As the Patriarchate Turns

When we last met our Patriarch, or former Patriarch, or deposed Patriarch, or persecuted Patriarch, or corrupt and ousted Patriarch of Jerusalem, he was going to trial in Israel over a property dispute. Israel's Supreme Court would have to rule on whether he's actually the Patriarch before it could determine whether a donation of parish land to a parish would go through. I don't know what the decision was or if it has even come down.

Israel, along with Jordan and Palestine, determines whether he actually keeps his office -- not the synod of the Patriarchate, not the Ecumenical Patriarch and the other bishops of Europe.

Well, today it's reported that the Palestinians have ruled in his favor.

A Palestinian ministerial commission said on Monday it had found no evidence that the ex-head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem was involved in leasing church property to Jewish investors.

If you want to know how weird that is, consider this: one of the gripes spoken against him is that he's Greek bishop among Palestinians, but none of the canons say you can get rid of a bishop because he's Greek.

Stay tuned next week, or the week after, for the next dramatic development from Jerusalem.