Information Service of the THE PERSECUTIONS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE METROPOLITAN JOVAN OF VELES AND POVARDAR AND BISHOP MARK OF DREMVITCA ARE ARRESTED, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS MONKS, NUNS AND FAITHFUL Today, while celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the chapel of the Resurrection of the Lord, his Grace Jovan, Exarch of the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ochrid, Metropolitan of Veles and Povardar, was arrested along with Vicar Bishop Mark, 30 monks and nuns and many faithful. The authorities of F.Y.R.M. (Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia) did not give a proper explanation regarding this act, which seems to be an unwise and quick answer to the joining – or simply “stated joining” – of the numerous priests, monks, nuns and faithful Christians, to Metropolitan Jovan and the canonical hierarchy of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ochrid. As they have spoken and confess, they finally came to see the fufillment of their dream of many decades – that they can live, pray and worship in the true Church, being in liturgical and canonical unity with all Orthodox Churches in the world. As we have been informed, along with Metropolitan Jovan and Bishop Mark, 2 monks and 7 nuns are imprisoned without knowing the number of arrested faithful. By this terror – equal to the persecutions of the Christians of the first centuries of Christianity – it has now become completely clear that statements of the authorities of F.Y.R.M. and the schismatic synod in Skoplje, that they are simply protecting the governing of their own nation and state, is completely a lie. Bishops, Jovan and Mark, along with all the monks and nuns who have undergone this brutal terror and complete abolition of human and religious rights, are of the same nationality and citizenship as their persecutors. Yet truly, they are more responsibly looking after the welfare of their nation’s own people. It is obvious that this is not a question or arbitrary judgment regarding some inter-church dispute – for on this territory there are not two churches, but one, and this is the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ochrid. On October 31st, 2003, Metropolitan Jovan was sentenced to a years imprisonment if found guilty during the next two years’ probation. We pray to the Lord that He may strengthen Bishops Jovan and Mark, the pious monks, nuns and faithful christians – our brothers and sisters in Christ – that they endure the persecutions of these God-haters. The persecutions of the Christians, as we know from the long history of the Church, are the foundation of their future renewal and glory. |
