NEWS

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 13, 2003

EXTRAORDINARY SESSION
OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

Last evening, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held an extraordinary session, due to the current situation in our Fatherland, the consequence of the tragic assassination of Dr Zoran Djindjic - Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The Holy Synod of Bishops issued the following communique:


THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

Number 578
March 12, 2003
in Belgrade

COMMUNIQUE

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church which met in extraordinary session in the Patriarchate building this very evening states that with deep sorrow was it informed of the tragic death of the Prime Minister, Dr Zoran Djindjic, following the assassination committed today.

The Holy Synod of Bishops prays to the Lord to render salvation to the Prime Minister's soul, and offers deepest sympathies to his closest ones over their grieving.

The Holy Synod of Bishops states that Dr Zoran Djindjic contributed greatly not only to the commenced democratisation of our Fatherland, but also to the meeting of the needs of the Church and of the Serbian people, which he truly felt and decisively helped by returning the catechesis in the public system of education and by taking care that the construction of the Saint Sava's Memorial Church at Vracar be completed.

As it stated many times before in its communiques and statements to the public, the Holy Synod of Bishops in the name of Christ's Gospel, peace and love, condemns every form of crime and terrorism, assassination of celebrities and justification and usage of violence as means to achieve any goal.

The Holy Synod of Bishops invites all the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church to remain calm and sober in this period of the Great Lent, and invites the Serbian people not to sacrifice the Christian and human feeling of the unity of its national being and to continue behaving responsibly for our and general future, bearing in mind the ultimate goal - the eternal future of the Kingdom of God. At the same time it invites Serbian people, and with equal love all the other citizens of our Fatherland, whichever nationality of religious affinity they may be, to observe and implement all the legal measures that the authorised state bodies undertake to end of preserving peace, democratic order and general safety in the country.