Former Patriarch Irenaios of Jerusalem Enters Eternal Rest

OCP News Service – 10/01/2023

Holy Land- Jerusalem: Former Patriarch Irenaios (Skopelitis) of Jerusalem entered eternal rest on January 10, 2023, at Henry Dunant – Errikos Dynan Hospital in Athens. Patriarch Irenaios was the Patriarch of Jerusalem from 2000 – 2005.

Patriarch Irenaios was born on 17 April 1939 in Samos, Greece.  He moved to Jerusalem in 1953. In 2000, and was elected patriarch on 13 August 2001 and was enthroned on 15 September 2001 as Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine. In 2005 he was dethroned and was later degraded to a monk.

The church deposed Irenaios in 2005 over allegations he signed a land deal handing over prime church properties to Jews who seek to increase their presence in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, which Palestinians want for capital of a future state. Irenaios refused to recognize his ouster and locked himself in a room in the patriarchate.

in 2019 he returned to Greece where he spent the rest of this time.

Source:
OCP News Service