Theophilos III was ordained Tuesday as the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, amidst harsh controversy.
The ordination came after a long period of embarrassment and fury inside the church, and despite the fact that the government of Israel has not authorized the nomination.
A few months ago the church decided to oust Patriarch Irineos, who was blamed, among other things, for selling church real estate properties in Jerusalem’s Old City into the hands of foreigners. It is not yet known who the buyer was, but various reports indicate that it may be a Jewish association.
Two weeks ago, Theophilos III appealed to Israel’s High Court of Justice, saying Israel tried to force him into acknowledging the real estate deals in the Old City.
A few days later, the Israeli minister in charge of Jerusalem affairs, Tzahi Hanegbi, sent a letter to the church, demanding that it not go ahead with the ordination, explaining Israel had not authorized it, and still considers Irineos as the lawful patriarch.
The government of Israel is supposed to answer the new patriarch’s appeal by next Sunday, but due to the political developments [3] it may take longer.
Church officials who spoke to The Media Line on Tuesday after the ordination ceremony, said they hope the new patriarch will bring calm to the church. They also denounced Israel’s insistence not to approve the new nomination, saying it should be within the church’s authority, not the state’s.