Holy Synod Statement

Communiqué after the meeting of members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC with President of Serbia

The President of the Republic Boris Tadic talked today with members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church - Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral and bishops Irinej of Nish, Irinej of Bachka, Fotije of Dalmatia and Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.

The President of Serbia talked with the members of the Synod about all actual social issues.

The President Tadic informed the representatives of the Church that the Society for building the St Sava Cathedral on Vrachar, which is presided by him, will make efforts in following period in order to finish the cathedral.

In Belgrade, June 15, 2009

Information service of the Office of the President of Serbia and

Information service of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

In a response to a response

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as all public in Serbia and abroad, with shock and regret received a cover media news on brutal physical violence as a "therapeutical treatment" at a "spiritual rehabilitation centre" which has been functioning for many years obviously with the knowledge and with the approval of His Grace Bishop Dr Artemije of Raska and Prizren, and governed by protopresbyter Branislav Peranovic and his assistant priest Dejan Jakovljevic. It is situated in the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, close to the monastery of Crna Reka, actually next to the relics of St Peter of Korish, a witness of God's love and an antipode to any kind of violence. On this poignant and unpleasant event the Holy Synod of Bishops informed the public with the communiqué of May, 23 in which condemned brutal methods of the treatment of those afflicted with the illness of drug addiction, and called on His Grace Bishop Artemije to dismiss illegal stationary near Crna Reka and to subject wrongdoers of this hideous acts to canonical responsibility, and also called on competent civil authorities to investigate this case and take measures within their competence, while to the victims of this violence and to all those who have been affected in any way by it , the Holy Synod expressed its most sincere sorrow.

Public Statement Issued by the Holy Synod of Bishops about the violence applied against Drug Addicts at the Crna Reka Monastery

With shock and sorrow the Holy Synod of Bishops has received news about the brutal violence which was applied against those afflicted with the illness of drug addiction at the Crna Reka Monastery of the Raska-Prizren Diocese. The pictures presented and the open recognition of a cleric of the Raska-Prizren Diocese are unmistakable evidence of a violence which is totally foreign to the spirit of the Gospel and mission of the Church, and which is absolutely unacceptable.

Therefore, the Holy Synod of Bishops calls upon His Grace Bishop Artemije to disband immediately and without delay the illegal clinic for the treatment of the illness of addiction, and to undertake ecclesiastical court proceedings against his clerics who participated in the violence.

Communique of the Holy Synod of the SOC regarding the worker’s strike at TM “Raska” in Novi Pazar and at the Leather factory “Pa

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church these days with a great attention has been observing a hunger strike of workers at the Textile mill  Raska in Novi Pazar, as well as at the Leather factory "Partizan'' in Kragujevac

In this way the Holy Synod of Bishops calls all relevant state and municipal agencies to do anything to resolve the problem of workers, and with Christian love and concern ask workers to stop the hunger strike and not to put in danger their lives.

From the Office of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC

Five years since the Pogrom of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohia: Memorial service at Cathedral church on Tuesday March 17, 2009 at no

 On Tuesday, March 17, 2009  was five years since the pogrom of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohia. His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral served at noon at the Belgrade Cathedral church a memorial service to all suffered Serbs in Kosovo and Metohia; with the concelebration of members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Bishop Hrizostom of Zica, Bishop Hrizostom of Bihac and Petrovac; then Bishop Pahomije of Vranje and vicar Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, and protopresbyter-staurophor Sava B. Jovic, Luka Novakovic, Dragoslav Ubiparipovic, Dragomir Sanda, Radic Radicevic, Branko Topalovic, Slavisa Popovic and protodeacon Stevan Rapajic and Vlada Mikic; and in a presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb and Ljubljana and His Grace Bishop Filaret of Milesevo.

Members of the Holy Synod of Bishops meets with ministers of Serbian government regarding March pogrom on Kosovo and Metohia

Members of the Holy Archbishop Synod of Serbian Orthodox Church met today Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Vuk Jeremic, Minister of Culture and Information Nebojsa Bradic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohia Goran Bogdanovic, associates and Mladjan Djordjevic, consultant of the President of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohia.

 The Members of Synod and ministers of the Republic of Serbia met regarding five years since the March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohia, when 19 people lost their lives and 950was injured, more than 4 000 Serbs exiled their homes, and 35 Christian sacred sites were demolished.