Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 14, 2005

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION VISITS CAPITOL HILL

After a brief visit to Chicago the official Serbian Orthodox Church delegation to the USA continued its activities today in Washington, D.C., where further meetings with officials and media are scheduled. In the morning the delegation met with congressman Dennis Kucinich from Ohio (Democratic Party), a respected fighter for human rights issues throughout the world.

At noon local time the delegation will be participating at a roundtable discussion organized by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The roundtable discussion will be attended by many people concerned with the issue of religious freedoms in the Balkans, including representatives of the U.S. Administration, Congress, the Pentagon and others.

In the afternoon Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation, will give an interview for Voice of America Television, and the members of delegation will visit senator George Voinovich from Ohio, who is one of the eminent representatives of the rights of the Serbian people in the Balkans.

The dominant theme of all meetings and statements will be Kosovo and Metohija, where the Serbian people has lived for almost six years without fundamental human and religious rights. The Serbian Orthodox Church will once again propose its readiness for cooperation with the international community on humanitarian issues but it will also express its expectation that the international community will finally put an end to massive violations of rights and enable the return of refugees, the protection of their private property, and the property owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Another priority for the Church is the restoration of destroyed churches and monasteries, scheduled to begin as soon as possible by the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops and His Holiness Patriarch Pavle because the delay of this process has created the confusing impression in international circles that the Church is supposedly blocking the restoration of its own churches and monasteries for political reasons.

Today (Thursday, April 14) the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation is scheduled to meet with several members of Congress and senators on Capitol Hill. Meetings are planned with US representatives Trent Franks, Joe Barton (chairman of the Serbian congressional caucus), Ms. Melissa Bean (second meeting), as well as senator Sam Brownbeck. In the afternoon the SPC delegation will be received in the United States Institute of Peace. Today is the final day of the work portion of the SPC delegation visit to the United States. On Friday, April 15, the delegation will be traveling to Belgrade by way of New York.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2005, the official Serbian Orthodox Church delegation, which is on an extended visit to the United States of America, held three meetings on Capitol Hill. In addition to meetings with congressmen Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio and Joseph R. Pitts of Pennsylvania, the delegation also had a long and hearty conversation with Ohio senator George Vojinovich.

In addition to these meetings, the delegation testified yesterday regarding the state of human rights in Kosovo and Metohija (and throughout the region) before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (separate report to follow).

During meetings with the members of Congress, the delegation briefly presented the main positions the delegation has advocated during the course of its stay in the USA. The delegation asked for assistance in order to enable the return of displaced persons to Kosovo and Metohija, the restoration of their homes, churches and monasteries, as well as the restitution of church property confiscated by the Communists in 1946. Congressman Kucinich is an active member of the Serbian caucus, while congressman Pitts wants to join the caucus because he has a large number of Serbs in his electoral district.

Senator Vojinovich warmly welcomed the delegation, saying that he respects the active role the Serbian Orthodox Church has taken upon itself to achieve stability in Kosovo and Metohija. He explained that he had been to Kosovo four times already, and said that many people criticized his positions for being critical of UNMIK and asking for the replacement of Hari Holkeri after the March pogrom. Senator Vojinovich also told the delegation that its previous meetings in the State Department with Burns and in the White House with Fried were very positively assessed, and that the voice of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been heard clearly in Washington.

Bishop Grigorije explained to senator Vojinovich that the delegation had had several useful meetings in the USA and that it is encouraged by the support it has received. "Now it is necessary upon returning to Serbia to begin to fulfill the responsibilities we have taken upon ourselves. We absolutely wish our people and Church to remain in Kosovo and Metohija regardless of political solutions. That is why we signed the memorandum on the restoration of destroyed holy sites so that we could overcome the impasse in this respect and let everyone know that our churches must not remain in ruins. Otherwise, this would be a great defeat for us and a reward for the extremists," stated Bishop Grigorije.

When asked by senator Vojinovich whether it was true that the Patriarch allegedly withdrew his signature after signing the memorandum, Bishop Grigorije explained that after the unanimous adoption of the memorandum, certain circles put pressure on the Patriarch to withdraw his signature and that news to that effect was released publicly without authorization. Since the Patriarch had made his decision together with the whole Holy Synod of Bishops and signed the document on March 24, three days later a new meeting of the Holy Synod confirmed that the signature is completely valid and that the Serbian Orthodox Church stands firmly behind the Memorandum.

Senator Vojinovich expressed his personal support for the signed agreement which is expected to enable the process of restoration of destroyed churches and monasteries. He personally promised the members of the delegation that he would work with Fried and Burns to realize this agreement on the ground for the benefit of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful.

Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic explained that the process of restoring destroyed churches can create opportunities for the employment of returnees needing a source of income, since the memorandum clearly defines that the churches are to be built by companies with experience in the restoration and building of Orthodox churches. In this manner, said Fr. Irinej, the return process is connected with the process of restoration of what has been destroyed and the protection of Serbian property, especially the property of the Church.

When asked by senator Vojinovich regarding progress on return of displaced persons, rebuilding of houses, freedom of movement for Serbs and finding the perpetrators of ethnic crimes in Kosovo, Bishop Teodosije, the abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery, explained that very few people have returned, only two percent of the total number of displaced, which UNHCR and the International Red Cross Committee place at over 200,000.

"People want to return," said Bishop Teodosije, "especially those whose roots lie here. But as time passes returns will be increasingly difficult unless something is done urgently. We try to believe that March 17 will not be repeated but there are many individual incidents not mentioned in the press. For the monks and nuns there is still no freedom of movement, especially in the western part of the Province." He added that "visitors are frequently stoned during All Souls' Day and other religious rites" and went on to explain that in the eastern part of the Province and to some extent in the central part there is relative freedom of movement, although people travel at their own risk. According to current statistics kept by the Serbian Orthodox church, only three percent of those expelled during the March pogrom have returned to their homes. "It's true that some of their houses have been rebuilt but no one can guarantee security and a normal life for people who have lived through a horrible experience last March. The houses that are officially considered to be rebuilt lack necessary infrastructure (water, electricity) and construction work on most of them was very inexpertly done because the owners themselves were not allowed to directly participate in the reconstruction of their own houses." Bishop Teodosije also emphasized the problem of desecrated cemeteries, noting that the Serbian Orthodox Church has voluminous photo documentation, showing that in some cemeteries not only were all crosses and tombstones destroyed but the mortal remains of the deceased were carried off, an act unprecedented in modern history.

Senator Vojinovich informed the delegation that he plans to take a group of senators to Kosovo in the near future in order to conduct an objective analysis and assessment of how much progress has been made on the repair of damage from March 17, 2005, as well as to acquaint them with the actual situation in which Serbs are living.

Bishop Teodosije expressed the readiness of the Serbian Orthodox Church to actively join in the preparation of these visits, since many foreign officials are taken where there are no problems, circumventing those parts of Kosovo where Serbs are living under impossible conditions. He cited especially the example of Prizren, where Serbs even had freedom of movement in the city before March 17. "Everyone pointed to Prizren as a model of progress. KFOR even removed the security checkpoints. However, the entire illusion was dispelled on March 17 when all the remaining Serbian houses in the city were torched together with seven medieval Orthodox Christian churches and the monastery of Holy Archangels." At this time nothing in Prizren has been restored, except for the new residence quarters at Holy Archangels Monastery built with Church funds. "To our best knowledge, the Serbs have not returned to their homes because they have not been rebuilt. The entire Serbian quarter lies in ruins and the displaced are still living in a KFOR military base."

Senator Vojinovich asked the Serbian Orthodox Church for detailed reports regarding concrete examples of violation of human and religious rights, emphasizing that the attitude toward the Serbs will be a key factor in determining the US position toward the political demands of the Kosovo Albanians as well as in the evaluation of standards. He also emphasized that in the year KFOR has significantly modified limitations in its regulations and is now much more ready to confront eventual violence.

BISHOP GRIGORIJE FOR VOICE OF AMERICA:
WITHOUT THE RETURN OF THE DISPLACED, KOSOVO WILL BE MONOETHNIC

Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, the head of the official Serbian Orthodox Church delegation presently visiting the USA, made a statement yesterday for Voice of America's Open Studio television program.

The entire VOA broadcast shown at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, can be viewed (during the day) in Real Video format (in Serbian) at:

http://www.voanews.com/real/voa/europe/serb/serb2200v.ram

Those interested in hearing Bishop Grigorije's statement only (in Serbian) can download the audio file in MP3 format (approx. 3MB) for a limited time (prior to April 20) at:

http://s43.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1T4ZC52X4NO3G19JV5861TJ6F2

We are enclosing the unedited transcript of Bishop Grigorije's interview:

Voice of America host:

The guest of Voice of American today was the head of the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church which has been on a visit to the United States for some time. Kyr Grigorije, the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, said in a statement for Open Studio that he is satisfied with the visit during which US officials, as he said, promised to do everything so that the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbs in the Balkans, and especially in Kosovo, are able to enjoy freedoms and rights guaranteed by the United Nations Charter.

Bishop Grigorije:

..... And the impression that certainly needs to be told and emphasized to our people is that people here received the delegation of our Church with good intentions, and that in all honesty they surprised us somewhat because it became sort of a trend, a theme that was imposed and continues to be imposed, that everyone here is ill intentioned, and that such a view exists from the start. The only regret I have in my soul after everything I have seen here is that we did not react in this fashion ten, fifteen or twenty years ago, but that was the consequence of Communism.

Here in America we had very good talks, a very good reception in the State Department, the White House. We had the wish and intention of meeting with president Bush, who by the same token clearly expressed his willingness to meet with us, and that will occur, God willing, the next time or soon. As you know, on that day he went to the funeral of Pope John Paul II and afterwards returned to Texas. Had he returned to Washington, there would have been the possibility to meet with him. In any case, his closest associates conveyed his good will to us. We conveyed our good will to them and we spoke with them, many of them, and they with us, about how the Serbs and America in all previous great life challenges were allies, as in the First and Second World Wars, and that simply the bombing that occurred is something that inflicted a great wound upon that alliance. That wound certainly needs to healed and it needs to be transcended in the best possible manner, with mutual understanding, mutual activities and mutual initiatives.

Voice of America host:

Tell me, did you speak with officials in the White House and the U.S. State Department about the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo?

Bishop Grigorije:

I have said and emphasized many times that unless we have restoration, it will be another sign that life is impossible. And if we do not have protection for the people who returned there, we cannot expect returns, and if the violence continues certainly we can expect that what remains of the Serbs and other people of non-Albanian nationality in Kosovo will absolutely disappear, which would be the end of these various difficulties that occurred there and final defeat. This would be a monoethnic Kosovo, i.e. Kosovo as an ethnically clean territory, something it has never been.

Voice of America speaker:

The beginning of the process of final resolution of the status of Kosovo has been announced for this year. The Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo has its interests. How will the Serbian Orthodox Church protect its interests in Kosovo without being accused of meddling in politics?

Bishop Grigorije:

We are struggling for the survival at this moment of our churches in Kosovo and Metohija and that is why we came here to tell this to people. What I just said that process will certainly have its course and we as the Church, as the Church of the people who remain in Kosovo and who want to return in Kosovo and to live in Kosovo, do not want to be outside this process because we are a direct factor of that process. If we are no more, than any kind of process can be made but we will have, as I have already said, a defeat. We will have an ethnically clean Kosovo.

And the general view of people here is that it is necessary for us to participate in that process, not as one of the political sides, but as someone who is really present and someone who can give good advice - what we expect here, what is considered normal by us and what is the power of our endurance in one life in this world and in the Balkans and in Europe, as you like, and that we, too, as human beings, regardless of the opinion anyone may have of us, have the right to elementary human rights and freedoms.

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION TESTIFIES
BEFORE US COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

The official Serbian Orthodox Church delegation presently on an extended visit to the USA testified yesterday before the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Grigorije, the head of the SPC delegation, expressed thanks for the opportunity for the members of the delegation to talk about their view of the problem of religious freedom in Kosovo and Metohija and beyond on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. "We are the official delegation of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and we have come to demonstrate our openness to dialogue and cooperation on problems that have lasted for a long time in areas where our Church is active," said Bishop Grigorije in his opening remarks.

We are enclosing a transcript of the statements of the members of the SPC delegation:

Bishop Grigorije:

We have spoken everywhere about the problems caused first by isolation during the Communist period when religious freedoms were very restricted. This was followed by war which prolonged the agony and caused new frustrations. The war was waged by former Communists but they split up into ethnic and, to some extent, religious groups. Why do I emphasize that the war was waged by former Communists? Because they had an equally negative attitude toward all religious communities. Many holy sites were destroyed, which is the consequence of the fact that the army and police were commanded by Communists. Unfortunately, this is the first time that we as an official church delegation are coming freely to talk about our situation after 40 years. Although there were some individual cases where people testified. Our intention is to state our position with respect to our attitude towards others. That attitude must be evangelical, that the "other" is our brother and that we must not endanger the freedom of others. If there are any complaints we would like to hear them but our Church has such a history that it never committed the sin of hatred against others or propaganda against others," said Bishop Grigorije in his address to those present.

Question:

What are the problems of the Church at this time?

Bishop Grigorije:

Above all, there are problems in Kosovo and Metohija. We can say that the problems there are very urgent because churches and monasteries are still being destroyed, and there is no freedom of movement. People cannot even go to the cemetery without a police escort. Recently there was a memorial when they had to be escorted by police but despite this still stoned by the local population. What we discussed in the USA has been the necessity of beginning the restoration of churches and monasteries, this would be a visible sign of encouragement. We as priests could not appear in the street because of the lack of freedom of movement. We are trying to establish contacts with people. Bishop Teodosije invited the mayor of Decani to his monastery, he came but he said he could not return the invitation because it would be physically dangerous for him. Thus, there is fear even among those who would be ready to offer the Serbs the hand of friendship. If we can stay on [the topic of] Kosovo and Metohija, the best collocutor is Bishop Teodosije. You can ask him regarding concrete matters. We have met with the WCRP, met in Brussels with religious leaders as well and agreed on a visit to the mufti of Pristina. We hope that this will occur. It is a big problem that the bishop of Raska and Prizren cannot live in his residence in Prizren. Here you can see the results of the March 17 [2004] pogrom (shows photographs of destroyed churches). All our monasteries are surrounded with barbed wire and protected by soldiers. Kosovo and Metohija is our biggest problem.

As far as Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, the situation is not as bad as it was, or as it is in Kosovo and Metohija, but there are concrete problems. For example, a priest was heavily beaten. We spoke with the people and somehow calmed the families and people. Sarajevo has an enormous problem because there is constant obstruction of the return of the SPC college building by the local government. We have information that there are bars and restaurants inside owned by some man from Algeria. In Sarajevo we opened a Christian cultural center together with the Roman Catholics to try to preserve the remaining Christians in the city, who since the war have been reduced to less than five percent [of the population]. About 200,000 left Sarajevo. The number of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been reduced from 17 to eight percent. Sarajevo is slowly becoming a monoethnic Muslim environment. All this concerns us, those of us who are not Muslim.

In Montenegro there is strong political manipulation of religion and religious tradition for political purposes. The government, which is known for its problematic economics with tobacco, and is being criminally prosecuted by the Italian government, has created a pseudo-church to promote its national politics. This organization is headed by a defrocked priest of the Constantinople (Greek) Patriarchate. It is simply incomprehensible that a false church organization of this sort is given so much media coverage not only in Montenegro, but also in some international media.

We are against every form of instrumentalization and manipulation of religious communities for political purposes. That is why we have emphasized that we came as an authentic church community, not as a government organization or an NGO but as a Church. In Croatia we have a serious problem with the restitution of property belonging to individuals and churches, even though a law on restitution of property has been adopted, it is being implemented with great difficulty and slowly, and this of course impacts the return of people and normalization of life. In FYR Macedonia we have another problem that certainly deserves your attention. Metropolitan Jovan, who heads the canonical Archdiocese of Ochrid there, which is an autonomous part of our local Church, is openly persecuted. He cannot get the most basic, most elementary rights and freedoms. He is not a threat to anyone but he and two other bishops, also members of the Archdiocese of Ochrid, are truly persecuted. We [the Serbian Orthodox Church] gave the Archdiocese of Ochrid autonomy and that is the first step to getting autocephaly. We had an agreement with the people in the so-called MPC [Macedonian Orthodox Church], which they signed in Nis. When they returned to Skoplje, under the influence of politicians they withdrew their signature. This was another example of the dangerousness of political interference in religious freedoms and relations between religious communities.

In Serbia relations have improved greatly in recent times, especially between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. Relations with the Muslims are also good although there have been a few incidents. You know that when Orthodox churches were destroyed in Kosovo on March 17 [2004] the masses in Serbia set out to destroy two mosques, in Belgrade and Nis. Our Church, our Metropolitan Amfilohije, set out with some theology students to protect these mosques from being torched by hooligans. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of war and economic crisis some extremist groups are appearing among the Serbian people, which have a negative attitude towards the openness of our church, too. An example of this was an attack on Anglicans in the Patriarchate and even on the Patriarch himself. From such sources there has also been the appearance of graffiti inciting hatred towards Jews and some Protestant communities. Our Holy Synod has condemned such deeds and received thanks from Rabbi Arthur Schneier and other religious leaders in our country. We are slowly beginning to work together with the Protestants as well and to help them be more free in Serbia. It should be emphasized that so far they have not existed in great number [in our country] as well as that so far they have not had problems.

All in all, our Church will try to open its heart to all and to demonstrate that which is in its very nature - love, that for which the Church is also struggling. I have not mentioned the area commonly called Sandzak, even though there is an old word for this district from the Middle Ages - the district of Raska. There are also some problems there caused by irresponsible people as early as the Milosevic period but who cannot be treated as representatives of the church. However, on the Muslim side there are also problems because new cells of Wahabi Islam, which has very radical ideas, have been observed there. The Muslims have their own University in Novi Pazar and all important functions are held by Muslims, something made possible by democratic principles. It is not good that the number of Serbs there is also decreasing. And if anyone is endangered there, it is certainly the small number of Serbs who remain and who are threatened with extermination in their own country.

Question:

I respect your view. If you could tell something specific about Kosovo. To what authorities does the Serbian Orthodox Church turn, whether individually or as a group, due to violation and denial of religious rights, to KFOR or Albanian political leaders or to whom have you turned already?

Bishop Teodosije:

Since the Serbian people lacks freedom on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, there is no real freedom of movement. In our monasteries we are protected by KFOR and isolated Serbian enclaves are also protected by KFOR. Hence, we first turn to KFOR. After the destruction of many churches and desecration of cemeteries and many other monuments belonging to the Serbian people and other minorities in Kosovo and Metohija, we do not feel freedom after six years of UN mandate. We have cities without practically a single non-Albanian. Return to these cities is all but impossible. We have the example of Klina where about 40 Serbs are waiting to return to their homes but that is still not possible.

Question:

Whom have you turned to with requests for return. Is it KFOR of the local Albanian civilian authorities?

Bishop Teodosije:

Representatives of KFOR, especially the monasteries. As far as the people in Klina are concerned, they are also protected by KFOR but have also turned to UNMIK representatives but the president of the municipality personally prevented their [return]. There was an attempt to return but the people were stoned and KFOR again returned them to the ghetto where they are safe. To this day, they have not been able to return to their homes.

Question:

I saw the expulsion of Serbs during my stay in Mitrovica. When you talk about returnees the Albanians claim that they are people who came to Kosovo 10-15 years ago. Which Serbs want to return?

Bishop Teodosije:

The ones who want to return most of all are those with deep roots here. They have the strongest ties to this land and despite the danger they still want to return.

Question:

You mentioned a reduction in the number of Roman Catholics while speaking about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Has the Bosnia-Herzegovina Government responded when it has been informed of the problems of any community - Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Protestant?

Bishop Grigorije:

They turn to the civilian authorities and we cannot say that there is concrete opposition - everyone says they are willing to help. But the fact is that reactions are very slow and inadequate because there is still a problem where Muslims are in the majority, Serbs are in the majority, Croats are in the majority, the minority is not adequately protected there. I gave the example of Sarajevo because it is our capital. Thanks to the International Community some success has been realized, the problem is what will happen when the International Community, which achieved some progress, leaves. Of course, we advise them also when we are confronted with problems and then they apply pressure on the civilian authorities to do something.

Question:

I was happy to se that recently the Serbian Orthodox Church condemned rising anti-Semitism. This was well received because it is not something that is acceptable by any means. What led to this communique, why did the Church speak up? I heard that the Jewish religious leader also made a statement, which happens rarely. How did you react, and how did other communities react?

Bishop Grigorije:

We have good cooperation with the rabbi of the Jewish community. We reacted because we emphasized many times in conversations with him that we will not tolerate such transgressions because anti-Semitism is foreign to both our religion and our national tradition. There has never been anti-Semitism in Serbia. I stated earlier that there are individual anti-Semitic groups that are attempting to hide behind our Church and individual representatives of the church from the past. That is why it was important for us to speak so that people would know our position because such people usually know little about our Church, which is the consequence of the long period of Communist rule. We did not respond to such things earlier but now we decided to react sharply to every undesirable occurrence so that such things do not repeat themselves.

Question:

What international organizations have helped you. Do you work with OSCE? Will you attend the conference in Cordoba, which will be dedicated to religious rights?

Bishop Grigorije:

We will go if invited. We have worked together with all organizations that wanted to work with us. We are satisfied with the general position that freedom of life and religion should be defended.

Fr. Irinej Dobrijevic:

In New York we met with representatives of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. The head of the organization, Dr. William Wendley, was not available due to a death in the family, and we met with Vice-moderator Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky. We agreed to hold an interreligious conference in the Pec Patriarchate. They will help us to organize it in order to stimulate interfaith dialogue in Kosovo and Metohija. A Council on Kosovo and Metohija within the Serbian Orthodox Church. It will have its own office in Belgrade. In addition, recently the memorandum on cooperation was adopted and signed by the Patriarch and Kosovo provisional institutions. We have also asked that our returnees be included in the restoration process to provide them with an income for life. We also worked closely with Rabbi Arthur Schneier's Appeal of Conscience. We agreed to organize a conference of political and religious leaders in Belgrade to discuss regional integration. Of all the regions of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia is the only one that remains multiethnic and multireligious in the true sense. In all other regions there is only a smaller or greater degree of coexistence between divided communities. In Kosovo we want to first of all to ensure coexistence everywhere and then to move on to regional integration, which would expand upon restoration.

Question:

What is your view on the Law on Religious Freedoms of the Republic of Serbia?

Prof. Sijakovic:

Formerly at the federal level we had a relatively good law on religious freedom. We drafted this law in cooperation with international authorities including Prof. Durham, Prof. Roberts from Trier in Germany and Prof. Papastatis from Athens. However, following the recomposition of the state organization of Serbia and Montenegro, the ministry for religions at the federal level was discontinued. As a result, it happened that a Law that was generally accepted and was already in parliamentary procedure was not adopted. After this, jurisdiction in this area was transferred to the republics and consequently Serbia established the ministry for religions while Montenegro does not have such a ministry. It has been and remains my conviction that religious freedoms should be at the federal level because they are a part of fundamental human rights and fundamental religious freedoms. From this perspective, we then wrote this law and called in the Law on Religious Freedoms. Now there is a new draft of the Law in the Republic of Serbia. The previous version of the law has been rescinded, and the current draft Law is in [parliamentary] procedure but still far from being deliberated by the [Serbian] Assembly. To get to Parliament, the Law had to pass the Government Council for Legislation, then the Government, and only then was it incorporated in parliamentary procedure. The draft law has still not been deliberated by the Government Council for Legislation, so there is still plenty of room for intervening on this law. I would like to reemphasize and dispel any misunderstanding with respect to the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church on that Law. The Serbian Orthodox Church, which is convincingly the largest religious organization and community encompassing 85% of the population in Serbia, did not seek in any way to obtain a favorized role by this Law. >From my personal experience I know that relations among all religious communities in Serbia are very good and that religious leaders have unanimously advocated absolutely equal rights for all. Today when we are delighted with the news from Brussels that the feasibility study for our ascension to the EU has been adopted, it is another stimulus to enhance the Law on Religious Freedoms so that no one is critical of it. If I may just add that Montenegro lacks not only a ministry for religions, but there is no draft, no discussion and no intention to pass a law that would concern itself with the issues of religious freedoms. This law is very necessary in Montenegro, and the fact that it is not even being discussed represents an attempt by the government in Montenegro to manipulate in this area because it is guided by the unacceptable thesis that if it wants an independent state, it must have a completely independent nation and an independent language and an independent religion, meaning the identification of nation, religion and language, which is unacceptable. In Montenegro, unlike Serbia, a law was passed on the restitution of property confiscated during the Communist period. It is sad that the law on restitution of property excludes the Church. A law adopted earlier according to which property was to be returned to both churches and religious communities has been rescinded and was never implemented.

Fr. Irinej Dobrijevic:

We also have a video-DVD here that talks about the situation in Kosovo.

Bishop Grigorije:

Perhaps it would be advisable for them as people who are concerned with religious freedoms to relay our view. It is extremely important to be in contact with the official Church, and not with just any group that presents itself as such.

Fr. Irinej:

The Serbian Orthodox Church is aware that it is the majority church. Whenever they have a concern, Protestants turn to the Serbian Orthodox Church for help. We always help them and representatives of our Church always speak in their name, too.

Bishop Teodosije:

I would like to ask something in regard to my monastery, since Decani was last year added to the UNESCO list of world heritage sites and is presently the only UNESCO monument in Kosovo. During the war it was a sanctuary for Serbs, Albanians and Roma alike, so we really made an effort to demonstrate quality towards all. For six years we have not been free to go outside our immediate surroundings and despite all of KFOR's protection at this time we are feeling a different sort of pressure coming from some institutions and individuals. Our Church does not oppose the economic development of the municipality but economic development cannot take place to the detriment or destruction of natural resources surrounding such a cultural and historical monument [as Decani Monastery]. It is extremely important that the international community prepare an entire set of mechanisms to protect the natural landscape around the greatest holy sites and thus enable the preservation of the authentic spiritual and natural atmosphere. Similar examples of protection exist everywhere in the civilized world and hence we expect firm international support so that our cultural heritage can be adequately protected and preserved for the future, something that is in the interest of all communities in Kosovo and Metohija.

Prof. Sijakovic:

It would be significant if you could invest your authority toward the restitution of property of all religious communities in the region. There is property that was never returned to the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestants, the Jewish and Islamic communities, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. This is very important because this property serves so that the religious communities can normally perform their mission. The Communists confiscated this property so that the religious communities would not have the economic strength to carry out their mission. We do not have a church tax, as in many European countries, and consequently this property is important to all the religious communities. I am somewhat afraid for the property of the Church in Kosovo and Metohija especially, and that great problems will crop up with church property in Montenegro. Would you please be so kind as to carefully follow the situation and encourage local governments to return confiscated property. Bishop Grigorije mentioned the college in Sarajevo. Of the three major religions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, only the Orthodox community does not have an institution of higher learning in Sarajevo. The Communists confiscated the building of the theological faculty in Sarajevo just before the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The government returned the building to the Serbian Orthodox Church but local authorities in Sarajevo would not implement the decision and that is how matters still stand. Returning this building to the ownership of the Serbian Orthodox Church is important not only so that all three major religions in Bosnia-Herzegovina have their own building but so that young Orthodox people can receive an education in Sarajevo and thus be a part of the religions, culture and nations in this city, too. Would you please be so kind as to assist us toward this end.

[Note: All questions and statements have been translated from Serbian.]

ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS ON CHURCH AND STATE SEPARATION

In his Sunday sermon at the Church of the Assumption, Archbishop Christodoulos asked for the protection of the Church against the Media and all those who drag Hierarchs in the mud with their lies, aiming at the separation of State-Church. The Archbishop addressed an appeal to the faithful not to lose faith and not to be tempted, while he criticized those who try to drug Hierarchs in the mud with lies and slanders. Christodoulos also referred to those who asked for the separation of the State and the Church, stressing that in this way they prove their hatred and fury against the Church, which they wish to cast aside.

"Today that we are talking about the separation of the Church and the State, many if not of all of those who appear on TV shows to state their opinions, have no idea about what they are talking about. Their tongues are steered by hatred, fury against the Church, which they wish to cast aside. Most of what is being said is nothing but lies and slander, as I can see from what it has been said about me personally. Because nobody knows me better than I know myself. But many times I wonder and I say to myself: Don’t these people believe in God? Don’t they fear God if not anyone else? How can they smear reputations and personalities which such ease?" wondered the Archbishop.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR VICTIMS OF ALLIED BOMBING

On Saturday, April 16, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. in the church of the Holy Evangelist and Apostle Mark in Belgrade, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle will serve a short memorial service for the victims of Allied bombing on Pascha, April 16-17, 1944.

Allied bombing of the major cities of Serbia and Montenegro began in 1943 with the bombing of Nis. Attacks followed against Smederevo, Uzice, Kragujevac, Smederevska Palanka, Kraljevo, Cuprija… In Leskovac 6,000 people were killed, in Podgorica, 2,500. At the same time 4,500 men, women and children were wounded. On Tito’s orders, Nis was bombed 15, Belgrade 11 times. Despite the fact that several mothers and their newly born babies were killed in the Belgrade maternity ward, Tito sent words of thanks to the English and the Americans following the bombing of all major cities in Serbia.

TO KOSOVO AND METOHIJA WITH LOVE

An art exhibition and sale entitled “To Kosovo and Metohija with love” will be held from April 14-27, 2005 in the Zemun Aeronautics Club, Strosmajerova Street no. 3. The event is sponsored by the municipality of Zemun in cooperation with Galerija Ikar, the Zemun Aeronautics Club and the Sveti Prohor Pcinjski Art Colony.

The exhibition is being organized on the 15 year anniversary of this important art colony. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija.

The exhibition will be opened on April 14, 2005, by the mayor of Zemun, Ms. Gordana Pop-Lazic, at 7:00 p.m. in the Zemun Aeronautics Club.

[Serbian Translation Services]