Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 10, 2005

PATRIARCH CONSECRATES NEW PARISH HOME
OF ST SAVA MEMORIAL CATHEDRAL IN BELGRADE

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle consecrated the new parish home of St. Sava Memorial Cathedral in Vracar (Belgrade) at 11:30 a.m. today with the concelebration of church elder, Protopresybter-Stavrophor Stevan Vlacic, and the clergy of St. Sava Cathedral.

The consecration ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Boris Tadic, in his capacity of chairman of the St. Sava Church Building Society; Professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, the master builder of St. Sava; members of the St. Sava Church building society, directors of some of the most successful companies and banks in Serbia, representatives of companies that participated in the construction of the parish home, and numerous guests.

In his sermon, His Holiness the Patriarch expressed his joy that such a beautiful memorial cathedral to St. Sava had been built, along with the parish home, and spoke of his hope that a new Patriarchate will be built, to the glory of God and the good of the people, in St. Sava Square in Belgrade. Following the example of our holy forebears who, placing their faith in God, endured five centuries of enslavement under the Turks and all the misfortunes that befell them in their battle for liberation and transcended all obstacles and challenges, it is important that like them we overcome, with God’s help, all obstacles and challenges that befall us in our lives. It is by doing this that our forebears will recognize us. His Holiness also spoke of the narrow path and the narrow gate leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. Citing the words of Christ, that your light may shine before men, that your good deeds may be seen, which will be the only measure according to which we will be recognized both by our forebears and in God’s eyes. At the end of his sermon, His Holiness cited philosopher Bozo Knezevic who says “man is a being in whom God can rejoice but also a being who can shame the devil”. The Patriarch ended his address with the prayer that we may join those in whom God can rejoice.

At the conclusion of this exceptional prayerful event, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle address a few sincere words to the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Tadic, thanking him for his efforts with respect to the building of St. Sava Church, and wishing him a safe trip and much success in representing Serbia at the summit on Southeast European Cooperation to be held in Skoplje, where he is to participate with some 150 heads of state and prime ministers, political leaders, ministers and business people.

Prior to the ceremony of consecration, the regular annual assembly of the St. Sava Church Building Society was held in the parish hall and chaired by Mr. Tadic. The assembly was attended by presidents and directors of the largest Serbian companies and banks. On this occasion, a report was submitted on the previous period and plans were defined for the coming year. President Tadic emphasized that the completion of St. Sava Church is a priority task for the state and the nation, and stressed the importance of the Serbian Orthodox Church in modern Serbian society.

The ceremony was enhanced by the grand chanting and singing of the Mokranjac Singing Society (a member of the Association of Serbian Choirs) under the direction of Miss Jelena Jez.

BISHOP OF BACKA TO MEET WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT

On Friday, March 11, at 10:30 a.m. His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa is to receive the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Boris Tadic, in the bishop’s residence in Novi Sad. Also present at the reception will the senior representatives of all traditional Churches in Serbia, who will also be taking part in the discussion.

Topics that are expected to be discussed include social and status-related issues connected with the church and religious communities, the enhancement of religious instruction in public schools, and the restitution of nationalized church property.

PRE-PASCHAL LETTER

By the Commission of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church
to the members of UACORO (the Union of Western Rite Orthodox Cult Associations)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

As the Chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church established for dialogue with UACORO, which is in process, it is my wish to send you a brief message before the Pascha of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of all.

The salvation of humanity and the world was carried out by the Cross and Resurrection of the Only Son of God, who was incarnated because of us. This means that our personal salvation begins with the Cross and is fulfilled through Resurrection. The Cross to us means our repentance (metanoia). That is the reason why we began dialogue with you, telling you that the Gospel of our salvation began with the words of St. John the Baptist (Mat 3:8, Mar 1:4) and with the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mar 1:15, Mat 4:17). Repentance is not just the beginning but also the middle and the end of our salvation: it should be present throughout the course of our life on this earth. That is the second period before Pascha in the Orthodox Church, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, is filled with repentance.

During this period it is my hope and my recommendation that you will prepare yourself before the Cross and the Resurrection of Our Lord by repenting and confessing, and that you will join the full community of the Orthodox Church and, each of you individually will join one of the Orthodox parishes according to your choice located in Paris, in France, in Europe, in the West and in the East, asking to be accepted since you profess the Orthodox faith, are baptized and anointed. All for this reason: lest you lose precious time and deny yourself full community (=communion) in the blessing of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ given only during the Liturgy of the Community of the Orthodox Church.

Our dialogue with UACORO continues. But because of numerous difficulties and obstacles coming less from our side than your own (e.g. seclusion in a community that has not succeeded over the course of decades in gaining acceptance into the full community of the Orthodox Church – for which you should not place responsibility with others – as well as a certain “great idea” regarding your “vocation” (=calling) to create a local Church, which assumes that other Orthodox do not aspire to the same thing even though that is what we, too, wish to realize but through canonical and ecclesiastic means and in full consensus of peace, cooperation, love and blessing with the other Orthodox Churches), this dialogue may take some time.

Why does each one of you remain outside the full community and communion of the Orthodox Church unless you believe that only in your isolated community can you find salvation identity, despite the fact that your identity, like our own, can only be found in the fullness of the Church of the Holy Apostles and Fathers and Assemblies, whose heir and continuer is the Orthodox Church.

God willing – we hope that this will be the case and are working on it – that one day the UACORO parishes will join the community of the Serbian Church or some other Orthodox Church – which is not yet the case – you will lose nothing and you can then return, if you so desire, to the community that is now yours. We wish to say that one should not isolate oneself in a single community such as UACORO or any other like it, remaining outside the community of the Orthodox Churches.

As we approach the Pascha of Christ, St. Gregory the Theologian tells us all:

"Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him, today I am given life with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him, today I rise with Him."

As a Christian and bishop, I wish the same for you.

Christ was crucified for our salvation and rose from the dead for our own life eternal.

Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic),
Chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod of the SOC
In Paris, March 8, 2005

LETTRE AVANT LA PAQUE

de la part de la Commission du Saint-Synode de l’Eglise serbe
a l’intention des fideles de l’UACORO
(Union des Associations Cultuelles Orthodoxes de Rite Occidental)

Chers freres et s?urs en Christ,

En tant que President de la Commission du Saint-Synode de l’Eglise serbe chargee du dialogue en cours avec l’UACORO, je veux vous envoyer un bref message avant la Paque de notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ, Sauveur de tous les hommes.

Le salut de l’homme et du monde est accompli par la Croix et la Resurrection du Fils unique de Dieu qui S’est incarne pour nous. Cela signifie que notre salut personnel commence par la Croix et s’accomplit par la Resurrection. La Croix, pour nous, signifie notre penitence (metanoia). C’est la raison pour laquelle j’ai commence le dialogue avec vous : l’Evangile de notre salut a commence par les paroles de saint Jean Baptiste (Mt 3, 8 ; Mc 1, 4), puis de notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ : "Les temps sont accomplis et le Royaume de Dieu est tout proche : repentez-vous et croyez a l’Evangile" (Mc 1, 15 ; Mt 4, 17). La penitence n’est pas seulement au commencement, mais aussi au milieu et a la fin de notre salut : elle doit etre presente pendant toute notre vie terrestre. C’est pourquoi la grande periode de careme avant la Paque, dans l’Eglise orthodoxe, une, sainte, catholique et apostolique, est pleine de cette repentance.

Pendant cette periode, je vous souhaite et vous recommande, devant la Croix et la Resurrection, de vous preparer, par la penitence et la confession, a entrer dans la pleine communion de l’Eglise orthodoxe en vous rendant, chacun personnellement, dans une paroisse orthodoxe de votre choix — qu’elle se situe a Paris, en France, en Europe, en Occident ou en Orient — et en demandant a y etre recu, pour autant que vous confessiez la foi orthodoxe et soyez baptises et chrismes. Tout cela pour ne pas perdre un temps precieux et etre prives de la pleine communion a la grace de la Croix et de la Resurrection qui se donne dans la Liturgie au sein de l’Eglise orthodoxe.

Notre dialogue avec l’UACORO se poursuivra. Mais a cause de beaucoup d’obstacles venant moins de notre part que de votre part (par exemple l’enfermement dans une communaute qui n’a pas reussi, pendant des decennies, a etre acceptee dans la pleine communion des Eglises orthodoxes — ce dont vous ne devez pas rejeter la responsabilite sur les autres — et aussi, une "grande idee" de votre "vocation" de construire une Eglise locale en pensant que les autres orthodoxes ne veulent pas la meme chose, alors qu’ils le souhaitent aussi, mais par une voie ecclesiale canonique et dans la concorde de la paix, de l’amour et de la grace), ce dialogue peut durer assez longtemps.

Pourquoi chacun de vous reste-t-il en dehors de la pleine communion ? A moins qu’il ne pense que c’est seulement dans votre communaute isolee qu’on trouve le salut et l’identite, alors que votre identite de meme que la notre se trouve seulement dans la plenitude de l’Eglise des Apotres, des Peres et des Conciles dont l’Eglise orthodoxe est l’heritiere et la continuatrice.

Si Dieu donne — et nous esperons et nous travaillons pour cela — que les paroisses de l’UACORO entrent un jour dans la communion de l’Eglise orthodoxe serbe ou d’une autre Eglise orthodoxe — ce qui n’est pas encore le cas —, vous ne perdrez rien et vous pourrez alors, si vous le souhaitez, regagner la communaute qui est la votre actuellement. Nous voulons dire qu’il ne faut pas s’enfermer dans une communaute comme l’UACORO ou une autre semblable, en restant en dehors de la communion des Eglises orthodoxes.

Saint Gregoire le Theologien, devant la Paque du Christ, nous dit a tous: "Crucifions-nous avec le Christ, mourons avec le Christ, et soyons ensevelis avec le Christ pour ressusciter avec le Christ." Je vous le souhaite aussi comme chretien et eveque orthodoxe.

Christ est crucifie pour notre salut et Il est ressuscite pour notre vie eternelle.

Eveque Athanase (Jevtitch),
President de la commission du Saint-Synode.
A Paris, le 8 mars 2005.

BISHOP GERASIM RECEIVES DELEGATION OF SKD PROSVJETA

His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac received Mr. Cedomir Visnjic, the president of the Prosvjeta Serbian Cultural Society and the deputy minister for culture in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, in the offices of the temporary seat of the Diocese in Karlovac.

The meeting was held for the purpose of enhancing joint projects by the Serbian Orthodox Church and SKD Prosvjeta related to the preservation of Serbian culture and identity within the Diocese of Gornji Karlovac.

[Serbian Translation Services]