Symposium in Zagreb: New Martyrs – Polyperspective VI

Church of Serbia – 14/9/2020

As a part of the Day of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac, which is being organized for the seventh time in a series by the Diocese of Slavonia, this year in Zagreb, with the blessing of  Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, a scientific gathering was held dedicated to the martyrs who had witnessed to their faith during the most difficult years of the 20th century.

75 years have passed since the end of the Second World War and the breakthrough of the last Jasenovac camp inmates. The traditional one-day symposium entitled “New Martyrs: Polyperspective VI” was opened in the ceremonial hall of the Kantakuzin High School “Katarina Brankovic”, on September 10, 2020, by His Grace Bishop Jovan of Slavonia.

Bishop Jovan reminded of the continuity of these gatherings, but also of the international reputation it is gaining: “In the past seven years, we have had opportunity to see top experts dealing with this crucial topic of theology and history, from Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, via the Patriarch of Constantinople His Holiness  Bartholomew, to Yad Vashem experts such as Stephanie McMahon Kaye. Our idea is to see how various traditions around the world see themselves as martyrs and how they define themselves. Our guest was also an Armenian, Archimandrite Gregory, and Bishop Atanasija (Jevtic), who was the first to deal with this topic in our country, Metropolitan Amfilohije, Dr. Kiril Feferman from the Ariel University in Israel, and many many others also spoke here.”

“The second component of this symposium is exclusively historical. The problem arises when it comes to theologizing, to theological reflection on suffering. Often, those who think about it do not know the basic historical facts,” said Bishop Jovan.

After the introductory address of the organizers of the symposium, retired Bishop of Zaholm-Herzegovina Atanasije, Mr. Boris Radakovic from Prijedor, Dr. Nemanja Devic and monk Pavle Kondic presented their papers. Bishop Jovan had a half-hour public conversation with painter Boris Budjan, while Messrs. Bogdan Spanjevic and Darko Nikolic presented the Virtual Project Jasenovac.

The Days of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac, which are celebrated this week in the Slavonian Diocese, conclude on Sunday, September 13, 2020, when the Divine Hierarchal Liturgy will be served in the Monastery of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Jasenovac, and thereafter a  winter church as witnesses of the faith of those who shone in Jasenovac during the Second World War will be consecrated.

Source: Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana

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