theophilus |
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As for accusing
Irineos with the Jaffa Gate deal, I believed that, until I found
the truth and put my finger on the wound. The folks revolted when
the news about the deal was spread by Maariv newspaper, the instigators
and ill wishers, from inside the Patriarchate and its outside, hurried
to undertake the fictitious news and end the situation to what it
is now. I thought, for the first instant, that the speaker is Jew, but after listening to the newspapers headings on the next day (morning of Friday 18/3/2005, the day when Maariv disclosed the news about Jaffa Gate deal), I started to doubt that the speaker was Greek, not a Jew, and from inside the Patriarchate. What assured me is that one of the bishops, we knew it later, called on the same day, Thursday 17/3/2005, one of his friends named Samir (we keep his family name), asking him to listen on the next day to the newspapers heading program on the Israeli station. What does that mean, reverend fathers? Doesn’t it mean that one of the dimensions of the plot on his beatitude Patriarch Irineos is inside the Patriarchate, among those whose interests overlapped with the goals of those involved, from outside the Patriarchate, who have their own agendas and desires in settling, with the patriarch, their own election and status accounts? Read more Chasing the PatriarchThe support of the Greek clerics in the Patriarchate remained, despite what was published by Ma’ariv and despite the outcry and the Arab protest and condemnation following the publication. Key Synod members continued to defend the Patriarch and denied any involvement by him in the deal. They augmented
their support and backing of the Patriarch with a petition signed
by 55 priests, archimandrites and bishops. They forwarded the petition
to the Greek Prime Minister, demanding action or intervention against
some clerics who incited against the Patriarch and inflamed tempers
against him. At first, the petition was signed by the opposition. Later, they
approached the priests, monks and the bishops who supported the
Patriarch and pressured them to sign it. (The
Palestinian Commission) |
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The Palestinian Commission, To probe the facts and realities of the so-called Baab Al-Khalil and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate |
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Introduction On March 19, 2005 the Palestinian Cabinet decided
to set up a fact-finding special committee to investigate a report
published by Ma’ariv regarding a deal to sell property belonging
to Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The aforementioned
property is located in the court of Omar Bin el Khattab inside the
Old City of Jerusalem. This property included the Imperial Hotel
and the building of Petra Hotel. The Committee was charged with
the task of verifying the authenticity of the report, and to collect
as many realities, facts and information as it could relevant to
the issue. The Committee would then put forward a full picture of
what had happened as well as its recommendation as to the necessary
procedures that should be taken to stop the deal, cancel it and
declare it null and void. Ireneos' path was not paved with roses when he assumed
the leadership of the Patriarchate. From the beginning of his election
to the post as Patriarch of the Holy City, he found himself engulfed
with strong and shrewd opposition and contenders having close contacts
with countries, officials and strong politicians in Israel, Jordan,
Greece and Russia, etc. The property files were not in order. They were
not in their proper place at the Patriarchate’s Treasury Department.
As well as the files of the deals which were arranged, edited, signed
and endorsed by his predecessors. These were not in the offices
of the Patriarchate, but they were distributed and kept at the offices
of the lawyers who handled them. In view of all the above, he was
unable to see what his predecessors have done or what they have
left him. That was still in need of handling and follow-up, and
to apprise himself of what was going on. In the summer of 2002 or around it, the military attaché at the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv visited Bishop Kyriakos, Bishop of Nazareth. He was accompanied by a young man named Nicolas Papadimas, a Greek from Ioannina, living in Tel Aviv and married to an Israeli new immigrant from Russia. The attaché claimed that Papadimas had applied for a job at the embassy, but the embassy turned him down for lack of a vacancy. The attaché requested Bishop Kyriakos help Papadimas, being a Greek, get a job at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. He showed his desire in finding him a job. Bishop Kyriakos agreed to recommend Papadimas to the Patriarch. In fact, an appointment was made with the Patriarch whom he visited with Papadimas. He suggested to the Patriarch to employ Papadimas, explaining that the Greek Embassy was keen on finding him a job. The Patriarch approved of the recommendation, and assigned Papadimas to the post of accountant in the Patriarchate’s Financial Department. None of those around the Patriarch demonstrated
or filed an objection or any remark concerning the employment of
Papadimas at any time until his escape. None of the officials or
advisors around the Patriarch has ever mentioned any flaw in the
performance of Papadimas. Not even a remark was made concerning
his performance or his way of managing the funds of the Patriarchate
or any remark concerning the persons he met and dealt with. One day in November 2004, i.e., ten days before the escape of Papadimas, and while the Patriarch was on his way back to Jerusalem from Tel-Aviv together with a priest in his car, an anonymous car rammed the Patriarch’s car and fled the scene. The Patriarch suspected it was an attempt on his life. A few days later, the Greek Foreign Ministry called the Patriarch and notified him that the wife of Papadimas was arrested while entering Greece. She was carrying 120.000 Euros and various jewelries. The Ministry enquired if her husband was actually working for the Patriarchate. The Foreign Ministry instructed the Patriarch to seal the treasury and deny Papadimas any access to it. He complied. Papadimas disappeared during this period. Four days
prior to his escape he resorted to an Israeli friend of his and
asked him to find him a refuge, under the pretext that settlers
were chasing him following his failure to complete a property deal
with them. When he failed {to find refuge} he fled the country.
Two days later the Patriarch knew about his escape to an unknown
place. Upon knowing that, the Patriarch initiated an internal investigation.
He also lodged a complaint with the Greek authorities against Papadimas.
He demanded that they arrest him and put him to trial for embezzlement
of money from the Patriarchate. We were not able yet to receive all the relevant account sheets. We didn't receive yet copies of the payment transfers and vouchers of payment at the bank. Fourth: On October 19, 2004, Papadimas, acting on behalf of the patriarch, signed a lease contract for real estate plot No 45 lot 30859 including the house built on it in Al-Mo'athamiyya Str. No. 18, Bab Hutta- Old City. The lease duration is 99 years for the amount of $55,000 US dollars in three payments, the first installment $10,000 US dollars to be paid within 30 days, the second payment for $15,000 US dollars to be paid on January 1, 2005, the third for $15,000 US dollars to be paid on February 1, 2005. The fourth payment for $15,000 US dollars was to be paid on March 1, 2005. These payments were supposed to be transferred to
the said Bank Leumi account. But there was no mention of these amounts
in the accounts we received, bearing in mind that despite our request
to the bank, it didn't deliver them to us. Papadimas was authorized to sign for the said account as well as for all the Patriarchate's accounts at the banks, in the capacity of the position he held at the time. We could not find in the documents which we received
and reviewed, any signature or any evidence indicating that the
Patriarch received any amount of the transferred payments. In addition,
the buyers' lawyer acknowledges that he did not remit any amount
to the Patriarch. 1. In accordance with the information and data we received, we have not heard or received any evidence or proof, incriminating Patriarch Ireneos of knowing about a deal before its being signed or during the signing of and until the flight of Papadimas from the country. 2. He did not participate in the proceedings at any stage. 3. He did not receive any amount from any deal, despite the fact that all the payments were made to the account of the Patriarchate. 4. The deals were never presented to the Synod of the Holy Tomb Brotherhood, because the Patriarch was not aware of them. Therefore
the Synod did not endorse them, a matter which renders these deals
legally invalid so they remain incomplete. Read
More |
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| NEOI ANTHROPOI newspaper, Athens. 10-11-2006 , JERUSALEM: The lie never hides the Truth! | ||||||
It’s
a difficult time for . . . diplomats. The news that is coming from
Jerusalem is not pleasant at all for the “illuminators”
of the Foreign Ministry, who worked with special zeal in order to
guide our Patriarchate to today’s tragic dead end. |
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