Fights Between Armenian And Greek Priests

[Dave]

Fire Ceremony brings groups to boiling point

 

By Amiram Barkat and Jonathan Lis

 

Yesterday at 2 P.M., fire emerged from the darkened structure where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried. This was the climax of the Ceremony of Holy Fire, held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem on the Saturday before Orthodox Easter. According to church belief, fire descends from heaven to the tomb.

 

Moments before the fire appeared to the roar of the crowd gathered in the church, the ceremony was on the verge of a blow-up. As the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Irineos Iand the Armenian Archbishop Pakrad Bourjekian made their way toward the tomb, fights broke out between the priests of the two communities - with police attempting to separate them. The two senior church leaders, who had entered the tomb alone, faced off inside.

 

There has been strict adherance to maintaining the rights of the various Christian sects since 1852, when the Ottoman Turks instituted the status quo.

 

The present dispute dates from 2002, the year Irineos became patriarch. During the ceremony, Irineos extinguished the taper of the Armenian prelate who went in with him to the inner tomb chamber (rather than waiting in the outer room), and a brawl broke out involving hundreds of the faithful. The Greeks claimed the Armenians were trying to change the status quo, but the Armenians said that since the ceremony started in the ninth century, the Armenian representative has gone into the inner room with the Greek patriarch to light his taper directly from the holy fire.

 

In 2003, the Armenians petitioned the High Court of Justice to require the police to enforce the status quo as they saw it. The High Court referred the matter to arbitration by Minister Without Portfolio Nathan Sharansky, but the attempt failed.

 

More than a thousand police were on hand for the ceremony yesterday as thousands of worshipers crowded the church and many more remained outside, watching the ceremony on giant video screens. Irineos appeared, a gold crown on his head, and circumnavigated the tomb three times before entering, followed by Archbishop Bourjekian. During the argument between the two, Irineos opened the tomb doors and asked for the assistance of police Commander Yoram Halevy, who refused to intervene.

 

Irineos emerged from the structure first with his taper lit, but on his way out he tripped and dropped the taper, which went out. Bourjekian reached out and put his candle through a window in the structure and lit the candles of the Armenians, as Irineos hurried back into the tomb to relight his candle. He was then borne out of the rotunda on the shoulders of his flock, as was Bourjekian, with both being viewed as the hero of the day.

 

A few days before the ceremony Greek Orthodox Palestinians had called for Irineos to be deposed for allegedly selling major church properties to Jews. Four Palestinians were arrested outside the church before the ceremony as they shouted insults at Irineos.

 

 

 

This Irineos guy seems to be very problematic, even in the Orthodox community in Jerusalem. Apparently, he sold some of the Greek holdings in Jerusalem to ''an obscure Jewish group''...

Edited May 1, 2005 by Dave

[ED]

this has been going on for ages between Greeks and Armenians in Jerusalem, wile Armenians intend always to keep a low profile, Greeks always see themselves as ultimate authority and the Land lords of holly sites, why Jews would intervene?, they must of enjoyed this very much.

[phantom22]

Are the "Greeks" really Greeks from Greece or are they Palestinians who belong to the Greek Orthodox Church?

[Dave]

I think there are both Greek and Palestinian Orthodox Christians in Jerusalem, but the Orthodox clergy is Greek (and very corrupt). The Palestian Christians are the ones most revolted after Patriarch Irineos sold some of his property to the Israeli government.

 

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3808.shtml

Edited May 1, 2005 by Dave

[phantom22]

Are the majority of the Greek Orthodox Palestinians?

[armjan]

One of the more significant contributions of greeks today is pretty blonde women and gyros

[Nakharar]

Pretty blonde women?? Blonde or "blonde"?

[Armen Half-Celt]

the priests were fighting? how unfortuante

[hytga]

sounds like a freaky cartoon

[Vayri7X]

sounds like a freaky cartoon

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I'll be waiting for a flash animation of our fighting priests Killer Kahaner in one corner and with Goggling Greeks in another, versus the Rabbling Rabbis. Ah well, it looks like our priests don't take no #$ from anyone it looks like we may give the Irish catholics a run for their money , as they have had plenty of prize boxers who are also priests.

 

Scholars have asserted BTW, that the " turn the other cheek" statement so oft quoted in the bible was actually referring to a gesticular way of expressing the "finger" at the time.

 

Who knows?

 

On the other hand... this is but a signof the stress in yghusalem, so, what can you expect from people who have to withstand getting spit on by right-wing jews and then deal with sell-out greek priests? Akh...

[Sasun]

Scholars have asserted BTW, that the " turn the other cheek" statement so oft quoted in the bible was actually referring to a gesticular way of expressing the "finger" at the time.

 

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It's kind of funny how unscholarly can scholars be at times.

[Bakersfieldian]

Gyros are one of the most significant contributions any people have ever made to the world.

 

For this, we are forever in their debt.

 

Other than that this situation is absolutely shameful for everyone involved.

 

One of the more significant contributions of greeks today is pretty blonde women and gyros

style_images/master/snapback.png

Edited May 7, 2005 by Bakersfieldian

[Vayri7X]

Gyros are one of the most significant contributions any people have ever made to the world.

 

For this, we are forever in their debt.

Edited May 7, 2005 by Vayri7X

[Vayri7X]

Gyro eh?

 

 

They better watch it cause see below :

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2005 by Vayri7X

[Stormig]

Vayri, that one's a riot!

[skhara]

This is one of the most stupid things I ever read.

[Nakharar]

Yes. It reminds me of Watercooler games.

[vava]

Ok - so it looks like that Irenios guy has been booted out. So now what happens?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4593397.stm