Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 17, 2005

ONE YEAR AFTER MARCH POGROM, A DARK SHADOW
STILL HOVERS OVER KOSOVO

A year after the tragic events of March 2004 in which Kosovo Serbs and Roma experienced their "Kristallnacht" despite the presence of thousands of NATO-led peacekeepers and the UN Mission hardly anything seems to have changed for the better in Kosovo. Although the international community has strongly condemned the ethnic Albanian riots and the Kosovo Government has reconstructed part of the destroyed homes under international pressure, only a handful of the 4,000 Serbs and Roma expelled at that time have returned to their homes. They do not feel safe in a society where ethnic discrimination has become a regular pattern of life and where no one can grant them security and freedom. Medieval Serbian churches still lie in ruins, desecrated Christian cemeteries are still covered by garbage, there is no freedom of movement and no normal life. The remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija remember the tragic anniversary with constant fear of renewed Albanian violence as recent explosions in Kosovo cities warn that the restive province remains a powder keg.

Today Kosovo is far from resembling a multiethnic society where all citizens would be able to find their home and build their future normally. It looks more and more like the black hole of the European continent, and everyone seems to be at a loss what to do with it. The most tragic thing is that the international community has not found the strength nor moderate Albanians the decency to identify and name the main organizers of last year's pogrom. One hears only abstract condemnations and attempts to rationalize the violence; some even dared call it heroism. The main organizers who orchestrated a crowd of 60,000 people, provided bus transport from the remotest parts of the Province and arranged a blockade of KFOR in their bases still enjoy tacit immunity.

While some Kosovo Albanian extremist organizations today will be honoring the rioters killed by international police and KFOR while they were burning down Serb homes and churches, the Serbian people will gather in their churches to mark this tragic anniversary, remembering the innocent victims who lost their lives only because they wished to remain in their homes and peacefully live their lives. With their silent prayer, the remaining Serbs will once again raise their voice against injustice and violence, lies and hypocrisy in the hope that the March pogrom will never happen again.

On the first anniversary of the meticulously planned and ethnically motivated campaign of terror, we are left once again to recap the dark toll. A total of 19 people were killed, some 800 Serbian houses were torched and destroyed, 34 Serbian Orthodox holy shrines were demolished and devastated (increasing the total of monasteries and churches destroyed since June 1999 to about 150), 4,000 Serbs were expelled, and some 900 people were beaten up and seriously injured.

Source: ERP KIM Info Service

SALES EXHIBITION OF ICONS AND FRESCOES
TO BENEFIT FUND FOR KOSOVO

On the anniversary of the March 2004 pogrom against the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija and the torching and destruction of Orthodox Christian holy shrines, on March 17, 2005 at 6:00 p.m., a sales exhibition of icons and copies of frescoes from the churches and monasteries of Kosovo and Metohija will be opened in the Gallery of Frescoes in Belgrade, Cara Urosa Street number 20. The icons and frescoes, works by the students of the Serbian Orthodox Church Academy of Arts and Conservation from the class of Professor Goran Janicijevic, will be exhibited in the Gallery of Frescoes until March 24, 2005.

Also in the Gallery of Frescoes, Dr. Predrag Ristic, professor at the Serbian Orthodox Church Academy of Arts, will be lecturing on March 21 at 6:00 p.m. on the topic “Traces of Logos in the foundations of Holy Archangels”, and on March 24 at 6:00 p.m. Miroslav Stanojlovic, also a professor at the Academy, will speak on “Painting conservation work on the frescoes of the Church of the Ascension at the monastery of Milesevo (The Last Supper and St. Sava)”. While the exhibition is open short concerts will also be held by the choir of the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church (March 17), the choir of the churches of the Most Holy Theotokos - Ruzica and St. Paraskeva in Kalemegdan Park (March 21) and the Unity Choir of the church of St. George in Smederevo (March 24), which on that occasion will be joining the Association of Serbian Choirs.

All proceeds from icons and frescoes that are sold will be donated to the Fund for Kosovo and Metohija.

PUBLIC FORUM ON SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY AT THE ORTHODOX THEOLOGICAL FACULTY IN BELGRADE

On the occasion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade is organizing a public forum on the theme “The icon – past and present” to be held on Monday, March 21, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. Speakers will include Oliver Tomic on “The icon throughout the history of the Church” (including visual presentation) and Protopresbyter Stamatis Skliris on the theme “A post-modern re-examination of Byzantine painting”. The moderator will be His Grace Bishop Maksim of Hum, a professor at the Theological Faculty.

HIEROMONK IRINEJ DOBRIJEVIC LECTURES
AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM IN VIENNA

Hieromonk Irinej (Dobrijevic), consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, was an active participant in an international symposium under the joint auspices of Boston University and the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University on “The Orthodox spirit and capitalist ethics” held at the Institute for Social Studies in Vienna from March 7-9, 2005.

Participants in the symposium included Dr. Peter Berger, the eminent sociologist of Boston University; Mr. Christof Mihalski of the Institute for Social Studies; Dr. Vladimir Mau of the Moscow Academy for National Economy; Protopresbyter Leonid Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America; Dr. Janos Kovacs of the Institute for Social Studies; Dr Christopher Marsh of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University; Dr. Charles Cross of the Military Air Force Academy of the United States of America; Mrs. Valentina Fedeterova of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Protopresybter Dr. Michael Plekon of New York’s City University; Miss Irina Papkova of Georgetown University; Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou of Boston University; Dr. Daniela Kalkandjieva of the University of Sophia; and Hieromonk Irinej (Dobrijevic), consultant for international and inter-church relations to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Participants in the discussion included His Grace Bishop of Vienna, Dr. Ilarion (Alfeev) of the Russian Orthodox Church, the representative of the ROC to the European Union; and Dr. Ingeborg Gabriel of the University of Vienna.

The main theme of this conference was the Orthodox perspective of the major work of Max Weber, Protestant ethnics and the spirit of capitalism, with comparative presentations on the development of open economies in modern countries where Orthodox Churches are in the majority; as well as the relevancy of all local Orthodox Church in the creation of consciousness according to the principles of social rights and correlation of faith and acts. According to the research of Max Weber, and the teaching of Calvinist Protestantism, wealth is a direct indicator of God’s favor and membership of the chosen people of God. In his presentation, “The Orthodox spirit and capitalist ethics: The case of Serbia and Montenegro”, Hieromonk Irinej emphasized arguments against Weber’s thesis, because the Orthodox ideal in economic matters means the achievement of a balance between wealth and poverty, between the concrete needs of the individual and the prosperity of society as a whole. Fr. Irinej stressed that fruitful work is an important element of the human experience of every individual. That is the reason why the emphasis in Orthodoxy is placed on economic independence where a solid “middle class” predominates that neither subsists at the minimal level of existence nor wallows in luxury.

TURKISH MAYOR REMOVES STATUE OF ST NICHOLAS OF MYRRA

The Turkish mayor has decided to remove a bronze statue of St. Nicholas of Myrra and replace it with a brightly colored model of his modern incarnation, Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas, a fourth century Christian bishop who lived and worked in what is now the southern Turkish town of Demre, is revered throughout the Christian world. For that very reason, a Russian artist donated the bronze statue of the saint five years ago.

The old statue of Saint Nicholas, with arms outstretched and one hand holding the Bible, has been re-housed in a local museum from its previous vantage point towering over a town square.

Source: ASSYRIAN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY

[Serbian Translation Services]