Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
May 15, 2006

REGULAR SESSION OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS BEGINS

This year’s regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began today in the Patriarch’s residence in Belgrade in the church of St. Simeon the Myrrh-gusher with the act of the Invocation of the Holy Spirit.

The session will begin its work with the selection of the Assembly’s task groups. During the course of its further work the Holy Assembly of Bishops will hear reports on the work of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, reports by the diocesan hierarchs (bishops) and other church bodies and organs on activities during the period since the last regular session. The Holy Assembly of Bishops will consider all matters of importance to the life of the Church and the people, especially in Kosovo and Metohija.

All diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church from the Fatherland and the diaspora will take part in the work of this highest hierarchal representative and clerical-legislative authority in matters of faith, liturgical service, clerical hierarchy, internal organization of the Church, and supreme judicial authority within the area of its jurisdiction, which will be presided over by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

Like in previous years, upon completing its work the Holy Assembly of Bishops will be issuing [an official] communique.

METROPOLITAN AMFILOHIJE: ‘YES’ TO THE LIVING GOD, NOT TO JUDAS’ PARADE OF WITNESSES

His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy yesterday in the renewed church of the Holy Archangel Michael in the Pipere village of Zavala near Podgorica.

Saying that on his way to church, he had seen the word “Yes” written on the road and by the roadside, Metropolitan Amfilohije reminded of the words of the Holy Apostle Paul,
“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'” [Mat 5:37] and said that we had gathered in this church today to say “Yes” to this Holy Shrine, to say “Yes” to those who built this Holy Shrine, and to say “Yes” to the eternal and Living God and God’s commandments... “And to everything that is elevated and great, by which heaven and earth live, and every human being and humanity as a whole. To say ‘Yes’ to what is good, to love towards God and those near us, to say ‘Yes’ to the eternal divine light that shines upon every human being that comes into this world,” said Metropolitan Amfilohije.

The Metropolitan said that the words of the Apostle Paul suggest that there is also our “No”, “Our ‘No’ to Satan, sin and death, our ‘No’ to all false ideologies that poison the human soul and which snatch the spark of divinity and transfer it to bestial lifelessness. To say ‘No’ to the Satan-man killer who poisons and darkens the human mind, to say ‘No’ t evil and envy, the demonic heritage that imperils human dignity. To say ‘No’ to the parade of Judas’ witnesses who would like to base human life on an alienating, demonic ideology like Judas the traitor. To say ‘No’ to those who sell God and their conscience for a bowl of lentils and for thirty pieces of silver, as Judas did. To say ‘No’ to lawlessness, bowing before the law of God. To say ‘No’ to alienation. To say ‘No’ to everything that separates us from God and from each other, which destroys the unity of God’s people for which everything we had that was honorable and honest throughout our history was sacrificed,” said Metropolitan Amfilohije.

“We are here, then, to say ‘No’ to what dishonors the human image and dignity. To say ‘No’ to those who snatch and trample upon the tear of the poor, and who take only for themselves what God has given to all of us to share equally,” concluded the Metropolitan.

During the divine service, a group christening took place. Upon its completion the Metropolitan presented hierarchal gramata to those most deserving for the restoration of the church.

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

CHURCH OF ST ELIJAH IN PODUJEVO DAMAGED

Unknown perpetrators have damaged the church of St. Elijah in Podujevo, where restoration work began after the church's destruction in the March 2004 violence against Serbs, KIM Radio in Caglavica reported. The attackers broke down the recently replaced door and broke a number of windows.

The office of the spokesperson of the Kosovo Police Force could not provide more information about this latest attack, KIM Radio said.

As part of the restoration project for the church, which is led by the Council of Europe, the altar (sanctuary) was repaired, and windows and doors installed. The church bells from the church were stolen and were subsequently found by Czech KFOR troops.

Source: www.kosovo.net

PATRONAL FEAST OF FACULTY AND SEMINARY CELEBRATED IN FOCA

On the day of the celebration of St. Vasilije Ostroski and the commemoration of the day in 1941 when Metropolitan Petar Zimonjic of Dabro-Bosnia was martyred, on Friday, May 12, the patronal feasts of the St. Vasilije Ostroski Theological Faculty and the St. Peter of Dabro-Bosnia Seminary were celebrated, and the 125th anniversary of the Sarajevo Seminary commemorated in Foca with the serving of Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, the breaking of the slava cake and a formal academy. Holy Liturgy was served in the chapel of Theological Faculty by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabro-Bosnia with the concelebration of His Grace Bishop Maksim of Hum; the dean of the Theological Faculty in Foca Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Predrag Puzovic; professor of the Theological Faculties in Belgrade and Foca Protopresbyter Dragomir Sando; rector of the Seminary in Cetinje Presbyter Gojko Perovic; professor of the Theological Faculty in Foca Protodeacon Pribislav Simic; and the priests and deacons on the Metropolitanate of Dabro-Bosnia.

Source: Metropolitanate of Dabro-Bosnia

MEETING OF YOUNG THEOLOGIANS IN SARAJEVO

On May 9-10, 2006 in Sarajevo the Inter-religious Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation organized an inter-religious meeting of young theologians from the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Foca, the Vrhbosanska Catholic Theological School, the Franciscan Theological School and the Faculty of Islamic Studies. The students of the Orthodox Theological Faculty would like to thank the organizers who made the meeting possible, as well as their hosts for two evenings, the administration and students of the Vrhbosanska Catholic Theological School. Thanks also go to the hosts at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, the Franciscan Theological School and the Jewish Municipality in Sarajevo.

Source: Metropolitanate of Dabro-Bosnia

DR JAROSLAV PELIKAN REPOSES IN THE LORD

On Saturday, May 13, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. after a long and difficult illness Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan reposed in the Lord. A Liturgy for the Deceased and funeral service will be served on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, in the chapel of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York.

Jaroslav Jan Pelikan (1923-2006) was born in Akron, Ohio, the United States of America. His father was a Lutheran clergyman. After completing secondary school and university studies, he took his master’s and doctoral degrees. He was a professor of history at Yale University from 1962 to 1996. During the period from 1994 to 1997 he was the president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

During his many years of academic research, he wrote about 30 books and many studies and articles, most notably the five-volume work The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Christian Doctrine. One of the most eminent church historians of our time, Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan and his wife were baptized according to the Orthodox rite on March 25, 1998 in the chapel of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.

MEMORY ETERNAL!

MEETING OF ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY WITH ORTHODOX CHURCH LEADERS IN GREAT BRITAIN

The spiritual head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, prepared a reception on May 11 for representatives of the Orthodox and Eastern jurisdictions that are active on the territory of Great Britain.

The reception was held in the formal hall of Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The reception was attended by the highest representatives of the Orthodox and pre-Chalcedonian churches (Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian). Representatives of the Orthodox Church were headed by Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Archbishop Grigorios of Thyateira and Great Britain. Also present was Archbishop Anatolios of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In attendance on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church were Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Milun Kostic, the chief priest of the church of St. Sava in London; Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Radomir Acimovic, parish priest in the same church; and Monk Pavle (Kondic), professor of the Cetinje Seminary presently studying in Oxford. During the course of the reception Monk Pavle presented two books a gift for Archbishop Williams: an anthology of research studies on Nikon of Jerusalem and a history of the Cetinje Seminary. The Archbishop responded with an autographed copy of his own book of theological discussions, which will be added to the library of the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University in Belgrade.

Monk Pavle