Information Service of MACEDONIAN POLICE ARRESTED BISHOP JOVAN The Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church was informed by the Seat of the Metropolitanate of Veles/Povardarje in Bitolj that on Sunday, July 20, 2003, Macedonian policemen arrested His Eminence Jovan Metropolitan of Veles/Povardarje and Serbian Patriarch’s Exarch for the Archdiocese of Ochrid, against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted and five-day detention has been pronounced. His Eminence Jovan was supposed to perform the baptism of his sister’s grandchild in the Church of Saint Demetrius the Great Martyr, together with his priests, but the members of the canonically unrecognised Macedonian Orthodox Church together with certain security members of some unknown agency prevented them to do so in the most brutal manner. Thereat Metropolitan’s mother and uncle sustained severe injuries. The Seat of the Metropolitanate states that Bishop’s mother and uncle were also brought to the police station, as well as Metropolitan’s deacon. After hearing procedure, the three of them were released with criminal charges pressed for “disturbing public peace and order”, while the Metropolitan was detained and as late as next day early in the morning he was declared sentence of five-day detention. Lawyers who represent the Metropolitanate of Veles/Povardarje try to bring Macedonian authorities to reason and annul the detention to Metropolitan Jovan. However, everything leads to conclusion that there has already existed a scenario preventing the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Eminence and the faithful from exercising their religious rights which are generally accepted everywhere in the world. |
