The Death of Petros, the Scandal of Irineos, and Mount Athos

[WCTV]

Hello, I am mostly unfamiliar with Orthodoxy, and there are three stories regarding events in international Orthodoxy that I have come across but do not understand, and I am hoping that posters here will have an opinion. There are three major events and several related events of the last few years:

1. The explusion of monks from the Skete of St. Elias on Mt. Athos.

2. The scandals of Irineos, former Patriarch of Jerusalem, where Christian land was secretly sold to investors, and scandals involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime.

3. The deaths of Petros of Alexandria and 17 orthodox clerics in a helicopter crash on their way to visit Mt. Athos.

Are any of these events related?  Does anyone know the purpose of Petros' visit? Had Petros taken any stands on the scandals in Jerusalem?

If this is not the proper forum please let me know. Thank you.

[Fr. George]

Well, to the best of my limited knowledge (and I should state that I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories):

3) The helicopter crash was an accident, and a tragic one.  The passengers were being treated to a nice fly-by view of the peninsula.

1) The expulson of the monks had to do with their non-communion with the EP and the law on Mt. Athos which states that, well, you kinda have to be in communion with the EP.  (I mean, I'm understating the point).  The objection on one side is that it appears like "bullying" by the EP, and on the other side that monks shouldn't be non-commemorating or "rebelling."

2) The scandals in the Church of Jerusalem is that the CHurch, which is one of the largest and wealthiest landowners in Jerusalem and in the nation in general, which is made up primarily of Palestinian people, sold and "leased" land to Jewish investors and the Jewish state a) at a ridiculous rate. which was completely favourable to the Jewish parties, b) in the Old City, which is hotly debated between Jews and palestinians, and is at the core of the Palestinian claims to part of the City.  All this was done without informing hte people, who thus felt betrayed.  The synod disowned Ireneos, and then a synod of the Bishops of the Ecumenical Throne with representatives of each of the other Autocephalous Churches (I think all the ones in the major communion of the EO were represented) refused to recognize Ireneos.  As far as drug traffiking, the issues are with a particular individual, who was close to both the Jerusalem and Athens hierarchies who was a purported drug trafficker; then there are other scandals involving the Greek Church in Greece, but that's for a different discussion (already hashed out on this site).

Threads on the Scandal in Jerusalem: (in chronological order of when they were started, I think)
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5607.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5666.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5728.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5754.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5874.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=5959.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=6049.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=6242.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=6751.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=6993.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=7271.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=7614.0

Threads on the helicopter crash:
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4207.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4208.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4227.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4259.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4343.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=4595.0

Threads/posts on the situation on Mt. Athos w/regards to St. Elias Skete:
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=654.0
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=7570.msg104259#msg104259
http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=7635.msg99360#msg99360

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Free-For-All > Religious Topics > Topic: The Death of Petros, the Scandal of Irineos, and Mount Athos