Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
November 28, 2005

70TH BIRTHDAY OF THE PRIMATE
OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CELEBRATED IN KIEV

The seventieth birthday of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All the Ukraine, was celebrated in the Ukraina Palace in Kiev. His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik and Tuzla attended the event on behalf of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

In addition to numerous representatives of local Orthodox churches, Ukrainian politicians, public figures, clergymen and diplomats were also among the guests. Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail greeted Metropolitan Vladimir on behalf of the Holy Synod and presented him with a highest church award, the Order of St. John the Theologian of the first order.

Ukrainian prime minister Yuri Yekhanurov read out a greeting from president Viktor Yushchenko and presented Metropolitan Vladimir with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the second order. Earlier in the day, Russian Ambassador Viktor Chernomyrdin presented Metropolitan Vladimir with a Russian award, the Order of Honor, in the Lavra of the Caves.

In his closing address Metropolitan Vladimir said he prayed to God to grant a clear conscience to all our statesmen. Bishop Vasilije conveyed the greetings of Patriarch Pavle and said that the Orthodox Serbs were praying for the resolution of the schism in the Ukraine as soon as possible.

Source: www.interfax-religion.com

SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AMBASSADOR VISITS KRKA MONASTERY

Following the most recent developments and cases of persecution of the Serbian Orthodox people and the Serbian Church in the Diocese of Dalmatia, Mr. Milan Simurdic, the ambassador of the state union of Serbia-Montenegro in Croatia, visited Krka Monastery on November 26, 2005.

On this occasion Ambassador Simurdic met with His Grace Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia and the brotherhood of Krka Monastery. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Ratko Gajic, the Serbian representative in the Croatian Assembly, and his associates.

Bishop Fotije and the Krka brotherhood expressed their great concern due to recent incidents involving increasingly frequent attacks on the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church and property owned by the Church. All of the attacks were unprovoked and ensued, sadly, as a reflection of religious, ethnic and national hatred.

“THE CHANTING OF THE SOUL” ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY PUBLISHED

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral, the Svetigora publishing house recently published an anthology of poetry entitled “The Chanting of the Soul”, collecting the work of some twenty poets from the emigrant community.

Most of the writers are members of the Serbian Literary Writers’ Association and the literary societies of the countries where they live. The idea for the book was conceived during a poetry event held in March of this year in the St. Sava Church in Paris. The editor of the book, Presbyter Miodrag Todorovic, said “the poems in this anthology attest to the fact that those who crated them are a living community gathered around the Spirit of Truth”.

“This is a confirmation that what has been scattered must be gathered again and united in logos. This was the reason why Svetigora announced a competition shortly before Pascha lasting until the Holy Transfiguration. Twenty-one poets applied and are represented in this collection with three poems each. We hope that next year there will be more of them and that the living word will continue to gather and united in logos, the first word,” said Fr. Miodrag.

The anthology includes works by Zorica Barac-Petrov, Dragan Veleusic, Vjekoslav Vukadin, Rajka Todorovic-Grubisic, Lazar Dasic, Danica Dodic, Goran Ivanovic, Milorad Loncar, Aleksandar Milosevic, Edi Mrdjenovic, Dragan Nedovic, Ivana Nikodijevic, Djordje Nikolic, Sava Radivojevic, Vladan Rakic, Igor Rems, Marko Ruzicic, Verica Trickovic, Zorka Cordasovic, Nizeta Grabovac-Sabic and Dragica Sreder.

Source: Svetigora Press (S.C./Z.V.)

[Serbian Translation Services]