Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
February 23, 2005

PATRIARCH PAVLE MEETS WITH MANOJLO VUKOTIC, EDITOR IN CHIEF OF SERBIA’S MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED DAILY NEWSPAPER

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with His Grace Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, received Mr. Manojlo Vukotic, the director and editor in chief of Belgrade daily “Vecernje Novosti”, and his associates in the Belgrade Patriarchate today.

During the course of extended and friendly conversation, Patriarch Pavle and Bishop Grigorije welcomed Mr. Vukotic and emphasized that during the course of previous years, “Vecernje Novosti” has been very correct in transmitting information connected to the Serbian Orthodox Church and that it can serve as a model for others in this respect.

Mr. Vukotic emphasized that “Vecernje Novosti” has the most independent editorial policy and that that is the reason it is respected by its readers as evidenced by its high circulation numbers, not only in Serbia but also in Republika Srpska, Montenegro, as well as in Kosovo and Metohija, where a large number of free copies are distributed.

“Vecernje Novosti” is also known for its participation in almost all philanthropic activities, especially support of the restoration of destroyed churches and the building of new ones. Recently “Vecernje Novosti” significantly contributed to the building of St. Sava Memorial Cathedral in Vracar (Belgrade), as well as the restoration of Chilandar Monastery and the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi in Ras.

His Holiness Patriarch Pavle thanked “Vecernje Novosti” and Mr. Vukotic personally, for their contributions to the restoration and building of holy shrines, and especially for their participation in campaigns to assist our people in Kosovo and Metohija.

Emphasized during the conversation was that “Vecernje Novosti”, a daily of general national significance, should seek to preserve a status that will enable it to continue conducting an independent editorial policy. There was also discussion regarding possible publication of books that could significantly contribute to the mission of the Church in today’s Serbian society.

At the end of the conversation Mr. Vukotic presented His Holiness the Patriarch with two sets of books from the “HX century” collection and a copy of the monograph “Vecernje Novosti”.

PATRONAL FEAST OF THE PATRIARCHAL CHURCH
OF ST SIMEON THE MYRRH-GUSHER

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle will serve a festal wake on Friday, February 25, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. in the patriarchal church of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher in the Belgrade Patriarchate. The Youth Choir of the Institute of Musicology of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts will be singing at the service. The following day, on Saturday, February 26, beginning at 9:00 a.m., His Holiness will serve Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of many priests and deacons in the same holy shrine in celebration of its patronal feast. The First Belgrade Singing Society will be singing during the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy.

On the same day at 8:00 p.m. His Holiness Patriarch Pavle will attend the St. Simeon’s Day Academy in the Kolarac Endowment building in Belgrade, which is traditionally organized by the “Dobrocinstvo” (Benefaction) agency for the organization of pilgrimages. Academician Matija Beckovic will deliver the St. Simeon Day homily, and the Obilic Choir, under the direction of Darinka Matic-Marovic, will give its premiere performance of Zoran Hristic’s “Encyclical”.

“SERBIAN PORTAL” MAGAZINE PROMOTED IN VIENNA

On Saturday and Sunday, February 19-20, promotions of the magazine “Serbian Portal” (Dveri Srpske) was held in church halls in Vienna.

This exceptional magazine came into being on St. Sava’s Day 1999 at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade as the national publication of students of Serbian studies. Over time it became the voice of all Orthodox-national students of the University in Belgrade, and today it enjoys the reputation of the academic magazine of a new generation of Serbian national intellectuals.

Bosko Obradovic, the editor in chief of “Serbian Portal” promoted the magazine, whose most recent issue is thematically devoted to Milos Crnjanski, in Vienna.

The young enthusiasts who work together on this magazine also formed the citizens’ association Srpski Sabor Dveri (Serbian Assembly of the Portal), which brings together young Serbian intellectuals whose motto is: “If you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.” An introduction to their work can be found on the Internet at www.srpskedveri.com. To date they have also organized four Serbian Youth Assemblies under the slogan “I believe in God and Serbdom” which seek to introduce and form ties among active Serbian youth organizations from the homeland and abroad.

Text and photo: Miodrag Mecanovic

[Serbian Translation Services]