The Arab awakening of the Orthodox patriarchate of Jerusalem reloaded

As it was mentioned here before, the Greek Orthodox - more correctly called the Rum Orthodox - patriarchate of Jerusalem has a legitimation problem (watch some footage here). The patriarchate, which covers Jordan (with a sizable Orthodox population) Palestine and Israel, has an almost entirely Arab congregation but the highest ranking clergy including the patriarch is from Greece. It's a long ongoing struggle of emancipation from the Greeks which dates back way to the mandatory period, when the Orthodox community had its own Arab awakening. But the struggle against Greek domination is also deeply connected to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, mainly because the patriarchate is often accused of being to soft to Israeli demands, foremost selling church owned land to the Jewish state. Also the measures against the lately increasing efforts towards the conscription of Christians to the IDF, which is propagated by an Orthodox priest, are lukewarm if any.

Remember, Irenaios I, the predecessor of the current patriarch Theophilos III, was ousted in 2005 over controversial real estate deals with Israeli developers.

Palestinians push to end Greek 'occupation' of patriarchate
by Ahmad Melhem, Al-Monitor

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Greek Orthodox Church in Palestine and Jordan is witnessing a movement akin to an intifada against Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan over actions that organizers of the movement call “racist and wasteful.” 

On Dec. 27, the executive committee of the Arab Central Orthodox Council in Palestine and Jordan began a campaign against the patriarch, coinciding with his participation in Christmas celebrations. A number of protesters raised banners that read “unworthy” during sit-ins and marches organized in Bethlehem on Jan. 6 and posted “Theophilos is unworthy” on social networking sites. Movement organizers accuse the patriarch of “diverting church lands to Israel and making unfair decisions against Arab monks,” the latest being the removal from office of Archimandrite Christophoros and the reduction of the salaries of Archbishop Atallah Hanna and Archimandrite Meletios Basal. 

Protesting Arab Orthodox youths in Jordan and Palestine issued a Dec. 16 statement describing the decision as “uncanonical and taken by an unqualified synod,” adding, “Theophilos is not the legitimate patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem. He is unworthy of trust and neither he nor his synod represents us or represents the Arab Orthodox flock in Jordan and Palestine.” 

The patriarch's leasing of 71 dunums (16 acres) of land belonging to the Saint Elias Monastery south of Jerusalem to an Israeli company raised the ire of the Orthodox community in Palestine when the deal became public in 2009. In a press conference attended by Al-Monitor on Jan. 5, Central Orthodox Council member Uday Bajali described the move as serving the settlers’ interests, saying, “This deal will besiege the village of Beit Safafa and will allow the expansion of settlements in Jabal Abu Ghneim, Gilo, Givat Hamatos and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.” Bajali accused the patriarch of “colluding with Israel to divert lands without any oversight,” adding, “Unworthy is he who sells property to Israel, does not serve his flock and contributes to displacing our youths.” 

But Hanna Omeira, the head of the Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs, told Al-Monitor, “As per legal procedures, the [Palestinian] Authority is keeping abreast of news about the diversion of land in Jaffa Gate and the areas around St. Elias. The latest row against the patriarch was caused by his decision to dismiss Father Christophoros; a decision that we asked the church not to implement, while bolstering coordination with the Jordanian government to study and find solutions to all contentious issues.” 

According to organizers, the Orthodox movement aims to fulfill their fathers’ battle to rid the patriarchate of “Greek occupation.” 

An official from the Central Orthodox Council who wished to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor, “The movement in Palestine and Jordan aims to ultimately and completely restore the Orthodox Church to Arab control, following Greek hegemony thereon since 1534. We must put an end to the racism practiced by the patriarchate against Arabs since the former was taken over by the Greeks 500 years ago, and reform it in a manner that guarantees Arab participation in the management of its affairs and the decision-making process therein.” 

According to the Central Orthodox Council, Greek monk Germanos, who headed the patriarchate after the Greek takeover of the latter in 1543, in the 47 years of his rule dismissed all Arab monks from the patriarchate in collaboration with the political authorities involving bribery. 

Alif Sabbagh, a member of the Central Orthodox Council in Israel, told Al-Monitor, “The Orthodox movement is methodical and based on a specific future outlook, as part of a long-term strategic plan to reform the Orthodox Church and restore its Arab flock’s right to manage its affairs.” (…)

The prevailing signs seem to indicate that voices of dissent inside the Orthodox Church will only grow louder as long as the Greek Patriarchate refuses to listen to their demands. In the meantime, protesters will continue to call Theophilus “unworthy” until he is removed from office.

Further reading on the real estate issue:
Itamar Katz & Ruth Kark: The Church and Landed Property: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in: Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 43, No. 3, 383–408, May 2007.

A Jordanian perspective on the current Arabization movement:
Arab Orthodox priests launch ‘correction’ movement amid continued dispute with Greek leadership by Rula Samain, The Jordan Times