Church leaders in Jerusalem have expressed strong opposition to city authorities imposing municipal taxes on them, arguing that this would contradict centuries of historical agreements between the churches and civil authorities. The patriarchs and church leaders issued a joint statement on June 23 highly critical of the move. The Jerusalem Post reported that the conflict over municipal taxes on church properties in Jerusalem has been ongoing for several years. This decision led to a backlash from church leaders, who viewed the move as violating longstanding agreements and international obligations guaranteeing their rights and privileges. The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches who signed the statement included:- Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate- Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate- Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator, Latin Patriarchate- Fr.

Source: Ethiopian News June 30, 2024 13:13 UTC