Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 26, 2004

LITURGICAL COMMEMORATION OF BICENTENNIAL OF FIRST SERBIAN UPRISING AND COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION OF ST. SAVA ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

The Serbian Orthodox Church Information Service, in cooperation with the Belgrade Municipal Assembly, will hold a reception on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the formal auditorium of the Municipal Assembly. Media representatives will receive information regarding festivities in Belgrade from May 8-11, 2004 marking the central church celebration of the Bicentennial of the First Serbian Uprising, the completion of construction work on St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral and the renovation of St. Sava Plateau. Participants will receive detailed information regarding the program schedule.

BISHOP ARTEMIJE VISITS DEVIC MONASTERY

On Sunday, April 25, 2004 His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Fr. Simeon Vilovski, the abbot of Banjska Monastery, visited the burned remains of Devic Monastery near Srbica with an UNMIK police escort and encouraged Abbess Anastasija and her sisterhood in their first efforts to restore this medieval holy shrine where the relics of St. Joanikije (St. Ionnachius) of Devic are kept.

In the morning Fr. Teodosije, the abbot of Decani Monastery, visited the monastery with an Italian KFOR escort and served Holy Liturgy in the Devic church, giving Holy Communion to the sisters.

Bishop Artemije visited the burned remains of the monastery and the monastery church, which the sisters have cleared and where the reconstruction of the roof has already begun. Upon their return to the burned holy shrine on April 15, the Devic nuns immediately cleared the desecrated church and chapel with the tomb containing the relics of St. Joanikije. The open tomb has been temporarily covered and decorated with icons until a slate of quality marble can be secured to replace the cover which was destroyed during the looting and burning of the monastery. The sisters also cleared the monastery cemetery where the Albanians have destroyed all the marble crosses of deceased Devic nuns.

Currently seven nuns are living in portable containers and tents provided for the sisterhood by the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija. After the restoration of the church, whose walls are still black with soot and bear the slogans of the UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army), PDK (Hashim Thachi's Democratic Party of Kosovo), AKSh (Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo) and other Albanian extremist organizations, work will also begin on the restoration of the residence quarters where the sisters are expected to resume residence prior to next winter. The Coordinating Center and the Serbian Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments are preparing a detailed plan for the restoration of the monastery. Thanks to the Coordinating Center, as well as the assistance of KFOR, the sisters have been provided with food and hygienic materials.

The monastery is presently under the protection of French KFOR, which on March 17 evacuated the Devic nuns by helicopter with the explanation that the monastery would supposedly remain under military protection. However, no one protected the monastery.

Deeply touched by the courage and devotion of the primarily elderly nuns seeking to restore their holy shrine, Bishop Artemije addressed words of encouragement and hope to the Devic sisters, saying that the enemies of Christianity and civilization can never destroy the spirit of Christianity and the greatest Christian values - faith, hope and love - on which the Church rests and which "not even the gates of hell can overcome".

"Our enemies, who are possessed by inhuman hatred, do not know what they are doing, that they are, in fact, destroying their own souls and the future of their descendants for what kind of future and happiness can be built on such barbaric acts of violence and crime against holy shrines and the helpless people? This holy shrine, where many Albanian Muslims have also sought healing, has been devastated for the second time in the last 100 years but it is again rising like a phoenix from the ashes and coming back to life as the symbol of the promise and faith breathed into this holy site by St. Joanikije the Healer of Devic in the 15th century," said Bishop Artemije.

MONK NIKOLAI (MIODRAG CVETOJEVIC)
PASSED AWAY (1921-2004)

On Saturday, April 24, 2004 a liturgy for the deceased was served at Visoki Decani followed by a monastic burial service served with the blessing of Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija by Fr. Teodosije, Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery, and Fr. Mihailo, Abbot of Sopocani Monastery, with a number of priest-monks of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija.

Father Nikolai will remain in the memory of his brothers as a monk of great love toward God and divine service, always ready to share a kind word and sympathy, as well as the founder of the monastery's woodcarving studio where he transmitted his God-given gift to our younger brothers.

Monk Nikolai passed away after a lengthy illness in Visoki Decani Monastery on Thursday, April 22, the day dedicated to his patron, St. Nikolai, one hour after having received Holy Communion in peace and joy. The forty day panikhida (requiem service) will be served on the Monday of the Holy Spirit (May 31), the day Fr. Nikolai took his monastic vows exactly 10 years ago.

ETERNAL MEMORY TO HIM AND BLESSED REST IN THE RESURRECTED LORD!

Abbot Teodosije and the brotherhood of Visoki Decani Monastery

CHURCH OF ST. CATHERINE IN BRESJE NEAR KOSOVO POLJE LOOTED

On Saturday, April 24, the Serbian Orthodox church of St. Catherine in Bresje near Kosovo Polje, located across from the burned ruins of the Serb hospital was broken into and looted.

The door of the church of St. Catherine was broken down and the thieves took 10 icons, some money and various church vessels.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren concludes with regret that following the pogrom of March 17 and a series of sharp warnings by the international community to Kosovo Albanians to stop attacking Orthodox churches in the Province, attacks on Christian holy shrines continue and the remaining Orthodox churches are not adequately protected.

REDEMPTION THROUGH REPENTANCE AND DOING GOD'S WILL, NOT THROUGH CORRESPONDENCE COURSES

On the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ our fellow citizens were surprised and somewhat confused, and many of them were embittered, by the "holiday greetings" they found in their mailboxes.

At first sight the flyer appears like an invitation to a computer school when in fact it is a free order form for a Bible correspondence course called "Emaus" on "how to experience the forgiveness of sins and prepare oneself for eternity (before it's too late!)" the message reads. The form also offers some other books free of charge.

This manner of offering "redemption" is something completely foreign to the teaching of the Orthodox Church.

Those who publish and recommend speedy methods for redemption, even though they also publish Biblical texts, have no connection whatsoever with the Church.

Our Church acknowledges only the Holy Fathers' interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and distances itself from any and all arbitrary interpretations.

Thus, the teaching of the correspondence Bible school "Emaus" from Backi Petrovac, despite the fact that it constantly cites the Gospel, is completely foreign and contrary to the teaching of the Serbian Orthodox Church.