Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 4, 2005

PATRIARCH PAVLE SIGNS BOOK OF MOURNING

On Monday, April 4, 2005, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle and His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa signed the book of mourning in the Vatican embassy in Belgrade and once again expressed their deep condolences upon the death of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II.

“I believe that Pope John Paul II of blessed repose prepared his whole life for the day he would stand before God the Just, and that his whole life has been directed toward that day,” said Patriarch Pavle during a brief meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio in Belgrade, Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro.

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION
MEETS WITH ARCHBISHOP HERMAN

On Thursday, March 31, the official delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church visited the seat of the Orthodox Church in America in Syossete near New York City today. The delegation was received by His Beatitude Archbishop Herman and all his bishops, as a meeting of the assembly of bishops had just concluded.

During the course of a friendly and sincere meeting with the head of the Orthodox Church in America, Bishop Grigorije explained the purpose and goals of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation and Bishop Teodosije talked about the problems confronting the Church and its faithful on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

Archbishop Herman thanked the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation for its visit, conveying his fraternal greetings to His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle. He underscored that Orthodox Serbs remain in the prayers of his clergy and faithful, and wished the delegation much success in the continuation of its visit to the United States.

During its visit to the seat of the Orthodox Church of America, the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation also met briefly with Bishop Nikolai of Alaska, who is a Serb from Herzegovina by origin.

After luncheon with Archbishop Herman and his bishops, the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation then traveled to Washington, D.C., where they will be staying for the next several days.

LECTURE ON "CRITIQUE OF BALKANIST DISCOURSE"

The evening of Saturday, April 2, Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic, a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation presently visiting the United States of America, held a promotional lecture on his book, "A Critique of Balkanist Discourse" in the facilities of the Serbian church parish in Washington. The book was recently published in Canada.

Dr. Sijakovic explained that the primary motive for the writing of this book was his personal participation at a conference in Trieste where he became aware to what extent people wanted to learn more about this topic. The book, namely, explains how the identity of the Balkan people is shaped by the media in accordance with the efforts of those wishing to subjugate, i.e. "civilize" these peoples. Dr. Sijakovic sees the primary solution to this problem in Balkan integration and broader regional integration, the creation of ties among the peoples of the Balkans. He also dealt extensively with the issue of the formation of a new consciousness and identity in poverty-stricken Montenegro, emphasizing that this process is primarily a smokescreen for the economic interests of those currently in power.

After the lecture Dr. Sijakovic answered numerous questions. Members of the audience wanted to hear first hand about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija from Bishops Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, and Teodosije of Lipljan, who were also present.

LITURGY IN PARISH OF HOLY APOSTLE LUKE IN MARYLAND

On Sunday, April 3, dedicated to the Holy Cross, His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with Protopresbyters Aleksa and Miroslav, priests of the Serbian Orthodox parish of the Holy Apostle Luke in Maryland.

The Serbian faithful in Maryland still have not obtained a license to build their church; consequently, Sunday and feast day services are held in the auditorium of Wayside School. During the service Bishop Teodosije delivered a sermon about the significance of following Our Lord Jesus Christ and the meaning of carrying His cross. The Bishop emphasized that "the power of the Holy Cross protects and guards us from enemy attacks and leads us to life eternal". Interpreting the Sunday gospel, Bishop Teodosije explained that "renouncing oneself is achieved first of all through calm and love of one's neighbor through which we sacrifice ourselves for others". Bishop Teodosije pointed to St. Sava of Serbia and St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher, as well as other Serbian saints, as models of such a blessed life.

"If we are besieged by suffering and difficulties, we should not run from that suffering for this is according to God's justice. God transforms this very suffering into that which brings us salvation, is eternal and is alone valuable for us," concluded Bishop Teodosije in his sermon.

Father Aleksa thanked Bishop Teodosije for taking part in the joint service and wished the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation a successful visit to Washington, D.C.

During the course of today, Monday, April 4, the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation is scheduled to meet with Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary for political affairs in the U.S. State Department, i.e. a deputy of state secretary Condoleeza Rice. Mr. Burns was appointed to this function on March 18 after previously serving as the U.S. ambassador to NATO and the U.S. ambassador to Greece. Mr. Burns' area of responsibility includes Balkan affairs, especially Kosovo.

This afternoon the members of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation will be speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center on "The Position of the Serbian Population and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo".

MEETING OF BISHOP’S COUNCIL
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX DIOCESE OF CENTRAL EUROPE

On Saturday, April 2, 2005 the regular meeting of the Bishop’s council of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Central Europe took place in the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos in Himmelstor.

His Grace Bishop Konstantin of Central Europe presided over the meeting and submitted the 2004 annual report of the Diocese administrative board. Reports were also submitted regarding the material and financial affairs of the Diocese of Central Europe, as well as church parishes of the Diocese. The final budget for 2004 was approved and a budget for 2005 approved.

The successful progress of this Diocese continued with the founding of a new prefecture for Bavaria, as well as the founding of a second parish in Koln. It was highlighted that parish fees as a responsibility of members of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Diocese of Central Europe are increasingly being submitted, and that this was especially well received by the younger faithful.

Other topics of discussion included a major project by the Serbian Orthodox church parish of Berlin, which has been working for months on filming a documentary film on the life of the Holy Bishop Nikolai of Zhicha and Ochrid. The documentary is to premiere during the commemoration of the 50 year anniversary of the repose of the Holy Bishop.

Text and photo: Miodrag Mecanovic

SUNDAY OF THE HOLY CROSS
IN THE DIOCESE OF BUDIMLJE AND NIKSIC

On the Sunday of the Holy Cross during Great Lent, His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in Djurdjevi Stupovi. The faithful venerated the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of Our Lord and attended Holy Liturgy in great number.

In his Sunday sermon the Bishop called on the faithful to attend Holy Liturgy regularly, to take communion, to become devout and to count themselves among the small flock of Christ. Regarding the Crucifixion and the Cross of Our Lord, the Bishop said: “Brothers and sisters, today we kneel before the Cross of Christ. We kneel down in the middle of the Great Fast that the Lord may lend us His strength and give us His blessing. In the Cross lies the power of crucifixion but also the power of the Lord’s resurrection! Through the Cross, the Lord demonstrates his power, and that power becomes manifest through the Cross. It is the power of love, the power of renewed birth; it is the only power that can be respected and revered by humanity. We fear every other power but this power we love! For it is the power resulting in renewed spiritual birth, which liberates and descends to the grave, to Hades, removing those who erred, who fell, who succumbed to death, all our forebears and family, all are resurrected by the power of the Lord’s Cross.”

On this religious holiday the Diocese of Budimlje and Niksic and the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi received a visit from the monks of the monastery of Visoki Decani in Kosovo and Metohija, who concelebrated Holy Liturgy with the Bishop: “Here are Fathers Dimitrije and Danilo; the best that Montenegro had to offer, thank God, she gave to Decani Monastery. Even though Montenegro has left and abandoned and betrayed Kosovo, God would not allow it to be so and so he sent these five-six young people, educated and competent, who shine in Decani Monastery, shine in Kosovo and Metohija, shine for our Holy Church, and shine for us, o brothers and sisters.”

[Serbian Translation Services]