Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
February 4, 2005

SERBIAN PATRIARCH CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE TO SERBS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2005

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle calls on all people of good will to make donations to assist the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija who are an in an extremely difficult humanitarian situation. The collection campaign will take place on Sunday, February 6, 2005 in a specially designated place in all churches of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the homeland and abroad between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Collected monetary donations will be used to assist the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and will be deposited to the account of the Fund for Kosovo toward the payment of consumed electricity.

SERB MAN FROM PRIJEPOLJE IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER STABBING

On February 2, 2005, Dragan Benovic (49) of Prijepolje was seriously injured after being stabbed in the restaurant at the railway station in Prijepolje. Benovic, who is employed as a waiter in the restaurant, was stabbed by Dzemal Memovic (42), also of Prijepolje. He was transferred to Prijepolje Hospital in critical condition and doctors are fighting for his life.

Eyewitnesses say that no altercation preceded the attack. Benovic is known as a very quiet and peaceful man; apparently, his only transgression was his loyalty to the Orthodox Church since he is a faithful man who cares for his soul and his family, the Diocese of Milesevo reported.

His Grace Bishop Filaret of Milesevo posed the question what else needs to happen before the authorities comprehend the seriousness of the situation and begin to seriously work on resolving it. This terrible incident follows an attack on an Orthodox priest in this diocese less than ten days ago, on January 28, as well as the beating of the Zunic family of Prijepolje in the public marketplace in Priboj.

CELEBRATION OF FEAST OF ST SAVA IN BOR

His Grace Bishop Justin of Timok served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on the feast of St. Sava with the concelebration of the clergy and monks of the Diocese of Timok. After being welcomed by his hosts, the priests of the church parish of Bor, and meeting with representatives of the local government, Bor mayor Dragan Velickovic and his associates, Bishop Justin consecrated the October 3 primary school and cut the slava cake.

HIS ALL-HOLINESS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
VISITS DUBLIN

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited Dublin upon the invitation of the President of the World Bank, Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, on January 30 and 31, 2005. On this occasion His All Holiness served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Dublin. He also participated in the 4th International Conference “Faith and Development”, supported by the Government of Ireland. Patriarch Bartholomew was accompanied on his trip to Dublin by Their Eminences Archbishop Gregory of Thyatira and Great Britain and Metropolitan John of Pergamon.

Source: http://www.ec-patr.gr

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE NEW METROPOLITAN OF CAMEROON

On Sunday, January 23, 2005 His Beatitude Theodoros II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Yaounde, which concluded with the enthronement of the new Metropolitan of Cameroon, His Eminence Gregory. Present both at the ceremony of the enthronement and at the reception which followed in the grounds of the Hellenic Community and the Archbishopric, were the Ambassador of Greece Mr Apostolos Pavlos Haralambous, the Ambassador of Egypt Mr Abdelhamid Suleiman, Commander in Chief Mr Rene Meca, the Roman Catholic Nuncio Mgr Antonio Elisser, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Cameroon Mr Esso representing his Excellency the President of the Republic Mr Paul Bica, diplomats from the countries of the European Union, the Ambassador of the Central African Republic which belongs to the Archdiocese of Cameroon, as well as the Ambassadors of Chad and Gabon, both of which countries also fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy Archdiocese of Cameroon, the Honorary Consul of Cyprus Mr Konstantinos Antoniades, the Honorary Consul of Greece in Chad Mr I Poulopoulos, the Chairman of the Hellenic Community of Douala Mr Christos Karavidas, many Hellenes and crowds of Orthodox Cameroonians. The entire ceremony of the enthronement was broadcast by the state television.

Source: http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/News/2005/january.htm

[Serbian Translation Services]