Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 8, 2002

THE CHURCH INTENDS TO USE ITS OWN PROPERTY

Numerous half-truths and false information have been broadcast in media lately, together with many objective reports, due to insufficient informing. The issue concerns the usage of the building in 20 Svetosavska Street in Zemun, which is at present used by the school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno. Since the presentation of this issue may induce negative attitude towards the Serbian Orthodox Church, and thus diminish the value of the steps taken by the state organs, we would like to provide some basic data on this issue.

The planned movement provides two things at the same time:

• discharging and emptying of the building which was two years ago given to the Serbian Orthodox Church for usage, and
• meeting of the request of the management and teachers of the school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno to move the school into a building which will be, unlike the previous one, adequate and fit for the purposes and special needs of this school.

Basic facts:

• the building in 20 Svetosavska Street in Zemun, known as Srpski dom, had been the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church till 1959, when it was nationalised;
• five years ago, the Serbian Orthodox Church started the reform of its education system, deciding, among other things, that the seminaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church were to be elevated to the level of the advanced schools, following a six-year curriculum; consequently, there emerged the need to accommodate the pupils and students in appropriate premises;
• bearing in mind the above mentioned need, the Serbian Orthodox Church asked the Government of the Republic of Serbia to return to it the building of Srpski dom in Zemun, where the school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno was inadequately placed;
• in the year 2000, the Government of Serbia made a decision in conformity with the Law on Property Owned by the Republic of Serbia, and based on the request of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to give the building to the Serbian Orthodox Church, actually to the Belgrade Seminary, without charging any fee for usage; on the basis of that decision a contract was concluded with the Main Republic Office for Property, which stated that the part of the building which the school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno had not used at all should be given to the new beneficiary immediately, whereas the remaining part should be given later, after providing new premises for the school;
• although the mentioned decision postponed the possibility that the Church should finally come into possession of its own, seized property, the Serbian Orthodox Church has, taking into account the circumstances and difficulties in which our state and its institutions were, as a patient parent waited that the proper time should come to move the school for disabled children to appropriate premises;
• the authorised state organs have recently informed the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Church that this issue has finally been settled, and that the school is going to continue working in another building, also in Zemun, in the premises where it will be more convenient for this school so as to continue its pedagogical and educational work;
• as the media have already been informed, a meeting was held between the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry for Religious Affairs, Commissariat for Refugees and Municipality of Zemun on March 8, 2002; apart from stating the obligation of the Ministry of Education and Sports to return the building in 20 Svetosavska Street to its legal owner - the Serbian Orthodox Church till June 10, 2002, the following conclusions were also reached:

- the special primary school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno is going to be moved to a building in 37a Prizrenska Street in Zemun; the Ministry of Education and Sports undertook the obligation to adapt and adjust this building completely to the purposes and special needs of this school;

- the families of refugees, temporarily accommodated in the building in 37a Prizrenska Street in Zemun, will be provided a suitable accommodation by the Commissariat for Refugees in cooperation with the authorised organs (of the Municipality of Zemun).

Bearing in mind the needs of the church educational institutions in the forthcoming school year and all the measures taken in time, as well as the final and proper solution found for the problematic accommodation of the school Sava Jovanovic Sirogojno, there are no obstacles that the Serbian Orthodox Church should again gain the possession of its building and finally start to use its own property.