Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
July 13, 2005

MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD FOR SERBIAN VICTIMS IN BRATUNAC

On July 12 His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik and Tuzla served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in Srebrenica with the concelebration of Protopresbyters Petar and Vidoje Lukic, Presbyters Borislav Todic and Ilija Mitric, and Protodeacon Slavoljub Milosevic. Before Holy Liturgy Bishop Vasilije served a short memorial service at the military cemetery in Bratunac for all Serbs who perished in this region during the 1992-95 war. In his address at the military cemetery in Bratunac Bishop Vasilije said “that we have prayed to God for the repose of the souls of all who perished in the last war and that we cherish the memory of those who perished in the name of the Lord. One does not speak at the graves of one’s loved ones. At their graves we pray in fear of offending them. The first thing we know is that we should not seek revenge, for the Lord said, Seek not revenge, revenge is mine. On this occasion we again emphasize that we should pray for our enemies because by doing so we also pray for the salvation of our own souls. We should forgive but we must never forget all the victims of war.”

Present at the Holy Liturgy and the memorial service were Mr. Borislav Paravac, a member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency; Mr. Dragan Cavic, president of Republika Srpska; Mr. Pero Bukejlovic, prime minister of Republika Srpska; Mr. Dusan Stojicic, speaker of the (Republika Srpska) National Assembly; Mr. Mladen Ivanic, minister of foreign affairs in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers; Mr. Darko Matijasevic, minister of internal affairs; Mr. Charlie Powell, representative of the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Paddy Ashdown; Mr. Jovan Simic, advisor to Mr. Boris Tadic, president of the Republic of Serbia; and representatives of the Democratic Party of Serbia, the Serbian Radical Party and the Socialist Party of Serbia.

During Holy Liturgy Bishop Vasilije emphasized the importance of St. Peter’s Day (the feast of the Holy Apostles) as a great Christian holiday. On that occasion the Bishop reiterated the suffering of the Serbs in Srebrenica and Bratunac.

At a spiritual academy held in the Culture Hall in Srebrenica, Mr. Borislav Paravac in his speech emphasized that “in Srebrenica municipality in 1992 all the Serbian villages were burned down in a single day. After that a demilitarized zone was created by the United Nations in Srebrenica from which Serbian settlements were attacked and during this process various acts of bestiality and genocidal incidents were committed. It is the wish of all of us who gathered here today in this place of suffering to pray to God for all the victims murdered by forces under the command of Naser Oric.”

“Besides the two mausoleums in Zalazje, one containing those who were executed on the Christian feast of the Holy Trinity in 1943, and another containing those who perished on St. Peter’s Day in 1993, there will be no third monument because no one now remains in this Serbian village. It is deserted,” emphasized Mr. Cavic in his speech.

Charlie Powell, the representative of Paddy Ashdown, said that it is appropriate for him to attend this commemoration in Zalazje because on this occasion we remember the victims of the two wars. Powell emphasized that all criminals, who must be viewed as individuals, should be brought to justice.

BARBARIAN ATTACK ON HOLY SHRINE AND CLERGY
OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID

Last weekend a group of vandals took part in a barbaric attack on the holy shrine and clergy of the Archdiocese of Ochrid in Skoplje. First, Priest Borjan Vitanov was beaten up, and two days later four priests and Monk Kliment were beaten up in the Skoplje quarter of Dracevo. According to eyewitness testimonies, approximately one hundred youths from the quarter beat up the priests and demolished the chapel of St. Nectarios of Aegina.

According to the Archdiocese of Ochrid Information Service on July 10, 2005 dozens of drunk and angry people led by Zoran Spasovski, an employee of City Transportation, entered the chapel and forcibly pulled out Father Borjan Vitanov. They threw Father Borjan on the asphalt and brutally beat him (a physician’s report exists). At the same time they stole his keys and cell phone, and then also beat two faithful and demolished the priest’s automobile.

On the feast of St. Peter at 7:30 a.m. a group of fifty hooligans led by Priest Zoran, the elder of the church in Dracevo managed by the Synod in Skoplje of the nonexistent and unrecognized so-called Macedonian Orthodox Church, armed with axes and shovels, began to demolish the chapel. On that occasion the chanter Nikola, who had come for Holy Liturgy, was beaten. At 8:30 a.m. a group of approximately one hundred vandals and four automobiles blocked the street where the chapel is located and attacked the priests who arrived to serve Holy Liturgy on St. Peter’s Day. While demolishing the chapel, the group of hooligans carved the initials MPC (Macedonian Orthodox Church) on the wall, thus revealing and identifying the order-givers for this unprecedented public lynching.

The house owned by Monk Slavko Ninov, which had been converted into a chapel, has also been the target of earlier attacks.

Police sources advised that this act of vandalism has been reported and that a search for the attackers is in progress.

Source: http://www.poa-info.org

ON ST PETER’S DAY BISHOP IRINEJ OF BACKA
SERVES VESPERS IN SRBOBRAN

On Tuesday, July 12 (June 29) on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa visited Srbobran. On that occasion he served vespers with the concelebration of Protopresbyter Mirko Sipka, parish priest of Srbobran; Presbyter Miodrag Sipka, archierchal administrator and parish priest of Subotica; Presbyter Ljubomir Stankovic, parish priest of Sirig; and Deacon Branislav Mrkic.

Deacon Branislav Mrkic

ST. PETER’S DAY ASSEMBLY HELD IN BIOVICINO SELO

The patronal feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Biovicino Selo in Bukovica was celebrated with Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia in the presence of a large number of faithful from this region.

A large number of Orthodox Dalmatians have traditionally gathered in Biovicino Selo on the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

In his sermon Bishop Fotije expressed his joy that many of the faithful partook in the Holy Mystery of Communion, among them a large number of children. The Bishop also emphasized the importance of the return of Orthodox Serbs to deserted parts of Dalmatia.

Source: Diocese of Dalmatia

[Serbian Translation Services]