Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
October 24, 2005

9TH DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
AND THE EPP-ED GROUP

More than 200 participants of the 9th Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, agreed that peace, social justice and long-term stability would result from the commitment of people to local, regional and national cooperation, and mutual understanding.

The representatives of Christianity, Islam and Judaism throughout the world met in Istanbul with Members of the EPP-ED Group in European Parliament on 20-21 October 2005 to lay the foundations for European solidarity and cooperation in order to enhance the continuing enlargement of the European Union.

The meeting was chaired by Alojz Peterle MEP, EPP-ED Group Dialogue Coordinator, and was opened by the host, His All Holiness The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

The participants concluded that reopening the Halki Theological School and the restitution of religious properties to the Christian communities on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos, and the reopening of the Catholic Church at Bebekli is the test of truth and authentic religious freedom in Turkey. The determined efforts of the Turkish Government and Parliament to legislate for the Copenhagen criteria were warmly congratulated and the participants hoped that the Turkish people and the Imamate will accept the reforms resulting from the new legislation.

They also agreed on the agenda for the following Tenth Dialogue, which will take place in Bratislava, Slovakia, next year.

Together with other representatives of autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox Churches the Serbian Orthodox Church was represented by His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa and Mr. Bogdan Lubardic. Bishop Irinej spoke on the topic of a free society based on truth.

He informed the plenary session regarding results achieved in the areas of interreligious and interconfessional cooperation on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro with respect to the guidelines adopted at the 8th Dialogue in Thessaloniki in 2004. He also provided timely information regarding the situations in Vojvodina, Kosovo and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, emphasizing the legal and moral violence against the imprisoned Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid.

Especially significant was his testimony regarding the positive and quality cooperation between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic and Reform churches in Vojvodina in enhancing values of respect for human dignity on the basis of the religious principles of individuals and society. Bishop Irinej’s account was supported and further elaborated by Roman Catholic Bishop Laslo Djuris of Vrsac, who attended the conference in the capacity of the envoy of Monsignor Stanislav Hocevar, the Archbishop of Belgrade.

50TH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR – PRESENTATION OF RICH ASSORTMENT IN THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION ACCOMPANIED BY CONCERTS

The Information and Publishing House of the Serbian Orthodox Church has prepared a very rich spiritual and accompanying arts program for the International Book Fair in addition to offering the best works by Orthodox publishers from all Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

This year’s display stand by the Serbian Orthodox Church will be the biggest Orthodox bookstore in the world. Over a thousand titles of the most sought after Orthodox writers will be available at reasonable prices, as well as service books, decorations, vessels, vestments, icons, frescoes and many other items only available at our display.

The Holy Scripture and Orthodox Prayer Book at the lowest prices will be just one of the many pleasant surprises to be found at the Church display, which is located in the central and most visited part of Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair at the first level.

In addition to book promotions concerts of spiritual and ethnic music will also be presented.

Visitors of our display will have the opportunity to meet with the work of one of the most well-known contemporary theologians and fresco painters in the world, Father Stamatis Skliris, “In the Mirror of Riddles”, with the publishing activities of the Dioceses of Dalmatia and Canada, and with the monograph of Rajko Karisic, “Chilandar Light Studies”. The musical theatre piece “Metohija” by Jelena Bojovic will also be performed.

Special attention will be devoted to children and the display will include daily activities by the magazine “St. Sava’s Little Bell” as well as the presentation of another children’s magazine, “The White Bee”, published by the Serbian Cultural Society “Prosvjeta” from Rijeka. The children’s ensemble “Koja and Kids” from Kragujevac will be making a guest appearance at the display, Tiodora Rosic’s fairy novel “The Pearl City” will enchant young readers, and the works of Milovan Danojlic will be presented by poetess Mirjana Bulatovic and poet Moso Odalovic.

During the course of the “school day” the display will feature a children’s icon painting workshop, as well as a school of calligraphy.

Visit the display of the Serbian Orthodox Church!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

4:30 p.m. Presentation of the publication of the Serbian Patriarchate, “Orthodoxy”
Speakers: Protonamesnik Miodrag Popovic, editor in chief; Mr. Branimir Nesic, technical editor

Thursday, October 27, 2005

12:30 p.m. Students of religious instruction from the Jelena Cetkovic Primary School in Belgrade visit the Serbian Orthodox Church display with their own program

1:00 p.m. “The White Bee”, a Serbian children’s magazine from Rijeka
Speaker: Tanja Olujic, editor in chief

1:40 p.m. Presentation of the latest book by Tiodor Rosic, the fairy novel “The Pearl City”
Speakers: the author and Ms. Radmila Misev, editor in chief of “St. Sava’s Little Bell”

2:30 p.m. Mini concert by children’s musical ensemble “Koja and Kids” from Kragujevac

4:00 p.m. Presentation of monograph on the great Greek icon and fresco painter Father Stamatis Skliris, “In the Mirror of Riddles”.
Speakers: Fr. Stamatis Skliris and His Grace Bishop Atanasije (Jeftic) of Zahumlje-Herzegovina (retired)

5:00 p.m. Mica Danojlic: Moso Odalovic and Mirjana Bulatovic

Friday, October 28, 2005

4:30 p.m. Publishing activity of the Diocese of Dalmatia

Promotion includes performance by the St. Kyriake Choir from Cukaricka Padina under the direction of Mr. Dejan Milivojevic

5:30 p.m. The publishing house of the Diocese of Canada “Istocnik” presents its latest editions: “Tesla and His Time”, Sermons of Fr. Lazar. Program host: Zorica Salijevic, speaker: His Grace Bishop Georgije of Canada

Promotion includes performance by the St. Kyriake Choir from Cukaricka Padina under the direction of Mr. Dejan Milivojevic

Saturday, October 29, 2005

12:30 p.m. Presentation of the children’s magazine “St. Sava’s Little Bell”

4:00 p.m. Concert by group Teodulija

6:00 p.m. Promotion of photo monograph “Chilandar Light Studies” by Rajko Karistic.
Speakers: the author, a representative of the Chilandar community and Chilandar monks

Sunday, October 30, 2005

3:00 p.m. Concert of spiritual music by the Ruzica Church and St. Paraskeva Choir from Kalemegdan

6:00 p.m. Jelena Bojovic, performance “Metohija”

SEMINAR ON JASENOVAC CONCLUDES

A three day-long seminar for seminary professors regarding the Jasenovac death camp, which was organized by the Committee for Jasenovac of the Holy Assembly of Bishops, concluded in the monastery of Mostanica on October 21.

This seminar, with participants representing all seven of the seminaries of our Church, was held in Banja Luka, Drakulic and the Jasenovac and Donja Gradina concentration camp complex.

Lectures were held by professors Jovan Mirkovic (Historical facts and historiographical problems in connection with Jasenovac), Predrag Lazarevic (Jasenovac in literature and national consciousness) and Father Jovan Culibrk (General historical framework for genocide during World War II – The Serbian Orthodox Church and Jasenovac).

This seminar provided participants with a particularly important opportunity to hear the testimony of surviving Jasenovac inmates Vasilije Karan, Stojka Trivic-Marceta and Gojko Knezevic, who gave his testimony at the very scene of the crime in the Jasenovac concentration camp. During the course of the seminar the CD “Jasenovac – Industry of Death” prepared by the Committee for Jasenovac was presented, as well as the film “The Grey Zone”.

Seminar participants pilgrimaged to the killing fields where so many Serbs perished in Drakulic near Banja Luka, Draksenic and the Jasenovac and Donja Gradina concentration camp complex.

The final session was held in the monastery of Mostanica after Holy Liturgy served by the participants in the seminar with His Grace Bishop Sava of Slavonia in the church of the monastery of Jasenovac, which is also the seat of the Bishop of Slavonia.

All participants agreed that the spiritual value of this seminar and its educational importance are of tremendous import for their further pedagogical work with seminarians, the future spiritual pastors of the Serbian people.

Darko Trivic

PRAYER SERVICE HELD IN MONASTERY OF PAPRACA

On Saturday, October 22, the monastery of Papraca near Sekovici celebrated the patronal feast of the Wonder-working icon of the Theotokos of Moscow the Consoler for the second time since its arrival from Moscow. Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik and Tuzla served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of a deacon and six priests.

In addition to local residents of Sekovici, a large number of faithful arrived from Bijeljina, Tuzla, Lopare, Priboj, Banja Vrucica and other locations. After Liturgy the faithful kissed the Wonder-working icon of the Theotokos, praying for the health and happiness of their loved ones. The slava hostess was Dr. Lukrecija Manojlovic, the head of the department of psychiatry at the Unmercenary Physicians Hospital in Bijeljina.

The Wonder-working icon of the Theotokos of Moscow the Consoler was brought to the monastery of Papraca last year by its abbot, Archimandrite Benedikt. A beautiful throne for the Mother of God was prepared in wood relief, the work of artists from Kragujevac. The icon now stands on the throne of the Mother of God between two smaller icons, also done in wood relief, the icons of St. Paraskeva and the icon of the Holy Martyr Kyriake.

The monastery of Papraca, one of the oldest and most beautiful in this area, was sung of in the epic poem “Milos in Latine”. In addition to its own patronal feast, the Annunciation on April 7, to the joy of the faithful it now has another feast and reason to meet in prayer.

METROPOLITAN AMFILOHIJE
CONSECRATES SPIRITUAL CENTER AT TOPLA

In the church of the Ascension of Our Lord at Topla in Herceg Novi His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy today in the presence of a large number of faithful.

"He who enters the depths of his nature, the depths of his heart, in those depths he will catch the most precious, most supreme and most holy of fishes – Christ the Lord,” said the Bishop in his archpastoral address, interpreting Christ’s message to the faithful to look into the depths.

Metropolitan Amfilohije added that he who looks into these depths “will meet with Him, and upon meeting with Him, will meet with the Living, Eternal and Intransient Father, and will gain life eternal and the Kingdom of Heaven while still on this earth, for that is the goal of our life on this earth”.

After Holy Liturgy His Eminence consecrated a modern housing and commercial building at Topla and the facilities of the Spiritual Center of the Topla Church Parish and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.

"Everything that it has done and built through the ages, the Church of God has built with a prayer to God and that is why church edifices remained unshakeable,” said Metropolitan Amfilohije during the consecration. “Even when church edifices are destroyed, they are always renewed again. That is why today there are so few imperial palaces and yet millions and millions of churches of God and edifices built by the Church.”

Metropolitan Amfilohije blessed and thanked the members of the church and construction committee, philanthropists, donors and all those who contributed to the building of this edifice.

Source: Svetigora Press, Z.K./R.V.

[Serbian Translation Services]