Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
Avgust 26, 2005

ARCHBISHOP SBARBARO DELIVERS MESSAGE FROM POPE BENEDICT XVI TO PATRIARCH PAVLE
BISHOP MARKO ON THE SITUATION IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID
STATEMENT OF METROPOLITAN OF MONTENEGRO AND THE LITTORAL’S CHIEF OF CABINET PROTOPRESBYTER RADOMIR NIKCEVIC

ARCHBISHOP SBARBARO DELIVERS MESSAGE FROM POPE BENEDICT XVI TO PATRIARCH PAVLE

Yesterday His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops, received His Excellency Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro, the papal nuncio in Belgrade.

Archbishop Sbarbaro conveyed to Patriarch Pavle the solidarity of the Holy See with the imprisoned Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje, Kyr Jovan, and the whole Serbian Orthodox Church. At the same time, Monsignor Sbarbaro conveyed the message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI that he will intervene with the senior officials of the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the urgent release of Archbishop Jovan. In supporting the release of the imprisoned Archbishop, Pope Benedict XVI is supporting fundamental human rights which are, at the same time, generally accepted Christian values, among which freedom of faith and conscience has a special place, emphasized the ambassador of the Holy See in Belgrade.

His Grace Bishop Justin of Timok, speaking on behalf of the diocese he heads, asked Archbishop Sbarbaro to convey to Pope Benedict XVI the gratitude of the Diocese of Timok for the significant aid sent to the Medical Center in Bor.

The collocutors emphasized the importance of further dialogue and cooperation between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church, which will contribute to the challenges confronting today’s world being met with a responsible and authentic Christian reaction.

BISHOP MARKO ON THE SITUATION IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID

During yesterday’s meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which was chaired by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the Holy Synod received His Grace Bishop Marko of Dremvic and locum tenens of Bitolj, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ochrid.

Bishop Marko informed Patriarch Pavle and the members of the Holy Synod in detail with the current situation and problems confronting the Archdiocese of Ochrid after the imprisonment of its head, His Beatitude Archbishop Jovan.

Patriarch Pavle asked Bishop Marko to convey to the priests, monks and nuns, and faithful of the canonical Orthodox Church in Macedonia the message that they should endure all the challenges they meet with every day with dignity and with firm hope in the blessed help of God as they have done in the past, and that in this feat on their part, deserving of admiration, they have the prayerful support not only of the Serbian Orthodox Church but of the Orthodox Church in her fullness.

Similarly, Patriarch Pavle emphasized that the Holy Synod of Bishops would continue to undertake all measures at its disposal to secure the release of Archbishop Jovan as soon as possible from the prison where he has been detained exclusively for “the crime of thinking”.

STATEMENT OF METROPOLITAN OF MONTENEGRO AND THE LITTORAL’S CHIEF OF CABINET PROTOPRESBYTER RADOMIR NIKCEVIC

CETINJE, August 26, 2005 – The chief of cabinet of Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Protopresbyter Radomir Nikcevic has denied claims published in today’s press that the Metropolitan has called on Radovan Karadzic to turn himself in to the Hague tribunal.

“It is not true that Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral called on Radovan Karadzic to turn himself in to the Hague tribunal. His statement to foreign reporters was this was exclusively a matter of personal choice and responsibility before God and the people, both the Metropolitan’s as well as that of Karadzic himself or any other person, and not a matter that can be imposed by anyone,” states the rebuttal.

Source: Svetigora Press/R.V.

[Serbian Translation Services]