Announcent by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the Riots Following the Protest in Belgrade

Following yesterday’s people’s protest and the prayer service held for the salvation of Kosovo and Metohija, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church called upon the entire Serbian orthodox people to intensify their prayers for the deliverance of our people in Kosovo and Metohija, for peace among us and in the whole world, in these times of extreme hardship.

Let’s not indulge, for the sake of whatever interest of this world, to do anything that is not worthy of God’s People, anything inhumane. Let us beware, in these troubled times, of senseless destructive impulses without reason, such as the ones that occurred last night in Belgrade, to our great regret and shame. Be it an attempt of revenge for the enormous injustice inflicted upon Serbia and the Serbian people by declaring a fake state on Serbian territory, or be it rather a classical organized plundering mafia action committed by single individuals or groups, which in this case seems most likely, even certain. These rioters are taking advantage of the overall national agony as an alibi for their lawlessness and their inhumanity: It is sad, and to be condemned in any case, that a magnificent people’s gathering in prayer be soiled by irresponsible individuals and criminal groups. They have thus shown that they do not care about Kosovo and Metohija, but that they only care about chaos, plundering and turmoil. This is not how law and justice for the Serbian people are being defended, nor Kosovo and Metohija. This is rather how they are being undermined and subverted. In this way, an undeserved flaw is actually inflicted to the Serbian people in their just struggle for the preservation of its holy sites, its identity, dignity, as well as its national and state integrity.

The Serbian Orthodox Church expresses its grief and its regret in view of such shameful and irresponsible behaviour of individuals and groups against the public order and the property of the capital city, as well as against the representatives of single countries.

We invite all our people to maintain their honour, pride and dignity, which represent eternal universal and national values.