Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 5, 2005

MEETING WITH NICHOLAS BURNS AT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Washington, D.C., April 5, 2005

Yesterday, April 4, the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation met with Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary for political affairs (i.e. the deputy of state secretary Condoleeza Rice) in the U.S. State Department. Nicholas Burns replaced Marc Grossman in this position and one of his special priorities will be engagement in the resolution of the problem in Kosovo and Metohija. The meeting was also attended by Kathleen Stevens and Troy Petersen who working the section for Balkan affairs and Kosovo.

Undersecretary Burns expressed his great pleasure at being able to receive the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation, especially on the eve of the upcoming meeting of the Contact Group in London, which he will attending with Kathleen Stevens. As the former U.S. ambassador to Greece, Burns actively followed developments in the region. At the very beginning of the meeting, he expressed his deep regrets because of the events of March last year, emphasizing that after this NATO undertook a series of measures to raise the level of preparedness. "March 2004 cannot be repeated. NATO is ready for all challenges in Kosovo, and it will remain there, of that you can be sure," said Burns decisively.

In his introductory remarks, Bishop Grigorije greeted Mr. Burns and wished him a successful start in carrying out such an important role. The Bishop thanked Mr. Burns for receiving the delegation, adding that it is the intent of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful to be a part of the peaceful world. "The role of the Serbian Orthodox Church, explained Bishop Grigorije, "is highly specific. Even after all the conflicts our Church is actively working on all territories of the former Yugoslavia, from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia to Serbia and Montenegro. That is why our intention and desire is that, regardless of future political solutions, conditions be created for the Serbian Orthodox Church to perform its normal work on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and that our faithful, as well as all other minority communities, be adequately protected," said Bishop Grigorije. He emphasized that "the Church must remain aware of the life of the people and not allow itself to be instrumentalized for political purposes. Unfortunately, there have been such instances to the detriment of the Serbian Orthodox Church."

Bishop Grigorije explained how he sees the role of the Church in the forthcoming regional processes, saying that "if the Church needs to cooperate with the international community and individual governments in the region then it has to do so in the capacity of a non-governmental organization, not as a political party or a government institution." "Our intention is to tell the international community that we have existed for centuries in Kosovo and Metohija, and that we need adequate international protection and help. Several of our monasteries of world importance have survived thanks to the international community and especially the help of the U.S. We are grateful for this help but we need long-term international protection and assistance," explained Bishop Grigorije. He added that "if Kosovo and Metohija are supposed to be multiethnic and multiconfessional, it is essential that all destroyed holy shrines be rebuilt and that the return of all persons who have been expelled be enabled, as well as that those homes are rebuilt and those people are given the right to make free use of their private property".

The Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church is firmly committed to the restoration of all that has been destroyed as soon as possible in accordance with the recently subscribed Memorandum of Understanding, and that both Serbs and Albanians need to work together in this process with international help and control. "Our Church is ready and we will do everything possible to ensure the normalization of life and reconciliation, not only in Kosovo and Metohija, but throughout the region. We want peace, stability and economy recovery but more than anything we wish to remain in our own homes and on our own land in peace with all those who live around us."

In response to undersecretary Burns' question regarding his vision of a political solution and whether it is possible to achieve a common future for Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo, Bishop Grigorije replied that the Kosovo conflict is the result of the nationalism of the 19th and 20th century, with the Communist period serving to further strengthen repressed national ideas and frustrations that were instrumentalized in the time of Milosevic but are still being used by Albanian extremists. The solution must be one that will enable security, protection of property, a free life and full human and religious rights to all citizens. "Every hasty solution will undoubtedly have serious consequences for ordinary people, who are the ones suffering the most in conflicts such as this," said the Bishop.

Bishop Grigorije placed special emphasis on the need for religious leaders to be more active participants in the reconciliation process. "That is the very reason why we just met with the World Council of Religions for Peace and Rabbi Schneier, and reached an agreement with them to hold a multi-religious conference in the near future in the Pec Patriarchate. The Serbian Orthodox Church is willing to assume the leading role in this process but it is also necessary for Albanian religious communities to demonstrate greater accountability and to be more active in the defense of the fundamental principles that connect our respective faiths."

"However, the problems in Kosovo and Metohija are multifold," added the Bishop, adding that "the biggest problem is that since 1999 urban centers have become monoethnic. More than 200,000 Serbs and Roma are waiting for their right to return to be ensured for them." Further in the discussion Bishop Grigorije also explained that returns must be sustainable and that people must be provided with jobs and an income. "Without a comprehensive economic program, it will be difficult to attract the work force population to return. The problem with the return process to date is that it was initiated without the accompanying creation of an economic basis for people's survival, which is an erroneous strategy," emphasized Bishop Grigorije.

Mr. Burns emphasized the importance of cooperation with the international community with regard to the Hague tribunal. Bishop Grigorije emphasized that true patriotism lies in every person who is accused by the tribunal demonstrating courage and responsibility, and proving his innocence before the court. "When one suffers, we all suffer but it is dangerous when we all suffer because of one person," said the Bishop. The Bishop explained to Mr. Burns that Patriarch Pavle personally expressed support for the surrender of general Lazarevic to The Hague, and that the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church is clear with respect to this issue: International obligations must be fulfilled.

Bishop Teodosije also spoke about concrete problems confronting the Church in Kosovo and Metohija. "The monasteries must be protected by a special international mechanism so that they can be pulled out from the context of political conflicts and territorial battles. Our holy shrines represent a cultural heritage important for the whole world and that is why it is necessary to stop their destruction once and for all. Sadly, that destruction has been ongoing for more than five years despite the presence of international forces." The Bishop also mentioned the March 2004 pogrom and emphasized that the Church does not care only about its holy shrines but also about its faithful, who need to be offered conditions for a peaceful and dignified life. The Bishop also stressed that economic development in Kosovo cannot under any circumstances come into conflict with the fundamental principles of protecting religious monuments and preserving the natural resources around them. Otherwise, the basic principles of protecting cultural heritage honored throughout the civilized world will be trampled.

As Mr. Burns is Roman Catholic by faith Bishop Grigorije upon parting expressed his sincere sympathies on the passing of Pope John Paul II of Rome.

The Serbian Orthodox Church delegation and the deputy secretary of state agreed to maintain contacts and cooperation in the future, and that active support by the USA for the protection of the Serbian Orthodox Church, its faithful and its holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija is of major importance.

LECTURE AT THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER

Washington, April 5, 2005

Yesterday afternoon the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation to the United States gave a lecture at the eminent Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on "The position of the Serbian population and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija". The Woodrow Wilson Center is one of the most eminent political institutions in Washington, attracting great attention as a forum for political views and positions of both U.S. and international officials.

At the very beginning of the presentation, after the introduction of the members of the delegation, Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, who is a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops, explained to those present that the delegation was visiting the United States in the name of the Holy Synod to present the views of the Church, not its own views or that of any of its individual dioceses.

"Our local Church is functioning throughout the entire area of the former Yugoslavia. In this area we have four to five thousand parishes and a total of 25 dioceses, including five in Croatia, five in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two in Montenegro, and the rest in Serbia, including the province of Kosovo and Metohija. In the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia there is also the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ochrid, which under the canonical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate in Belgrade. The Serbian Orthodox Church also has dioceses in central and western Europe, America, Canada and Australia. Approximately 87 percent of the population of Serbia describes itself as faithful to the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the percentage among the Serbian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina is even higher. All this suggests that the Serbian Orthodox Church is quite an important and key factor in the society in which we live," explained the Bishop.

Furthermore, Bishop Grigorije said that this is the very reason why the Church decided to establish direct contact with officials in the United States and the United Nations in order to protect its faithful, especially in areas where it is still subject to persecution and denied basic human and religious rights.

"Unfortunately, a biased view exists that our Church is closed in and conservative, that it is against everything that comes from the West. Of course, this is simply not true; it is a part of the propaganda promoted by some, including the same people who attacked the Church as pro-Western and anti-Communist during the Titoist regime. It is our intent to dispel this current false image, and to extend the hand of cooperation and understanding not only to the international community but also to our neighbors: Albanians, Croats, Bosniaks, and all others who live among us and near us. A lot of effort will be required in this process because much hatred has been created and the people have suffered much," said Bishop Grigorije.

Continuing his address, the Bishop explained that the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved significant results because no new violence has broken out since the peace agreement. "Unfortunately, in Kosovo this is not the case, and there is a real danger that this province will become completely monoethnic. That is the very reason why we are here, so that whatever political solutions are adopted, the Church and its people can be adequately protected and offered the possibility of a free and normal life. The Church cannot survive without its people, nor the people without their Church," emphasized the Bishop, explaining that the people and Church survived under similar conditions during the Ottoman regime.

"We cannot and we must not become involved in everyday politics. Our only policy must be the policy of survival, life and co-existence; we must forgive and seek the forgiveness of others. This is the only "policy" that can be justified by the Gospel, and our Church is committed to actively promoting this path. By its nature the Church is open, not nationalistic. Ethnophiletism is not characteristic of the Church, and we as Christians are duty bound not only to love our own people but all humanity for that is the command of Our Lord Christ. What is more, we must love even those who do not love us. That is our faith, the faith that we must witness," concluded Bishop Grigorije.

Bishop Teodosije explained that he was coming from the area of Kosovo and Metohija as a living witness of everything that transpired and that is happening today in the Province. "Speaking in the name of Decani Monastery, where I am the abbot of a brotherhood of 30 monks, as well as in the name of the other Serbian Orthodox monasteries, I can say that I am grateful to God that we have found the strength and the wisdom during the war to respond evangelically to the challenges that confronted us, and to establish confidence with the local Albanians. Just as we helped endangered Serbs so, too, we helped Albanian victims. That is the greatest capital in our possession."

Bishop Teodosije continued his statement by explaining that "on that very basis after the war we established friendly cooperation with the international community, which became the guarantor of our survival in our monasteries, as well as in our enclaves, during the difficult post-war situation".

"On the other hand," the Bishop added, "among radical Kosovo Albanian forces there is a drive to destroy that which belongs to the Serbian people, its holy shrines and cultural heritage, as well as to expel the remaining population. Unfortunately, the extremists have largely succeeded in their plans because the international community failed to adequately respond and protect that entrusted to it. Nevertheless, we feel that there is presently far more understanding for our position in international circles, especially after the tragic March 2004 pogrom. Consequently, we believe that we need to actively work on ensuring the long-term protection of our Church and our people. Thus our Church is calling for dialogue and cooperation but also reiterating that this cooperation must work in both directions."

Bishop Teodosije explained that the issues of long-term international protection of the Serbian Orthodox cultural heritage, the restitution of confiscated property, refugee returns and ensuring economic and security conditions necessary for their survival, especially in urban centers, are especially important.

"The protection of monasteries must be organized with the help of all legal mechanisms existing in the civilized world. We cannot have the building of factories in the immediate vicinity of monasteries, nor the destruction of forests and other natural resources. Taking all this into consideration, the long-term presence of NATO forces is essential as a guarantee of stability and respect for law and order," said the Bishop.

Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic spoke separately regarding the issue of repatriation (refugee returns) and the restitution of church property confiscated by the Communist regime. "The return of the population," said Fr. Irinej, "can be most effectively ensured in those rural and urban zones where Orthodox shrines already exist that can offer spiritual and moral support to returnees in rebuilding their homes and beginning a new life." Father Irinej also mentioned the importance of Orthodox humanitarian organizations, such as the IOCC and Philanthropy, which have a lot of experience with returnees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially in the restoration of churches, schools, homes and the creation of conditions necessary for sustainable returns.

Father Irinej also commented on the process of restoration of destroyed holy shrines and cited, as an example of the readiness of the Serbian Orthodox Church to begin this process as soon as possible, the recently signed Memorandum of understanding that is firmly supported by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle and all the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. "The Memorandum is a foundation on which we need to build an entire series of mechanisms for the restoration of all destroyed holy shrines because by doing so we will show that we want to remain in our homes and to rebuild what has been destroyed."

After the presentations of the three speakers, the members of the audience posed several questions. We are enclosing here the summaries of responses given by members of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation.

Identification of perpetrators of the March pogrom

When asked regarding the status of court proceedings in connection with the torching and destruction of churches and other crimes committed during last year's March riots, Bishop Teodosije answered that since 1999 a total of 150 Serbian Orthodox Churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija had been destroyed, and that during the violence 4,000 more Serbs and Roma were expelled while 19 people lost their lives. Even though some individual perpetrators have been arrested, in fact the main organizers of these tragic events remain at liberty. Except for a few cases the perpetrators have not been found, as is also the case for the period from June 1999 to March 2004. In most of these cases there was no investigation conducted at all, and the international mission did not inform either the Church or the public on this issue. Many other instances of crimes in which the victims were Serbs remain unresolved: the massacre of Serbian children in Gorazdevac, the murder of the three members of the Stolic family, the terrorist attack on the Nish Express bus, and the massacre of Serbian harvesters in Staro Gracko, among others.

Status of Kosovo and Metohija

When asked about the possible future status of Kosovo, Bishop Grigorije replied that one can talk about "a just and an unjust solution" but that he would rather speak of a "realistic solution", implying first of all protection for those who are in the minority from the majority population, which must act in accordance with the standards of the UN and the EU.

Although the Church does not have an official position with respect to political status, because this issue has yet to be resolved through negotiations and represents primarily a responsibility of the state, Bishop Grigorije expressed his personal opinion that the solution should be sought in a high degree of autonomy that at the same time implies a high degree of responsibility. "A drastic changing of the borders can only endanger the fragile equilibrium throughout the region, especially the peace that has been established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the unstable situation in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," concluded the Bishop.

Serb participation in Kosovo and Metohija institutions

In response to a question by a member of the U.S. State Department regarding the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Serb participation in local Kosovo institutions, Bishop Grigorije said that the Church in principle favors cooperation and dialogue. However, the Serbian Orthodox Church is not able to concern itself with everyday political matters and to try to influence specific political decisions. "We believe that our position will encourage those who are in favor of cooperation. Of course, considerable effort will be needed to establish cooperation with local institutions because the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have had rather negative experiences during their past three years as participants in those institutions. Nevertheless, if conditions were created so that Serbs can truly be active participants and not just passive observers, and if it is possible to create conditions for a normal life for their community through their political efforts, then of course their participation in the provisional institutions of self-government would make sense," explained the Bishop.

Position of the Serbian Orthodox Church on elections in Kosovo and Metohija

When asked about the controversial position of the Serbian Orthodox Church during the provincial elections, Bishop Teodosije further explained that three years ago the Church encouraged its faithful to vote and openly called on them to participate in the 2001 elections. "However, after three years of participating in local institutions, it became apparent that their participation was strictly of a formal and symbolic nature. In order for Serbs to return to the parliament, it is necessary to enable them to participate actively, and to strengthen the mechanisms for the protection of Serbian deputies against marginalization. If the Albanian side and the international community are willing to provide such conditions, the Serbs would certainly agree to participate in Kosovo institutions.

"A truly multiethnic society must be built in Kosovo, not just a society tailored to one nation and one faith. That is not the way leading to Europe and the future. When Serbs see that Kosovo and Metohija can be a home for all citizens regardless of ethnic differences then it is completely logical that they will be ready to participate in political processes regardless of final status. Otherwise, Serbian representatives are justified in hesitating to participate in the building of a monoethnic society in which they have almost no rights and freedoms. Freedom must exist for all citizens equally," concluded Bishop Teodosije.

Role of the Pope in Bosnia and Herzegovina reconciliation

The last question was to what extend the Pope's visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina had contributed to the reconciliation process in that area.

Bishop Grigorije explained that Pope John Paul II was a man of peace who made no differences among people based on their ethnicity. He played an important role in historical processes during the course of the twentieth century, and we wish to express our sincere condolences to all Roman Catholic faithful as well as our hope that his successor will remain open to cooperation with the Orthodox Church.

[Serbian Translation Services]