Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 20, 2006

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES OF THE SOC DELEGATION ON MARCH 16, 2006

"POSITION OF THE SOC IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA", LECTURE AT THE WOODROW WILSON INSTITUTE

On Thursday, March 16, 2006, the SOC delegation held a public forum at the Woodrow Wilson Institute, speaking about the position of the SOC and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.

The first speaker at the forum was His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, the head of the delegation, who described the mission of the SOC delegation in general terms. He emphasized that the members of the delegation are testifying about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija as members of the clergy, not as politicians, although the SOC supports the positions of the Serbian Government and President in the negotiation process.

Bishop Teodosije then spoke about the situation on the ground and the needs of the Church and the people in Kosovo and Metohija, i.e. the necessity for protection, preservation and the giving of international guarantees for the Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as ensuring adequate living conditions. He said that it is understandable that everyone is interested in the question of the political status of the Province but that the Church, which is living with its people and comprised of this very people sees its priority in the attempt to resolve practical issues confronting the people, monks and nuns, and clergy. That is why, emphasized Bishop Teodosije, it is important that the voice of the Church is heard in the negotiation process, not in the sense of giving political solutions but in the clear definition of what is necessary for the survival of its people and holy shrines as living communities. He said that status (no matter what the outcome will be) would bring nothing to either Albanians or Serbs unless the quality of society is enhanced and a system of responsibility for what is happening on the ground is promoted.

Participants were also addressed by Rev. Fr. Irinej Dobrijevic, who explained the meaning of the 10 Basic Principles adopted by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC with regard to the beginning of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija. He explained that the Church is interested in giving its contribution to a better society, tolerance and understanding through constructive positions and enhancement of cooperation with other religious communities in Kosovo as well as the region.

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH DELEGATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE

On Thursday, March 16, 2006, the SOC delegation visiting the U.S.A. met in the White House with Mr. Barry Jackson, one of the political advisors to U.S. president George W. Bush, Jr. on Southeastern European issues.

In addition to the members of the SOC delegation, the meeting was attended by Mr. Alex Machaskee, chairman and publisher of the largest daily newspaper in the state of Ohio, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, as well as Mrs. Jasmina Boulanger, president of the Serbian Unity Congress.

U.S. citizens of Serb descent in the state of Ohio gave the deciding votes in the most recent presidential campaign of incumbent president Bush. Mr. Jackson took advantage of the opportunity in the very beginning to convey the gratitude of U.S. President Bush on the support he received from the Americans of Serbian origin in the U.S.A. He emphasized that this is yet another reason why President Bush is strongly insisting on the protection of the Serbian minority in Kosovo and Metohija in the process of resolving the future status of Kosovo.

Bishop Jovan informed Mr. Jackson that the SOC delegation is not in Washington as a political organization, although it supports the positions of the Serbian Government and President in the negotiation process. He reminded of the many years of historically friendly relations of the people of Serbia and the U.S. (particularly in two World Wars) and expressed the hope that the evangelical language of the delegation will also convey the messages of peace and hope in a just solution for the future in Kosovo and Metohija.

Mr. Alex Machaskee emphasized that the Serbian diaspora is deeply concerned for safety of people, churches, the issues of returns and basic human rights which have been persistently violated for years in KiM. Emphasizing the importance of the state of Ohio (where many Americans of Serb origin live) in the re-election of President Bush, Mr. Machaskee said that if the U.S.A. wants a stable Serbia and Balkans, it must take care not to make hasty steps that will destabilize both. Mr. Jackson said that the U.S. Administration certainly is sympathetic to the issue of respect for the rights of minorities and that status of the Church. He added that President Bush believes that every life is a gift from God and as such must be respected.

SUC president Mrs. Boulanger said that Serbs in the U.S.A. are afraid for the physical safety of their brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija due to the inadequate control by KFOR as shown by the March 2004 pogrom, which disappointed the Serbs in the U.S.A. Mr. Andrew Veric, the director of the office of the Serbian Unity Congress in Washington, added that the goal of SUC was to engage Serbs in the U.S. to express their interests in Washington.

Rev. Fr. Irinej Dobrijevic, head of the Office of the SOC's Kosovo and Metohija Committee, informed Mr. Barry with basic issues of interest to the Church. These include the return of some 250,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians to KiM; the restoration of churches and monasteries [that have been destroyed or damaged], as well as their special and long-term protection as living communities. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the possibility of returnees working on the restoration of holy shrines and houses so that they would have an [economic] basis for their own existence and the restoration of their own lives. The Church is also especially interested in the legal restitution of its property, unjustly seized during the time of Communism.

With respect to institutional protection of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, Fr. Irinej said that the SOC supports effective decentralization, which is of enormous importance because people must be given the possibility of having direct responsibility for their own lives, especially in sensitive areas such as health, education and culture, where the Church can be of great assistance. It is necessary, emphasized Fr. Irinej, for the Kosovo authorities and media to begin to speak more objectively about the SOC, its monasteries, monks and nuns, as well as about Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in general.

Fr. Irinej said that in Kosovo and Metohija it is essential to develop a multiethnic, multireligious and multicultural society. Although before Serbs lived in great numbers in the cities, now the only such city in KiM in Northern Mitrovica. Thus, it is necessary first of all to transform cohabitation into peaceful existence and only then to continue with further integration of Serbs and other non-Albanians into broader social structures. He emphasized that the institutional ties between Kosovo Serbs and their institutions with Belgrade are extremely important. Also important is the guaranteeing of unobstructed ties between the Church in Kosovo and Metohija with the Patriarchate in Belgrade, the administrative and canonical seat of the SOC.

Bishop Teodosije emphasized that for the Church in addition to the political resolution of status it is very important what the quality of the society will be. He said that on the basis of everything that can be seen and experienced in Kosovo a society is being built for only majority community (Kosovo Albanians), which is completely discouraging for the Serbs and other smaller communities, particularly the Roma. That is why an appropriate decentralization is necessary, as well as the protection of church and cultural heritage, for which the firm support of the U.S. Administration is important.

Bishop Teodosije expressed his concern due to the recent, increasingly frequent attacks on SOC sites where the restoration process began last year as part of the work of a Commission under the auspices of the Council of Europe. This is an extremely bad signal that may stop the process of restoring Serbian holy shrines altogether. He reminded that March 17 is the anniversary of the 2004 pogrom, underscoring that everyone in Kosovo is responsible for not allowing furthering continuation violence and for ensuring that those who committed crimes are brought to justice, something that unfortunately has yet to be done.

Mr. Jackson emphasized that President Bush will seek that the protection of the Church, her institutions and holy shrines, as well as other issues discussed are included in the talks taking place in Vienna.

Icon as gift and message

At the end of the meeting the head of the SOC delegation, His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, presented Mr. Barry Jackson with an icon of the Crucifixion of Christ as a gift for U.S. President George W. Bush, Jr.

Explaining the meaning of the icon, Bishop Teodosije, whose monks painted the icon, said that the SOC is truly grateful that exactly two years ago, during the March 2004 pogrom, U.S. troops intervened near Gracanica, as well as elsewhere in Kosovo, at the last moment to prevent an even greater tragedy that could have befallen the Serbs in this area. Admiral Gregory Johnson, the Commander of the NATO troops for South Europe personally intervened with Kosovo Albanian leaders to protect Decani Monastery and Pec Patriarchate.

At the same time, the bishop said that the icon carries a message. It depicts the crucifixion, which symbolizes the suffering of Orthodox Christians that continues in Kosovo, which is a rich treasury of Christian culture and civilization and whose values are also built into the foundations of U.S. and European democracy. The icon is a reminder of the moral responsibility of the U.S. administration that all citizens regardless of their ethnic or religious origin must be adequately protected and ensured a prosperous future.

Another meeting in the National Security Council

Yesterday a meeting also took place with Ms. Judith A. Ansley, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs in the National Security Council. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Joseph R. Wood, Deputy Assistant to the Vice President in the National Security Council, and Mr. Alex Machaskee from Cleveland.

Topics discussed included the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, and ways of ensuring economic and political security for the Serb community and especially for the Serbian Orthodox Church and her holy shrines.

Briefing in Congress

In the early evening hours on Thursday members of the SOC delegation held another briefing in Congress and spoke about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

The SOC delegation would like to thank Congressman Dan Burton, who made it possible for the delegation to meet informally in the Congress building with congressional aides and other persons in Congress interested in the situation in KiM and the positions of the SOC in this respect.

CONDEMNATION OF MOST RECENT ATTACKS ON SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SITES IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

His Grace Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, Vice-Chairman of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Kosovo and Metohija Committee and SOC representative in the church restoration process in Kosovo and Metohija today most strong condemned the increasingly frequent acts of vandalism targeting Serbian Orthodox Church sites that were destroyed or damaged during the March riots two years ago and partially restored last year as part of the activity led by the Council of Europe.

"We have information that two days ago several gravestones were destroyed in the Serb cemetery in Urosevac and that windows on the church of the Holy Emperor in the same town have been smashed. According to today's communique from the Kosovo Police Service, on the anniversary of the March 2004 pogrom, members of the police visited the restored Orthodox church in the village of Talinovac near Urosevac last night (March 16) at 10:20 p.m. and saw derogatory slogans. As well, one window on the church was broken," said Bishop Teodosije in a statement for the KIM Info Service. The bishop is presently on a two week-long visit to Washington as a member of the official delegation of the SOC Holy Synod of Bishops.

"After the theft of the roof from the church of Bogorodica Ljeviska, the building of a KLA monument on church land in Djakovica, derogatory graffiti on the church of Christ the Savior in Pristina and other incidents of the same sort, it is logical for us to pose the question how it is possible to continue the process of restoring the destroyed Orthodox holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija if the Kosovo authorities and members of KFOR are unable to provide adequate protection for the objects being restored," said Bishop Teodosije. He added, "The Serbian Orthodox Church heartily supported and took part in the restoration process led by the Council of Europe and responsibility lies exclusively with Kosovo institutions, which should provide conditions for the continuation of the process that has begun."

Bishop Teodosije said that officials in Washington would also be informed of this problem and that upon his return to Kosovo and Metohija he would resolutely demand that UNMIK and KFOR undertake appropriate protective measures.