Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
Oktober 22, 2004

POPE’S GESTURE OF GOOD WILL TOWARD THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

On Thursday, October 21, 2004, sources in the Vatican announced that Pope John Paul II would not visit His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople (Istanbul) but that he would return the relics of two Saints taken by the Crusaders 800 years ago as a gesture of good will toward the Orthodox Church. Patriarch Bartholomew had asked that the relics be returned during his visit to the Vatican in June. At that time, he also invited the Pope to visit the seat of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople. The 84 year-old Pope has decided to make fewer trips abroad for reasons of health. The Pope last visited Constantinople in 1979. Instead, a delegation from the Vatican will return the relics at the end of November on the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called. The relics are kept in St. Peter’s Basilica.

DISMISSED PROFESSORS FROM NIKSIC VISIT SERBIAN PATRIARCH

On Friday, September 22, 2004 in the Belgrade Patriarchate, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic, who is the member of the Holy Synod of Bishops for educational issues, received 25 secondary school professors from Niksic who have lost their positions for their defense of the Serbian language and its re-naming as the “mother language”. After warmly greeting and welcoming the guests, His Holiness listened to the problems faced by these educators in Montenegro and the forms of repression to which they were exposed.

Professor Veselin Matovic, president of the Serbian Language Professors’ Action Center, thanked the Patriarch for receiving them, saying that “like sinful children, they had to come to their spiritual father, the wisest, most noble and most able helper”. For the past month, the group has been organizing protest walks every evening in Niksic, as well as language conferences where the dismissed professors, together with a large number of those who feel Serbian is their native language, are attempting to convince the short-sighted regime that they are inflicting a horrible shame upon Montenegro and its people.

At the end of the reception, on behalf of his dismissed colleagues, Professor Radenko Krulanovic read a letter to Patriarch Pavle from the members of the Serbian Language Professors’ Action Center:

"Your Holiness, we write to you, and our letter is like a cry for in the name of God’s justice we have been denounced and punished for the sole reason that we have decided to defend the Serbian language and to endure on the path of the Lord for it is the only road to Knowledge, Truth and Justice. We are punished because we have realized that man is weak and short-lived, and he cannot be the measure of all things; it is the Mercy of the All-Supporting that is the only true measure, and the eye of the Merciful that is man’s only mirror.

The regime in Montenegro has declared that the Moon is the Sun, thinking that the All-Seeing is unable to see at night. They have proclaimed St. Sava a secular army commander, a brutal usurper, forgetting about Savin Kuk and Savin Izvor*. That is why they are forever crippled and thirsty. We, the professors of Serbian language in Niksic secondary schools and our honorable colleagues who express their solidarity with us have lost our jobs and that is a clear message from the regime that we are unwanted in Montenegro! We, who love Montenegro sincerely, with all our beings, who belong to Montenegro and to God, are unwanted, the letter states.

As a token of thanks the professors presented the Patriarch with a copy of “The Mountain Wreath” as “the primer of the language that has been spoken in Montenegro and, we all hope, will continue to be spoken”.

* Both locations on Mt. Durmitor in Montenegro, literally, Sava’s Hip and Sava’s Spring (Source)

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH STAND AT BOOK FAIR
SEES OUTSTANDING NUMBER OF VISITORS

Once again this year, as in previous years, the Serbian Orthodox Church stand at the 2004 Belgrade Book Fair has generated exceptional interest among visitors by its good selection of titles and broad assortment of books, icons and church artifacts, as well as by its informative and interesting promotions.

First to be presented was a monograph on the Church of the Holy Trinity in Zemun by Nikola Ilic, which was published by the Information-Publishing Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The numerous visitors to the stand had an opportunity to learn about the history of the church, Zemun’s Upper Town and events that reflect the period from the First Serbian Uprising to today from author Nikola Ilic, Professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, the editor of the book, and Deacon Nebojsa Topolic.

Abbot Petar of Djurdjevi Stupovi presented the new editions of the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi, “Bibliography” and “Prologue of Ochrid” in pocket edition, divided into 12 small books, while Protopresbyter Savo B. Jovic, the author of seven books, spoke with visitors at the stand. The presentation of Presbyter Zeljko Djuric’s “Soteriological Hypotheses of St. Atanasije of Alexandria” also had careful listeners.

After monographs on St. Basil of Ostrog, the Church of St. Ahilije in Arilje and a novel, “Memelik”, that deals with the participation of mujaheddins in the war in Bosnia, art historian Tamara Ognjevic pleasantly surprised all with a collection of recipes from the kitchens of our monasteries.

The Diocese of Canada had much to show at this year’s fair: in addition to theological works, much attention was devoted to children. His Grace Bishop Georgije of Canada stressed the importance of books for youth, saying, “the book is one of the ways for them to preserve their language, faith and national identity, especially those who live abroad”. There was separate discussion about the book “Rosary”, a textbook for religious instruction in Serbian and English by Deacon Nenad Ilic, and the book “Little Children’s Orthodox Calendar” by Zorica Salijevic, in which the greatest feasts are presented in verse.

Those present were pleasantly surprised by the performance of the group Teodulija and Madam Piano, who with their unique sound and modern expression brought listeners closer to the sounds of the distant past.

During the first two days of the 2004 Belgrade Book Fair the Serbian Orthodox Church stand was visited by thousands of people.

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MEDIA CONFERENCE

A media conference is scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 2004 at 6:30 p.m. at the Serbian Orthodox Church stand at the Belgrade Book Fair (Hall 1, left of entrance). Speakers will include His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic, academician Matija Beckovic, and the professors from Niksic who were dismissed because of their efforts to keep the name SERBIAN LANGUAGE, instead of “mother language” in the educational plans and programs taught in Montenegrin schools.

NEW CHURCH DEDICATED TO ST. PARASKEVA
CONSECRATED IN CUKARICKA PADINA

On Sunday, October 24, 2004 His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle will consecrate the new church of St. Paraskeva (Sv. Petka) in Cukaricka Padina. For this important prayerful event the administration and brotherhood of the church invite all the faithful to contribute to the event by their presence. The welcoming of the Patriarch is at 7:30 a.m. The consecration of the church is at 8:00 a.m., followed by Holy Liturgy.

FORUMS TO TAKE PLACE AT FACULTY OF MACHINE ENGINEERING

The Srpski Sabor Dveri Association, in cooperation with the editors of “Pravoslavlje”, the official publication of the Serbian Patriarchate, will be organizing a forum on Monday, October 25, at the Faculty of Machine Engineering, starting at 6:00 p.m. on the theme “The Expulsion of the Serbian Language in Montenegro”. Speakers at the forum will include His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, writer Matija Beckovic, and dismissed Niksic General Secondary School professor, Mr. Vladenka Kovacevic.

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On Thursday, October 28, at 6:00 p.m. another forum will take place on the theme “Prayer at the Tomb of the Lord – From the Pilgrimage to the Holy Land”. The speaker will be His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic.

[Serbian Translation Services]