The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew recognized dismissal of the Jerusalem Patriarch Irineuos for his involvement in selling the church property in the old city of Jerusalem to Jewish Investors.
Patriarch Bartholomew, the highest in the Greek church, wrote to Irineuos addressing him without his official title as ‘Patriarch’, which is a sign of recognition of Irineuos’ dismissal, spokesman of the Patriarchate, Archimandrite Attallah Hanna said.
Archimandrite Hanna added that a meeting for the Holy Sepulcher brethren decided to dismiss Patriarch Irineuos from his post as head of the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem.
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Despite this, Irineuos officially is a Patriarch until Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority official approve his dismissal.
‘The decision to dismiss Irineuos is not reversable because he committed a ‘Great Treason’ that is why the synod fired him,’ Archimandrite Hanna said.
News about Irineuos whereabouts are not clear yet. While some sources reported that the fired Patriarch is in Jerusalem, but is abandoned by all the priests and monks, other reports said he left secretly under Israeli security protection. None of the reports were confirmed.
Archimandrite Hanna said the next job now is to find a good Patriarch that protects the church and the denomination.
