Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
December 14, 2004

COMMUNIQUE OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION FOR EXAMINING THE REQUEST OF UACORO OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
ST. ANDREW THE FIRST-CALLED – PATRONAL FEAST OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KARADJORDJEVIC
RESTORATION OF ST SAVA CHURCH IN SPLIT

COMMUNIQUE
OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION FOR EXAMINING
THE REQUEST OF UACORO
OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

On September 29, 2004 His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle received a delegation of the Union des Associations Cultuelles Orthodoxes de Rite Occidental (UACORO), a Western Rite Orthodox community in France, upon its initiative in order to express its desire to join in unity with the Serbian Orthodox Church as part of the Diocese of France and Western Europe. The only decision made by His Holiness during the meeting was to establish a Special Commission of the Holy Synod of Bishops in order to examine this request. (The only official information regarding this reception is the communique of the Office of the Holy Synod of Bishops.)

The chairman of this Commission, His Grace Bishop Atansije Jevtic, and Mr. Nenad Milosevic, a liturgics professor at the Theological Faculty in Belgrade, made their first contacts with UACORO from November 19-21, 2004 in Paris, on the occasion of the general assembly of this community on November 20, 2004. The Commission began to collect the necessary information for its study from UACORO as well as from other Orthodox jurisdictions in France.

In his address at the beginning of the meeting of the UACORO General Assembly, Bishop Atanasije welcomed the members of this community and wished them a successful path toward full unity with the Church. He emphasized that salvation lies solely in unity with Christ, which is to say in full unity with the Church, the Body of Christ. He added that nothing should be given greater precedent that this unity with the Orthodox Church, which grants Eternal Life. The Gospel, he emphasized, begins with repentance.

He concluded by expressing the hope that future meetings would also permit the continuation of examining desired relations between the members of UACORO and the Serbian Church.

Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic), Commission chairman

ST. ANDREW THE FIRST-CALLED – PATRONAL FEAST
OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KARADJORDJEVIC

On the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of Protopresbyter Vladan Perisic, the Dean of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade and Dean of the Royal Chapel, Protodeacons Momir Lecic and Stevan Rapajic, and Subdeacon Miroslav Rakonjac, in the Royal Chapel of St. Andrew the First-Called. TRH Crown Prince Alexander, Princess Katherine, Princess Linda and Princes Djordje and Mihajlo celebrated St. Andrew the First-Called, the patronal feast of the Royal House of Karadjordjevic.

The service was followed by the breaking of the festal bread in the Royal Palace. Also present at the ceremony were Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac and Valjevo, Bishop Irinej of Nis, Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik and Tuzla, Bishop Nikanor of Banat, Bishop Irinej of Backa, Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren, Bishop Justin of Timok, Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, Bishop Ignjatije of Branicevo, Bishop Porfirije of Jegar, Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, Serbian Assembly speaker Predrag Markovic, Serbian minister for religions Milan Radulovic, members of the Royal Council with their families.

Addressing those present, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle said: “On this day I call on everyone to wish good unto others, for then we can hope for good for ourselves. Wishing you a happy patronal feast, may the Lord grant you everything holy and noble.” After cutting the slava cake, a festal banquet was prepared for the guests, where Crown Prince Alexander said: “Your Holiness, we thank you for your prayers and your service to the Lord on this day in honor of St. Andrew, for good and the salvation of all of us and our people, wherever they may live. Your fatherly concern and the concern of the reverend Bishops gives us strength in these difficult times and serves as a guide for us.”

The celebration of the Karadjordjevic patronal feast was also joined by Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the president of Iceland; Serbian president Boris Tadic, representatives of the Serbian Government, the Serbia and Montenegro Army, police, the diplomatic corps, religious communities, local and international non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, media and health institutions, as well as a large number of eminent guests from the public, cultural and political life of Serbia.

RESTORATION OF ST SAVA CHURCH IN SPLIT

On December 9, 2004 His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia visited the church parish of Split and the branches of the Split parish in Uble and Zelovo as part of his regular visits. The general impression is that quite a bit has been done in the church parish of Split on the restoration of parish churches and fraternal houses but the biggest part of the work remains on the completion of work on the church of St. Sava in Split, built in 1938.

In order to achieve this Bishop Fotije gave his blessing to the administration of the Split parish to prepare the necessary documentation and municipal licenses as soon as possible. Since work on the church of St. Sava in Split transcends the current capabilities of the Split parish and the Diocese of Dalmatia, it will be necessary to include the Serbian Orthodox Church in this process.

[Serbian Translation Services]