Jordan Times
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
King receives Theophilos III
Monarch highlights importance of Arab Christian presence in Holy City
AMMAN (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said he was emphasising the
importance of the Orthodox Church and the Arab Christian presence in Jerusalem
in meetings with political and religious world leaders.
During a meeting yesterday with the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
Theophilos III, King Abdullah said the Holy City should be open to the followers
of the three monotheistic faiths.
The Monarch also called on Christian religious leaders to unite their efforts
and speak in one voice to the West about the challenges that face the Christian
Arab presence in Jerusalem.
At the meeting, attended by the King's Private Adviser HRH Prince Ghazi Ben
Mohammad and the head of the Central Orthodox Council in Jordan and Palestine
Raouf Abu Jaber, King Abdullah said he fully supported the church's efforts to
invalidate transactions for the sale of church property.
The patriarch expressed the church's appreciation for the Monarch's relentless
efforts in supporting its quest to retrieve property that has been leased to
Israeli firms.
He paid tribute to the Hashemite family, which, he said, embodies
Christian-Muslim brotherly ties based on a historic relationship of peaceful
coexistence.
Theophilos III was enthroned in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Nov.
22, formally replacing Irineos I, who was dismissed by the Holy Synod in May
over an alleged multi-million-dollar sale of church land to Jewish investors.