Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 30, 2005

US AMBASSADOR VISITS DIOCESE OF BACKA

Their Graces Bishops Irinej of Backa and Porfirije of Jegar and their closest associates received the US Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Mr. Michael Polt, in the Bishop’s residence in Novi Sad today, March 30, 2005.

In an open discussion conducted in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, they discussed the mission and testimony of the Church in the modern world and today’s Serbian society. Special emphasis was placed on the responsibility of the Church for the spiritual and moral health of the people, and the maintenance of an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding among all social factors. This role of the Church is all the more important since in preceding decades, Christian values and moral principles have been systematically destroyed.

The collocutors agreed that special attention should be devoted to the fact that the Diocese of Backa, and the Serbian Orthodox Church as a whole, attaches great importance to nurturing confidence and mutual cooperation among the Churches and religious communities, as well as good relations among the majority Serbs and other peoples in Serbia.

Bishop Irinej and Ambassador Polt also discussed the need and prospects for the restoration of destroyed Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the creation of conditions for the return of refugees and displaced persons, and a free and safe life for all residents of Kosovo and Metohija.

From the Office of the Diocese of Backa

CHURCH IS NOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS
BUT IN SECURING THE RIGHTS OF ITS FAITHFUL

Serbian Orthodox Church delegation visits World Conference of Religions for Peace

Yesterday afternoon, on March 29, in New York a meeting was held between representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation and Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, an Orthodox priest and Vice-Moderator of the World Conference of Religions for Peace in the absence of the Secretary-General, Dr. William Vendley, who was absent for family reasons, and James W. Trowbridge, Assistant Secretary General.

Welcoming Bishop Grigorije and the members of the official Serbian Orthodox Church delegation, Father Kishkovsky emphasized the importance of inter-faith dialogue in both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija, and cited the existing inter-faith council in Albania as an example.

Bishop Grigorije emphasized the commitment of the Serbian Orthodox Church to actively cooperate with international example, and cited the full powers of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Council for Kosovo and Metohija as an example.

"The Church does not want to get involved in major political issues but has no choice but to become involved in fundamental life issues and basic human and religious rights of its faithful. Work needs to be done to create conditions for return so that the Church can call on people to return. That is the way to preserve multi-ethnicity in Kosovo and Metohija," said Bishop Grigorije. He added that "in this context the restitution of church property in Kosovo and Metohija is essential and should be seen as a possibility for more intensive refugee returns to an economically sustainable area".

Later in the talks the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation expressed the interest of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the organization of inter-religious conferences in Belgrade, Mostar, Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

When his collocutors suggested that an inter-religious dialogue be organized in Kosovo and Metohija, Bishop Grigorije proposed that such a conference be organized in the Pec Patriarchate. This idea was warmly received by the collocutors, who offered their assistance in its realization.

Similarly, a proposal for the joint founding of a Research Institute in Trebinje by those religions present in the region was accepted. The Serbian Orthodox Church delegation addressed the WCRP with the proposal and the request to take into account the Serbian Orthodox Church's interest to actively participate in regional integrational processes as a respected institution advocating the advancement of peace, stability, democracy and economic development. The Serbian Orthodox Church's potential in this respect has not been sufficiently taken into account by the international community.

The WCRP was also offered the possibility of assisting in the work of the Christian Cutural Center in Sarajevo, and asked to commit to the restoration of the Orthodox seminary in Sarajevo so that Orthodox Christians (as well as Muslims and Roman Catholics) can have an institution of higher learning in this city. As well, cooperation on joint projects was proposed involving the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University in Belgrade.

Representatives of the WCRP are also thoroughly familiar with the problem of instrumentalization of a pseudo-religious community in Montenegro, where the regime is using attacks on the identity and property of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral for political purposes.

The WCRP accepted the initiatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation with great sympathy and approval, and expressed their readiness to actively participate in their realization.

Today the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation is scheduled to meet with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the president of the Appeal of Consciousness Foundation, which facilitated the first meeting of religious representatives from Kosovo and Metohija in Vienna back in February 1998. In the afternoon the delegation will visit the St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York.

[Serbian Translation Services]