Jordanian Orthodox Hold a Third Protest in Amman

23/6/14

Amman: Arab Orthodox youth demonstrated in the Jordanian capital Amman in front of the bishopric, where they denounced the continued marginalization of the historical demands of their forefathers that are guaranteed by Jordanian law as well as the government’s official silence about the Arab Orthodox issue and the outrage connected to their cause, as they are Jordanian citizens under the trusteeship of a Greek patriarch who has been gradually losing legitimacy in the eyes of the demonstrators.

The demonstrators said that they were protesting on account of the continuing state of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the policies being followed by the current Greek patriarch Theophilus in managing the affairs of the Orthodox Church in Palestine and Jordan.

The protestors also expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the role of Metropolitan Benedictus of Amman whom they regard as not taking a position. They believe that the bishopric, which has not met the demands of its flock and does not care about the gravity of current problems, is a “sterile bishopric”.

The Arab Orthodox youth support everything in the letter of the Arab monks that was sent to the heads of all the Orthodox churches in the world by Metropolitan Atallah Hanna, Archimandrite Christophoros Atallah, Archimandrite Meletios Bassal and Archimandrite Athanasios Kakish. They warned the patriarch and his synod against opposing Arab clergy who have a patriotic and reformist mindset.

The protesters also demanded that His Majesty King Abdallah II intervene in this affair because the image being projected by the Patriarchate, which is being polished for public opinion, is contrary to the true, bitter reality.

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