Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
October 13, 2005

CHURCH OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR
WILL NOT BE USED FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE

UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen recommended to Pristina municipal authorities that they abandon their intent to convert the Orthodox church of Christ the Savior into a secular building. Petersen warned that he would not permit the building to be used for another purpose without the agreement of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

UNMIK spokesman Neeraj Singh said today at a press conference in Pristina that the warning came after Serbian Patriarch Pavle appealed to Petersen to prevent the Pristina Municipal Assembly from following through on its intent to turn the incomplete Orthodox church of Christ the Savior in the city center into a discotheque, a movie theater or an art gallery.

"Petersen warned that the protection of religious and cultural property is a part of his mandate within the framework of so-called reserved rights of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and that he would not permit the building to be used for another purpose without the agreement of the Serbian Orthodox Church," said Singh.

Source: Glas Javnosti, 13.10.2005

SERBIAN MINISTER OF EDUCATION APPEARS AT THEOLOGICAL FACULTY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 60 YEARS

Serbian minister of education and sports Slobodan Vuksanovic and his associates visited the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade on October 11, 2005. This was the first official visit of a Serbian minister of education to the Theological Faculty since 1945.

During a meeting with Dean Vladan Perisic and the professors and students of the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade, Minister Vuksanovic promised various forms of assistance in resolving the current problems of the Faculty. In order to improve religious instruction programs, teachers of religious instruction in Serbia in the future will receive training and supplementary enhancement from the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade. “This new subject in the primary schools needs to be conceptualized in the right way to be accessible to young children. We also have some specific circumstances that exist as a result of 50 years of Communist rule,” said Vuksanovic.

“Religious instruction is an elective and we treat it in the same manner as another, also new, elective, civics. On the other hand, it seems to me that both religious instruction and civics have been introduced quickly and not entirely wholeheartedly, probably as a result of the wish to fulfill some world and European standards. At the same time, not much energy and knowledge was invested,” added the Minister.

Minister Vuksanovic proposed that the primary provider of training in the professional qualification of religious instructors should be the Orthodox Theological Faculty with the full support of the Ministry of Education and Sports. The Ministry and the Theological Faculty will be signing an Agreement on cooperation in the near future related to the professional qualification of religious instructors. “Religious instruction is a basic need in every civilized country and a fundamental area of knowledge, like foreign languages and information technology,” said Minister Vuksanovic.

Source: www.mps.sr.gov.yu

FEAST OF ST CYRIAC CELEBRATED IN VELIKA HOCA

On the occasion of the feast of St. Cyriac the Ascetic (Miholjdan), the church parish of Velika Hoca near Orahovac organized a traditional festive celebration that has brought together Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia for years.

Today's festivities began with Holy Hierarchal Liturgy served by His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren with the concelebration of his vicar, His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, and a number of priest-monks and priests of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren. Following Holy Liturgy the new monastic living quarters next to the church of St. John the Fore-runner were consecrated, establishing a new monastery under the administration of Protosingel Miron (Kosac), previously a professor of the Prizren Seminary, which has been temporarily dislocated to Nis (in central Serbia).

After the consecration a festive cultural arts program took place in the Culture Hall in Velika Hoca, including performances by Kosovski Bozuri (Kosovo Peonies) children's choir and recitals by actresses Jelena and Ivana Zigon from Belgrade. After lunch the cultural arts program continued in the "Decani station" with wine sampling and sales, and the opening of an exhibition of folk handicrafts created by the members of the non-governmental organization "Jefimija".

Present along with the faithful from throughout Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of Serbia were members of the Ukraine KFOR contingent, who also partook in communion during Holy Liturgy. The celebration in Hoca was also attended by deputy minister of culture, Miroljub Radosavljevic, on behalf of the Serbian Ministry of Culture.

In addition to the newly founded monastery in Velika Hoca, the nearby monastery in the village of Zociste is also being rebuilt and the first Serbian returnees to the village are expected by the end of the year. The remaining Serbs in the Orahovac region once again demonstrated their desire to stay and survive in their centuries-old homes by their love toward the church, joy and optimism.

Velika Hoca is mentioned in written records for the first time in the twelfth century founding charter of St. Simeon Nemanja, who bequeathed it and several other neighboring villages with vineyards to the Serbian monastery of Chilandar on Mt. Athos. Since then several monastic estates have existed in Velika Hoca where monks tended the vines and produced wine. The only remaining estate that remains today belongs to the monastery of Visoki Decani. Monastery wine has been produced in the Decani cellar since the time of Holy King Stefan of Decani, who according to tradition planted the first Decani vineyard in the 14th century.

Source: www.kosovo.com

[Serbian Translation Services]