The Saga Continues

Irineos I, perhaps realizing no one is paying attention to him anymore, is proposing a deal:

"Irineos I, the ousted patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land is negotiating with the Greek government over terms that would allow him to retire honorably. The matter has become urgent since the election on Monday of a new patriarch.

"An agreement has been reached over the conditions of Irineos' retirement and pension. The bone of contention is Irineos' request for immunity from any legal proceedings which might be initiated against him in Greece.

"This demand is seen as controversial by Greek officials, who want to put the embarrassing affair to rest as quickly as possible, but hesitate to confer immunity on the ousted patriarch, who has been demoted to the rank of monk."

This guy would be right at home in the modern corporate world. The Orthodox response is interesting, though, to one used to the Catholic hierarchy's instinct to protect their own from secular authority. This might have to do with learned habits throughout history, as religious and secular governing authorities have historically had a far more competitive relationship in Western Europe than the east.