Greek Orthodox Church Dismisses Patriarch
The Greek Orthodox Church’s highest ruling body in Jerusalem dismissed Patriarch Irineos I over his alleged role in a land deal that angered Palestinian Christians, church officials said.
The patriarch has been under attack because of a deal in which church property in Jerusalem was leased to a Jewish group.
Such land transactions, although legal, are controversial because Palestinians see them as abetting Jewish efforts to expand their presence in East Jerusalem.
Palestinians consider that sector as the capital of a future state, while Jews claim the entire city as Israel’s eternal capital.
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