Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
November 30, 2004

SERBIAN CUSTOMS PRESENTS GIFT
FOR RESTORATION OF CHILANDAR

On the Feast of the Holy Evangelist Matthew His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle attended the celebration of this religious holiday at Serbian Customs. On that occasion the Patriarch received 1.5 million dinars for the restoration of Chilandar Monastery. Serbian Customs celebrates the Feast of the Holy Evangelist Matthew as its patron saint and protector of all customs officers.

METROPOLITAN AMFILOHIJE RECEIVES MEMBERS OF SECURITY COMMITTEES OF SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AND REPUBLIC OF SERBIA PARLIAMENTS

On November 29, 2004 His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral received a group of members of the Committees for Security of the Serbia and Montenegro Assembly and the Republic of Serbia Assembly in Cetinje. The officials were participating in as session of the Cetinje parliamentary forum on the topic of security in our region and the European Union.

During extended and sincere conversation the parliamentarians and Metropolitan Amfilohije exchanged views on disintegration processes and the suffering that has befallen our people in our time, with special attention in the discussion being devoted to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

Bishop Amfilohije asked his guests to do more and everything within their power to help our people in Kosovo and Metohija.

His Eminence expressed his thanks to the deputies of the Serbia and Montenegro Assembly for preventing the adoption of an anthem that was supposed to have been a compilation of the songs “God of Justice” and the verses of Nazi criminal Sekula Drljevic, in the Metropolitan’s words, “the most shameful person in the history of Montenegro”.

“It has been our exceptional honor to be received by Metropolitan Amfilohije,” said Dragan Lazic, a Democratic Party of Serbia deputy in the Serbia and Montenegro Assembly at the conclusion of the Radio Svetigora broadcast. Lazic said that the discussion had been mutually useful. “It will be especially useful to us because we have heard the words of a man who emanates spirituality, and the conversation with him will certainly leave a deep impression upon us,” he said.

“Since we were already in Cetinje,” said SNP CG deputy in the Serbia and Montenegro Assembly Velimir Radojevic, “it was unimaginable not to visit this Holy Shrine and pay our respects to His Eminence the Metropolitan. The most important thing is that our visit here has expressed our support for the Serbian Orthodox Church, and for those of us from Montenegro, for the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral headed by Bishop Amfilohije,” he concluded.

The deputies from the Serbia-Montenegro and Republic of Serbia Assemblies first venerated the relics of St. Peter of Cetinje, the hand of St. John the Baptist and the Holy and Venerable Cross of Our Lord in Cetinje Monastery; at the end of their visit they toured the monastery treasury.

R. Vojinovic

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION VISITS GEORGIA

During the period from November 20 to 26, 2004, a Serbian Orthodox Church delegation comprised of Bishop Hrizostom of Bihac and Petrovac, Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia and Bishop Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac visited Georgia as envoys of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle and as guests of His Holiness and Beatitude Elijah II, the Archbishop of Mtskheti and Tbilisi and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

During this official visit to the Georgian Orthodox Church, the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church took part on November 23, 2004 in a great spiritual holiday, the consecration of the newly built church of the Holy Trinity in Tbilisi, which was consecrated by Patriarch Elijah with the concelebration of a great number of bishops and priests, and several tens of thousands of Orthodox Georgians.

Participants in the consecration of the church of the Holy Trinity included guest representatives from Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Poland, as well as Orthodox bishops from Moldavia and America, thus manifesting the unity of Holy Orthodoxy.

As part of the spiritual festivities, on November 24-25, 2004 an international symposium was held in Tbilisi under the auspices of Patriarch Elijah dedicated to the two thousand year anniversary of Christianity and Orthodoxy in Georgia.

During its visit our delegation conveyed the greetings and blessings of Patriarch Pavle to Patriarch Elijah, the Georgian Orthodox Church and people, presenting Patriarch Elijah with suitable gifts, including icons of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher, St. Sava and the White Angel of Milesevo.

NEW CHURCH IN DIOCESE OF NIS

His Grace Bishop Irinej of Nis officiated at the first Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the new church of St. Atanasios the Great built in the Krusevac hamlet of Dedina. This settlement has some 1,500 residents, all of whom worked together for a church where they could pray. Major donors to the church included Radojica Milosavljevic and Hristivoje Milosevic.

PRIEST DONATES COMPUTER

Father Stojadin Pavlovic of Valjevo has donated a computer to the four-year elementary school in Selance for the use of the educational-school process. Father Stojadin is a former pupil and graduate of this very elementary school.

[Serbian Translation Services]