Patriarch Hazim: Selling church lands in Jerusalem unacceptable

Patriarch Ignace IV Hazim of Antioch and All East for the Roman Orthodox declared that any selling of lands that belong to the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem is unacceptable as they are endowments and nobody has a right to decide their status.

Patriarch Hazim told a news conference in Damascus Monday that selling off such kind of lands constitutes a harm for the Church and supports the policy of Israeli occupation authorities in the Judaization of the region.

He added that the Church contacted some circles and countries concerned, particularly Greece, as the man who sought to sell the trusts of the Church has the Greek nationality.

He welcomed joint Christian-Moslem efforts to put an end to all acts that aim at seizing lands that belong the Christians and Moslems in the occupied territories.

The Patriarch also called for electing an Arab Patriarch for the Orthdox Church in Jerusalem.