A church official said here that the patriarch, who will arrive on Oct. 2 for a three-day visit, is scheduled to hold talks with His Majesty King Abdullah and Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb.

“We hope that the patriarch's visit will mark a new page in the church's reform and strengthen ties between the establishment and its followers here,” Archimandrite Christofos Hanna of Amman's Greek Orthodox archdiocese told The Jordan Times.

On Tuesday, top clergy of Greek Orthodox churches from Latakia, Russia, Alexandria and Constantinople in addition to Jordanian government officials, clerics and followers of the Greek Orthodox Church will take part in a half-hour march starting from Amman's Sheraton Hotel to the Sweifiyeh-based church, where the patriarch will be inducted.

The event is to be followed by a reception at Al Hussein Sports City.

“Holding the ceremony in Jordan is very important,” Hanna maintained, as the patriarchate is committed to Jordanian law. “It also reflects the positive ties the church enjoys with the Hashemite family.”

Less than two weeks ago, Irenios was inducted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after he was approved by a Royal Decree as the patriarch of Jerusalem on Aug. 24.

Israel, which attempted to influence the patriarchate's elections, has not yet approved Irenios I as the new church head. Israel first banned five prelates from an election list in July but later revoked its decision.

“The church informed the Israeli government about the election of Irenios I, but we haven't received the go-ahead,” Hanna said. “What really matters is the Jordanian consent. We do not care about the rest,” he continued.

Irenios I is the 140th patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church started in 33 AD.

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