Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 8, 2004

PATRIARCH PAVLE AND CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER EXTEND AN INVITATION FOR ASSISTANCE TO CHILANDAR MONASTERY:
THE RENEWAL OF CHILANDAR MONASTERY THE IS COMMON CONCERN OF THE CHURCH, CROWN AND PEOPLE

(BELGRADE) 8 March 2004 – His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with his closest co-workers, received today at the Patriarchal Residence in Belgrade, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander Karageorgevich, among whose entourage, were Captain Panagiotis Tsakos and Mr. Thomas Zephyres, from Greece, great friends of the Serbian people and their Church, as well as Mr. Dragan Acovich, a member of the Crown Counsel.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander informed His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of the fact that he, immediately following the news of the tragedy, which befell Chilandar Monastery, left London for the Holy Mountain and personally familiarized himself with the catastrophic consequences of the fire. The Crown Prince noted that he will be personally engaged in the solicitation of assistance for the restoration of that lost to the fire, as well as a number of his friends, including those present, Messrs. Tsakos and Zephyres, who are prepared immediately to offer their personal contribution. Patriarch Pavle highly honored this gesture of Crown Prince Alexander stating, the fact that he immediately went to the scene of the devastation is an act of great love and personal responsibility, and not merely duty.

Chilandar Monastery, does not belong solely to our people, but as all of the other monasteries on the Holy Mountain, belongs to the entire Pan-Orthodox oikoumeni, so that we anticipate, with God's help, through the intercession of Saint Sava of Serbia and all the saints of the Garden of the Theotokos, that all Serbs, and all other Orthodox people and their local Churches, will assist in its restoration. His Holiness personally thanked Messrs. Tsakos and Zephyres, emphasizing that our brethren the Orthodox Greeks have always extended their help when it was needed, and that they on this occasion are a personal manifestation of the same.

In the end, the Patriarch and the Crown Prince stressed that the renewal of Chilandar Monastery would be the common concern of the Church, Crown, State and people and together they extended an invitation to everyone in the Fatherland and in the Diaspora to forward their first, immediate and necessary assistance, which is now most important. The Government of the Republic of Serbia has already anticipated funds, which will allow the reconstruction work to begin.