Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 4, 2005

PATRIARCH PAVLE’S LETTER TO POPE JOHN PAUL II

ORTHODOX AMBASSADORS VISIT POPE JOHN PAUL II
IN GEMELLI POLYCLINIC IN ROME

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle sent a letter to His Holiness Pope John Paul II with his prayerful wishes for speedy recuperation and recovery from illness.

Yesterday a group of ambassadors in the Holy See from Orthodox countries visited Pope John Paul II in the Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic where he is recovering after his recent surgery. The group included ambassadors from the Russian Federation, the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania.

Tommaso Caputo, the Vatican's head of protocol, received the ambassadors and informed regarding the successful recovery of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, thanking them for their visit and accepting their joint gift, an icon of the Theotokos in the Byzantine style.

Monsignor Caputo said that the icon would be presented to the Pope, whose devotion to the Most Holy Theotokos is well known. He also emphasized that he would be most pleased by the fact that the gift came from the Orthodox countries.

IN ANTICIPATION OF RETURN

A photography exhibition called “Pec in my heart – My heart in Pec” opened last night in Belgrade’s Museum of Ethnography in Belgrade, kicking of a seven day-long event called “In anticipation of return” organized by the Pec Natives Club in Belgrade and the Museum of Ethnography with the blessing of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

Several hundred photographs by Vladislav Vlaja Raickovic depict the city of Pec and its surroundings. The photographs have historical significance because many of the objects shown no longer exist.

His Grace Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic) of Zahumlje and Herzegovina (retired) and representatives of the Pec Natives Club addressed the numerous guests present at the opening.

Among those present were HRH Princess Linda Karadjordjevic and her son Djordje, who is presently a cadet at the Belgrade Military Academy, Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic, the editor in chief of the Serbian Orthodox Church Information Service, and members of the clergy from Pec and Belgrade.

Visitors were able to view photographs of Pec from the beginning of the 20th century as well as archive materials attesting to the long life of this beautiful city in Metohija.

In the next days “In anticipation of return” will bring a presentation of literary works by writers from Pec created in the past five years to be followed by a public forum in which representatives of Serbian enclaves in Metohija with also take part. Although they are themselves far from their homes, the Pec natives will host the guests from sister cities, who will thus demonstrate their support for their wish to return. There is also great interest in the announced showing of films about life in Pec and its customs, filmed prior to 1999, as well as films by domestic and foreign authors filmed after the exodus in June 1999.

The event “In anticipation of return” will conclude with a philanthropic evening where donations will be collected for the monasteries of the Pec Patriarchate, Decani and Devic.

All proceeds from the exhibition, including photograph sales, books and handicrafts by monks and nuns, will also go to these monasteries.

[Serbian Translation Services]