Greek patriarch boycotts Israeli Christmas party

A clergyman sacked by the church over an alleged land deal in Arab East Jerusalem was invited to the reception as the current patriarch, while his successor was invited as a lower ranking personality, the official said.

"The whole church did not attend. The church cannot be divided into two leaderships", said Archbishop Aristarchos, chief secretary of the patriarchate.

The church's relations with Israel soured after it named Theophilos in August to replace the former patriarch, Irineos I. Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have recognised Theophilos, but Israel has not.

Israeli newspapers have said that the government does not recognise the validity of Irineos's removal and the Israeli cabinet named a committee last month to look into the issue.

Israeli officials could not be reached for comment on the issue, a sensitive one for the Jewish state which cultivates ties with all churches.

The Greek Orthodox Church is a major landowner with title to thousands of acres of property in Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Israel captured in a 1967 war, and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally.

Irineos denied allegations that he had leased church property to Jewish investors in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as capital of a future state.

But the controversy led a synod in Istanbul of the church with a world following of some 300 million to cease recognising Irineos as patriarch. He was replaced by Theophilos in August.

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