Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
May 4, 2004

HEAD OF EUROPEAN UNION MONITORING MISSION IN BELGRADE MEETS WITH SERBIAN PATRIARCH KYR PAVLE

On May 4, 2004, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle received Mr. Gilles Leray, the head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Belgrade, in the Patriarch's residence. During the conversation with Mr. Leray, His Holiness pointed out the difficult life and complete lack of all human rights for Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as discussing the case of Fr. Jeremija Starovlah and his son, Aleksandar, and the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in public life in Serbia.

BALL PACKAGING EUROPE MAKES DONATION FOR ST. SAVA CATHEDRAL IN BELGRADE

His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle received representatives of Ball Packaging Europe, the world's leading beverage can producer, on May 4, 2004 in the Patriarch's residence in Belgrade. The delegation included Mr. Hanno C. Fiedler, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ball Packaging Europe; Mr. Jan Driessens, president of Ball Packaging Europe; Mr. Dragisa Antic, vice-president for southeastern Europe; and Ms. Sylvia Blomker, general manager.

Honoring the tradition of the host country, the representatives of this renowned corporation sought the blessing of His Holiness prior to beginning work on the construction of a factory in our country. As well, they expressed the desire to assist in the completion of St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral in the Belgrade quarter of Vracar and made a donation of the dinar equivalent of 50,000 EUR toward that end.

VANDALISM IN BOROVO NASELJE

It is with regret that we inform the public that His Grace Bishop Lukijan of Osijek and Baranja has reported that on the night of March 19-20, 2004, unknown persons cut down a five meter high wooden cross located in the courtyard of the property of the Orthodox parish in Borovo Naselje.