Bishop Irinej of Backa: Church does not intend to engage in politics

Serbian Orthodox Church- 10/4/13 The spokesman of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishop Irinej of Backa, stated on 8 April, following the end of the meeting of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch and the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the state leadership of Serbia, that the Church does not intend to deliver decisions instead of the elected representatives of the people or engage in politics, but that it has an inalienable right to voice its stance on the most important national issues. Bishop Irinej in his statement to the press said that he dismissed as improper and malicious all insinuations that the Church wanted to engage in politics. He explained that at the meeting with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, the Holy Synod received the full, objective information about our state’s legal and foreign policy situation, “especially taking into account the ultimatum that has recently come from Brussels, to which our country has to respond.” Bishop Irinej said that the Holy Synod presented its views on the issues related to Kosovo and Metohija, and the survival of our people there, but also the status of Kosovo and Metohija: there is a great difference between talks on “the relations of two neighboring states” as insisted by the West, Brussels and Washington, and talks aiming to find solutions for life and survival of people without prejudice to the question of the status.  “We talked sincerely and openly… We prayerfully hope that our state leadership will have conscience, and responsibility, and at the same time feelings for the need of life and the survival of our people and our general international position, and that they will know how to articulate the proper solutions”  , Bishop Irinej emphasized.