Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
September 13, 2005

PATRIARCH PAVLE MEETS WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS TADIC

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa and His Grace Bishop Jovan Sumadija, members of the Holy Synod of Bishops, today received the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Boris Tadic, accompanied by his advisor, Mr. Nebojsa Krstic, and Professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, master builder of the St. Sava Memorial Cathedral in Vracar (Belgrade).

President Tadic informed His Holiness and the members of the Holy Synod with measures and activities he is undertaking within the scope of his powers toward the goal of enhancing relations between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian state. His Holiness asked the Serbian President to convey his brotherly greetings to Pope Benedict XVI during his upcoming visit and the message that the Serbian Orthodox Church attaches special importance to the nurturing and furthering of good relations with the Roman Catholic Church. The Serbian Patriarch and the Serbian President agreed that mutual cooperation between the Churches and religious communities in Serbia significantly contributes to the establishment and maintenance of the stability of the society as a whole.

The conversation also touched upon other current problems to whose resolution both the Church and state are expected to contribute.

SWEDISH LUTHERAN CHURCH VISITS SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, together with His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, who is a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops, His Grace Bishop Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia, and Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic, consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops, received a delegation of the Swedish Lutheran Church today in the Belgrade Patriarchate. Rt. Revd. Bishop Esbjorn Hagberg of Karlstad headed the delegation, which also included Samuel Rubenson, priest and professor of Patristics at the Faculty in Lund, Kaisa Sandgren-Bengtson and Bu Larson, representatives of the Office of the Archdiocese, as well as Mihael Elnemir, coordinator for Orthodox education of the student organization “Bilda”.

His Holiness and the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church spoke with the guests from Sweden regarding the possibility of enhancing interchurch cooperation, dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran church, and exchanges of experience in social and charitable activity.

On this occasion Bishop Dositej emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sweden enjoys all rights, and that it considers the bishops and clergy of the Lutheran church among its sincere associates and friends.

The reception was also attended by Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Milomir Atanaskovic, parish priests of Vesteros, and Protonamesnik Zivko Jaksic, parish priest of St. Ana Eskilstuna in the Diocese of Britain and Scandinavia.

This is the first official visit of the Swedish Lutheran Church to the Serbian Orthodox Church. From September 9-15 the high delegation will be visiting the dioceses of Zvornik and Tuzla, Sabac and Valjevo, Backa, Branicevo and Zica.

The Lutheran delegation was also received today by the Minister of Religions of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Milan Radulovic.

BISHOP PROFIRIJE OF JEGAR CONSECRATES BELLS
FOR NEW CHURCH IN BUDISAVA

On the feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist and the Assembly of the Holy Serbian Enlighteners, September 11/August 29, 2005 His Grace Bishop Porfirije of Jegar, vicar to the Bishop of Backa, served a formal vespers service with the concelebration of the priests of the hierarchal administration of Zabalj and Novi Sad and three deacons. On that occasion Bishop Porfirije consecrated the bells for the newly built church dedicated to the feast of the Assembly of the Holy Serbian Enlighteners in Budisava.

Deacon Branislav Mrkic

COPY OF NIKOLJE GOSPEL RETURNS TO NIKOLJE MONASTERY

On September 12, 2005 the Vladislav Petkovic Dis City Library in Cacak formally presented a copy of six hundred year old book to the sisterhood of the monastery of Nikolje in the form of a digital color reproduction of the original in Dublin.

“From the Sir Chester Beatty Library in Ireland, which has precious books from our medieval heritage in its collection, we recently received four electronic copies. These include two CDs with the Nikolje Gospel and one DVD each with the Serbian Gospel, a manuscript from the end of the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth century and the Festive Menaion, published in 1538 in Venice in the workshop of Bozidar Vukovic. We are thankful to Dr. Mark Ryan, the director of the Irish Library, for this great contribution to Serbian culture because, after more than two decades, this is the first time that a part of our cultural heritage has been returned,” said Danica Otasevic, the director of the Cacak City Library.

Danica Otasevic presented a printed copy of the Nikolje Gospel to Nun Mihaila from the holy shrine in the gorge between Ovcar and Kablar. The library is the local coordinator for the commemoration of the Days of European Heritage event in Cacak from September 14-21.

In June 2003 the Cacak Library initiated correspondence with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro and the Directorate for International Cultural Cooperation on behalf of the monastery with the intent of securing a copy of the ancient Serbian book. With the help of our diplomatic offices in London and Ambassador Vladeta Jankovic, the Irish were kind enough to respond to the request and in July of this year the electronic copies were sent from Dublin to Cacak.

The Vladislav Petkovic Dis will present electronic versions of all three books to the Diocese of Zica, the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum, the Serbian National Library, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Matica Srpska Library.

In this manner, electronic versions of old Serbian books of exceptional calligraphic and archeographic value will be available to the cultural and scientific public. When the necessary conditions are secured, it will also be possible to public photo print editions.

Source: Politika daily, Belgrade

EXHIBIT AT THE SERBIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

On the occasion of the Days of European Heritage 2005 with the theme THE EARTH, the National Museum has prepared thematic presentations in the Gallery of Frescoes and in the Atrium of the National Museum. In addition to the exhibits accompanying programs have been prepared which include workshops.

The introduction to the program and tour for the media is expected to take place on Tuesday, September 13 from 12:00 noon in the Atrium of the Museum, and from 12:30 p.m. in the Gallery of Frescoes.

On exhibit in the Atrium of the National Museum is a thematic presentation entitled “Stories from the Earth” which introduce the visitor to the basic elements of the development of agriculture and the beginning of mining in our land.

Selected exponents illustrate the connectedness of people with the earth, from the establishment of the oldest agricultural-livestock raising settlements (Starcevo, Vinca, etc.), the first mines, through the Roman period to Novo Brdo, a city “truly of silver and gold”.

The exhibition “I have been in Heaven, the land of air” has three thematic presentations:

The first presents copies of medieval frescoes depicting Judgment Day, with emphasis on the depiction of Heaven, scenes from the expulsion from Heaven, and illustrations of the story about wise and mad maidens.

A second part presents miniatures from the Munich Psalter, illustrating life after death. A special place in the exhibition is held by copies of stecci [Bosnian tombstones, pl. stecci, sing. stecak) which have been undergoing conservation, restoration and reconstruction by experts from the Center for Conservation of the National Museum in Belgrade for the past two years. On display are casts of stecci from the areas of Herzegovina, Bosnia, western Serbia, northern Montenegro and Dalmatia.

Taking into account that the permanent exhibition of the National Museum is closed at this time due to reconstruction, this is a unique opportunity for visitors to see some of the exponents from the Museum’s collection.

Aleksandra Sojic

Source: Serbian National Museum

VASOJEVIC CLAN CELEBRATES FEAST OF ST ALEKSANDR NEVSKY

His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral and His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of the Holy Archangel Michael (Vasova Church) at Nozica near Lijeva Rijeka on the occasion of the memorial patronal feast day of the Vasojevic clan, St. Aleksandr Nevsky.*

“This gathering has exceptional value, beauty and importance because at its head is he who is the head of the Church of God. We have not gathered around the man but around God, and in this our forerunner and representative is St. Aleksandr Nevsky, Russian, Slavic and universal Saint,” said Bishop Joanikije in the church of the Holy Archangel Michael. “St. Aleksandr Nevsky was courageous and dedicated in battle but he was especially characterized and most renowned for his great devotion. He was a ruler but he went to the Church of God as an ordinary servant of God and, as is stated in his hagiography, he humbly and with monastic zeal always prayed to God. He prayed sincerely from the heart, he fasted and dedicated his entire life to the Living God; nothing of this world could take the place in his heart that belongs to God and to eternity.”

After Holy Liturgy and the breaking of the slava cake Metropolitan Amfilohije also addressed the numerous faithful in attendance, and he said:

“Today Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All-Russia is in Kulikovo Field, where the famous battle took place that was led by the honorable and Holy and just Prince Aleksandr Nevsky. The Aleksandr who spoke the great and Holy truth that God is not in force but in justice. Knowing that God is in justice and not in force, the Holy Prince Aleksandr, placing his faith in the might of God and not in himself and his own force, fought a famous battle in Kulikovo Field that is recorded in human history, winning against the then far more powerful Swedes.”

Metropolitan Amfilohije emphasized that it is his special joy that among those present at today’s assembly in Nozica was a descendant of Aleksandr Nevsky, Vladimir Vaniev, the Russian Consul General in Podgorica.

During the Holy Liturgy in Nozica a group baptism was also performed and the host of this year’s patronal feast Tomislav Boricic entrusted the hosting of next year’s commemoration to Dr. Ciro Babovic.

Source: Svetigora Press (S.Z./S.K)

* St. Aleksandr Nevsky (1220?-1263), Prince of Novgorod and Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir, stopped the advance of the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights into Russia, and at the same time, paid tribute to the Mongols instead of attempting to fight them off. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547.

PRESS CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE ON “BANJSKA MONASTERY AND THE AGE OF KING MILUTIN”

A press conference announcing the International Academic Conference on “Banjska Monastery and the Age of King Milutin” will be held in Belgrade on September 16, 2005 in the facilities of the Tanjug Press Center, Knez Mihailova Street no. 6, third floor. The conference will begin at 11:00 a.m.

Participants in the conference will include His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren, Professor Dr. Dragi Malikovic, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Pristina, Professor Dr. Dragisa Bojovic, director of the Center for Church Studies in Nis, and the abbot of Banjska Monastery, Fr. Simeon.

We invite you to attend the press conference.

[Serbian Translation Services]