AsiasNews.it and Kathimerini have recent news articles concerning the latest development of the saga of our favorite Orthodox Patriarch. It appears Irenaios is completely out of options. Jordan has revoked his passport, and his new passport refers to him as “former patriarch.” Furthermore, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with the head of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos, in Istanbul to set a new course for their relations in the post-Irenaios era. The ousted Jerusalem Patriarch has lost support of his own bishops, of the countries that make up his former jurisdiction and place of residence, and of the leaders of the other autocephalous Orthodox churches, including the spiritual leader Bartholomew.

The fallout of this drama is not fully apparent yet. Currently Israel and Jordan are disputing the extent of their own influence on this Orthodox church. The issue of removing one Patriarch and installing a new one is a hotbed of controversy as everybody thinks they have a say in the matter.

Once again, you might be wondering why I even care so much about this. Let me remind you that it is no small matter for a Patriarch of an Orthodox church to be ousted like this. The fact that he refuses to leave and the political involvement of Middle East nations make this story even more interesting.

-On a side note, I wish Americans could choose names as interesting as Eastern Patriarchs do. The head of the Church of Greece’s name is Archbishop Christodoulos which literally means Archbishop “Christ-servant (or ‘slave’).” Very creative indeed.