Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
Avgust 25, 2005

LETTER OF RUSSIAN PATRIARCH ALEXY II TO SERBIAN PATRIARCH: WE PRAY FOR THE SPEEDY RELEASE OF ARCHBISHOP JOVAN

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle received a letter from His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All-Russia informing him of his efforts toward the speedy release of the imprisoned Archbishop Jovan of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje. Below is the text of the letter in its entirety:

We are in receipt of your telegram regarding the imprisonment of Bishop Jovan in the Republic of Macedonia. This news, which was already known to us through the means of mass information, has deeply embittered and worried us.

We wish to advise Your Holiness that upon receipt of your telegram we sent a letter to the president of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. B. Crvenkovski, in which we appeal to him to release a hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who is accused, to our best knowledge, solely for nonviolent actions following from his religious convictions.

In the same letter we point out that existing differences with respect to church organization in the Republic of Macedonia can be resolved only through proper church means, through dialogue based on the holy canons. We also reiterated that the situation that has resulted through the arrest of Bishop Jovan has become a very serious obstacle to the continuation of such dialogue, and that it is inflicting great damage to the mutual relations of two brotherly Orthodox peoples.

We are firmly convinced that the interference of state officials in the sphere of canonical competencies of the Church – and in the domain of religious life in general – only increases misunderstandings in society. This is also true in the case of the interference of the Church in the competencies of state institutions.”

We assure Your Holiness that we are praying fervently for the speediest release of our suffering brother, and for the healing of the wounds of schism and conflict in the Republic of Macedonia, which are painful to the entire Orthodox world, the manifestations of which, to our sorrow, have recently been doubled.

With lasting and always unchanged love in Our Lord,

+Alexy
Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia

UNMIK DEPUTY CHIEF PROTECTS DECANI MONKS

Yesterday's Pristina daily in Albanian “Epoka e Re” published a letter sent to the paper by the Larry Rossin who expressed his concern that the paper saw fit to publish some serious accusations made by head of Dukadjin War Veterans’ Association against the community of Serbian Orthodox monks living in Decani monastery. Here are excerpts from Mr. Rossin’s letter:

I wish to respond to an article that appeared in your newspaper on 15 August in which you gave space to serious accusations made by head of Dukadjin War Veterans’ Association, Avdyl Mushkolaj.

I was most disappointed by the hate-filled and inflammatory attack on the community of monks living in the Visoki Decani monastery. This ignored the fact that the Monastery and its inhabitants played an important and courageous role in protecting the Kosovo Albanian civilian population during the conflict of 1999. The Monks at Decani are widely recognized as advocates of peace and tolerance. The words also undercut the great efforts being made by the PISG, religious figures and citizens of good will to bring the Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb communities together. Recent initiatives include visits of Bishop Teodosije and Father Sava to the municipality of Decani, and the visits of Ministers Haracija and Gjini, as well as Decani municipal authorities, to the monastery.

The article, regrettably, also gives ammunition to those that say that Kosovo is not ready for reconciliation or to manage fully its own affairs.

The development of the Decani canyon area and the protection of the natural beauty of the area and the UNESCO world heritage site it contains are of great importance to all Kosovans. For this reason, in consultation with the PISG the SRSG signed in April of this year an Executive Decision declaring the Decani canyon a special zoning area. The decision prevents further illegal construction, on the premise that it is all citizens, and not individuals acting outside the law, who should determine the future of this area of spectacular natural heritage.

The people of Kosovo are increasingly tired of those who insist only on looking to the past. What Kosovo and Decani need are men and women who look to the future - a peaceful, free and prosperous future as part of the European family. A good start has recently been made in Decani, and much more can be done for the benefit of all communities. I would suggest to you, your readership and Mr. Mushkolaj himself that the time has come to look forward and that communication, and real dialogue between communities, rather than violent rhetoric, is the surest way to ensure that one day, checkpoints will no longer be needed around Decani monastery.

Source: Information Service of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren

[Serbian Translation Services]