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NEWS
Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 26, 2004
GERMANS
PROHIBIT ARCHANGELS MONKS FROM RETURN
The
Diocese of Raska-Prizren received painful and shocking news today
from Abbot Herman Vucicevic and priest-monk Benedict Preradovic
of Holy Archangels Monastery who met today with the German military
commander in Prizren, Colonel Hintelmann. The monks asked Hintelman
to enable their return to the ruins of Holy Archangels as soon
as possible, saying they would stay under a tent at first and
restore the monastery itself over time. Colonel Hintelmann categorically
stated that return is impossible "for security reasons",
adding that if the monks should try to return on their own "before
a political agreement is reached, they will be stopped by force".
The
Archangels monks informed the Diocese that the behavior of German
KFOR is unprecedented and that the ERP KIM Info Service will soon
publish a detailed report how German soldiers observed indifferently
as Albanian rioters set fire to Holy Archangels and danced on
the very tomb of the Holy King Dusan.
Serbian Orthodox Diocese is shocked by absence of any attempt
on the part of the German army to protect a single Orthodox Christian
site in Prizren. While their colleagues in other contingents were
risking their own lives Germans in Prizren let the mob burn the
churches, destroy frescoes and loot the Church valuables.
Regrettably,
two Germans: KFOR Commander Holger Kammerhof and the chief of
UNMIK police Stephan Feller (nicknamed Mr. Fehler) are among the
most responsible international officials for such terrible outcome
of the last week's pogrom and the Church will insist on their
resignation and leaving of the German contingent from Kosovo completely.
"We hoped that Germans will show another face from the one
in the World War II. However, we can see that the same pattern
of behavior continued now", said one of the Serbs I. Jovanovic
who lost his home in Prizren. Under the Nazi Germany in the World
War II Kosovo Albanian extremists were organized within SS Skenderbey
division and committed many crimes against Serbs and Macedonians
under the tacit approval of the Wehrmacht and SS command.
PHILANTHROPY
FUND OF SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
 The
PHILANTHROPY team, headed by its director Mr. Dragan M. Makojevic,
with the assitance of KFOR, managed to safely reach the Serb enclave
of Gracanica near Pristina, during the night on March 24th-25th.
 UNMIK
refused to escort the trucks, claiming the situation is safe and
no humanitarian assistance needed. Tracks were loaded with 60
tons of aid - flour, sugar, cooking oil, milk, sweets, canned
food, clothes, blankets, medicine, and other necessities collected
in eighth of Belgrade Parish churches. Serb Companies also donated
various commodities.
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