Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 15, 2005

PRESS CONFERENCE UPON THE ARRIVAL
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION FROM THE USA

His Grace Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, together with the other members of the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod of Bishops will be holding a press conference on Saturday, April 16, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. in the Belgrade Patriarchate. The press conference has been organized in response to great interest from the media after an extended official visit to the United States of America by the delegation immediately upon its return to Belgrade.

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.

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION'S
FINAL MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

On the final work day of the official delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the United States, several more meetings were held on Capitol Hill. The members of the delegation met with senator Sam Brownbeck of Kansas, whom many see as the next Republican presidential candidate; congressman Trent Franks of Arizona, and congresswoman Melissa Bean of Illinois, with whom the delegation previously met in Chicago.

All members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate were briefed on the problems of the Church and its faithful in Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of the former Yugoslavia. They were asked to help by continuing their active efforts to draw more attention to the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful, as well as flagrant violations of human and religious rights, especially in Kosovo and Metohija. The delegation especially asked for the help of the Serbian congressional caucus with respect to the long-term protection of Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija, which have been exposed to destruction and desecration for the past six years. Currently the Serbian caucus on Capitol Hill includes 23 representatives and senators, which is a great success in comparison with previous years, when the Serbs had no one to lobby for their legitimate rights.

After the meetings on Capitol Hill, Bishop Grigorije met with representatives of the United States Institute of Peace with whom he discussed possibilities of intensifying the reconciliation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bishop Grigorije repeated the firm willingness of the Serbian Orthodox Church to actively participate in the process of multiethnic and interfaith dialogue in order to transcend the problems left by the war in the spirit of understanding and mutual respect.

This meeting concluded the working portion of the visit of the Serbian Orthodox Church delegation which is leaving today (Friday) for New York and is expected to arrive in Belgrade on Saturday, April 16, 2005, at 2:00 p.m. local time.

The SPC delegation would like to take this opportunity to express its special thanks to all those who contributed to the organization of this visit, especially the Serbian Unity Congress and the inexhaustible Andy Verich, the Serbia and Montenegro Embassy in Washington headed by ambassador Ivan Vujacic, the Serbia and Montenegro Mission to the United Nations led by ambassador Nebojsa Kaludjerovic, Bishop Longin of the Metropolitanate of New Gracanica and his clergy, Protopresbyter Djokan Majstorovic of New York, Protopresbyter Aleksa Micic of Washington, as well as to numerous Orthodox faithful who wholeheartedly contributed to making this visit a success.

BROTHERLY ASSISTANCE TO THE SUFFERING MONASTERIES
OF METOHIJA

Twice already the church parishes and Societies of Serbian Sisters from Petrovac na Mlavi have gathered humanitarian assistance for the monasteries of Devic and Zociste in Metohija, which were destroyed on March 17, 2004.

The gathering of assistance was initiated by sister Jelisaveta Cvetojevic who, while visiting on the patron saint’s day of Visoki Decani Monastery, where her father-in-law, Monk Nikolaj, passed away last year, learned directly from speaking with Abbess Anastasija of Devic Monastery what things were most necessary for the beginning of a new life on the burned ruins of these monasteries, both razed to the foundations.

The assistance consisted of three tons of food, clothing, dishes, household appliances, etc. All this shows to what extent our people outside Kosovo and Metohija empathize in our tragedy and suffering and experience it as their own. If we take into account what these two medieval monasteries and their protectors and healers, St. Joanikije of Devic and Sts. Cosmas and Damian, mean to our people, it is easy to conclude the spiritual motive for this humane act. The assistance was transported and delivered with the help of the brotherhood of Visoki Decani Monastery, and delivered to Abbess Anastasija and the sisterhood of Devic, as well as to Abbot Petar and the brotherhood of Zociste Monastery, who are restoring their monasteries with great difficulty and effort but also with the help of God.

On the eve of the most holy feast of His Resurrection and through the prayers of St. Joanikije of Devic and the Holy Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and the holy families that live in them and pray to God, may God grant the joy of Pascha to every heart, health and progress to the philanthropists, priests, Society of Serbian Sisters, sister Jelisaveta Cvetojevic and all faithful citizens of Petrovac na Mlavi.

PILGRIMS FROM SLOVENIA

On Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10, 2005 the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox parish from Kranj, Slovenia visited the monasteries of Krupa and Krka in the Diocese of Dalmatia with their priest, Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Budimir Galamic.

All the pilgrims took communion at the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served on Sunday, April 10, by His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia.

This visit is the first in a series of organized visits by Orthodox faithful to the monasteries of the Diocese of Dalmatia, whose monasteries are always open to pilgrims, especially those coming on tours organized by their church parishes and with their priests.

[Serbian Translation Services]