Audiences at Serbian Patriarchate – 9 April 2013

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej received on 9 April 2013 in separate audiences, Very Rev. Hans-Frieder Rabus, newly-appointed pastor of the German Evangelic Church in Belgrade  – Seniorate of the Slovakian Evangelic Church, as well as Mr. Henrи Bohnet, director of the Konrad Adenaur Stiftung in Belgrade for Serbia and Montenegro. He was accompanied by Mrs. Jelena Jablanov Maksimovic, coordinator for interreligious and inter-ethnical dialogue at this Foundation. His Grace Bishop Andrej of Remesiana,Vicar of the Patriarch, attended both audiences.

Bishop Dr. Irinej of Backa: Church does not intend to engage in politics

The spokesman of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Irinej of Backa, stated on 8 April, following the end of the meeting of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch and the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the state leadership of Serbia, that the Church does not intend to deliver decisions instead of the elected representatives of the people or engage in politics, but that it has an inalienable right to voice its stance on the most important national issues.

Government demands immediate resumption of dialogue

The Serbian government held a meeting on Monday and unanimously decided to demand an urgent resumption of the EU facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The Serbian government did not accept the principles that have been offered in Brussels as they did not guarantee full security to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and they were not enforceable.

Meeting of Serbian leadership with Serbian Patriarch

At the Serbian Patriarchate, on 8 April 2013, His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, met with Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, President of Serbia; Mr. Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia and Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, First Vice President of the Government of Serbia. The members of the Holy Synod of Bishops attended the meeting, Their Graces Bishops: Vasilije of Srem, Irinej of Backa, Jovan of Sumadija and Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic.

Public Appeal to State Authorities of Serbia

Mr. Tomislav Nikolic,
President of Serbia

Mr. Ivica Dacic,
President of the Government of Serbia

Mr. Aleksandar Vucic,
First Vice President of the Government of Serbia

Belgrade
 

Esteemed  Mr. President,
Еsteemed Mr. Prime Minister,
Еsteemed Mr. First Vice President of the Government,

In this, for both Serbia and the Serbian people very difficult and crucial – and perhaps fateful moment, we address you on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church in fatherly and brotherly manner, with respect and trust in Your Orthodox Christian conscience and in Your sense of patriotism and the state responsibility. We do not address you in an ordinary way, but by this public appeal, and we do it for many reasons, of which two are the most important - shortness of time (the Brussels’ ultimatum expires as early as Tuesday) and a need to refute, in the most obvious manner, the impudent lie which has been shared for the last few days by certain people and media about the silence of our Church regarding Kosovo (!).

Remembrance day on the bombing of the National Library of Serbia

Many Belgraders with books in their hands gathered on April 6th, 2013 at Kosancicev Venac, when the National Library of Serbia was completely destroyed and burnt in Nazi bombing 72 years ago. Besides Minister of Culture and Information Mr. Bratislav Petkovic, at the site there were His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, the head of the Lubrary of the Serbian Patriarchate Mr. Zoran Nedeljkovic, head of the National Library of Serbia Mr. Dejan Ristic, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, foreign cultural centers and cultural institutions.