Let’s all shed a tear for ousted, “martyred” patriarch Iranaeus of Jerusalem, a prisoner in his own apartment (which he won’t leave lest he be denied re-entry by his successor and “nemesis,” Theophilus). Not. Iranaeus was ousted from his life-tenure position in the wake of allegations of shady real-estate deals involving long-term leases of church-owned properties in the Old City (arguably Palestine) made to “fronts for a Jewish settlers group.” The moral of the story? Greeks Go Home! There are enough difficult tribal sortings in Jerusalem without the exotic import of Greek clergymen.

For many local members of the church, the goings-on in the patriarchate, particularly the land issues, have merely confirmed long-held grievances.

“The problem is that the patriarchs come from Greece,” said Khaled Ikhleif, a Palestinian taxi driver from Bethlehem in the West Bank. “They are foreign, not Arab, and they do not understand our problems.”

Mr. Ikhleif was attending epiphany celebrations at Qasr al-Yahud, a spot on the Jordan River where Jesus was said to have been baptized. The site, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is in a border area surrounded by minefields. After a procession and a ceremony led by Theophilos, pilgrims immersed themselves in the opaque, khaki-color water, momentarily oblivious to all dissension and discord.

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 at 10:30 am.