EPISCOPE TEODOSIJE ON SAFTEY OF SERB SANCTITIES IN KOSMET

9/9/2010

After the decision of NATO to have KFOR hand over the care of security of Serb churches and Monasteries in Kosmet to the local police, church dignitaries have announced that the Serbian Orthodox Church will take certain precautions to secure the safety of believers, monkhood and sanctities themselves. What does it actually mean, we discuss with Episcope of Lipljan Teodosije. The conversation lead by Vukomir Petric.

In front of the Gracanica monastery, the endowment of King Milutin from 14th century, there are no more KFOR soldiers. This sanctity was among the first to have been handed over by the international troops to the care of the Kosmet police service. The Kosmet Serbs and church dignitaries do not hide worry over that decision, due to still fresh memories of Albanian violence from 1999 and 2004, when many of the Serb temples in the Province were destroyed. In view of that, episcope Teodosije says the Serbian Orthodox Church has nothing against the Kosmet police service, but cannot accept their members replacing KFOR in guarding the Serb churches and monasteries.

If KFOR believes the present situation is different and their constant presence is not necessary, than why is it necessary to have the Kosmet police securing the Serb sanctities, asks episcope Teodosije. According to him, the new situation forces the Serbian Orthodox Church to engage itself in taking care of the security in Gracanica and other sanctities. “So far, we relied on KFOR, but now we are considering hiring employees – guards, who would control and check things within the gates, especially on the unknown visitors of the monastery. Even though it had not been practice in our facilities, we are forced to it by the new circumstances and situation”, explains episcope Teodosije.

In the past 11 years, most significant Serb churches and monasteries in Kosmet have been guarded from destruction by KFOR troops. Still, during the March pogrom of Serbs in 2004, the Serb spiritual heritage was targeted by the Albanian extremists. In only 24 hours they had torn down, burnt or damaged 35 religious facilities, of which 18 cultural monuments. Destroyed to the ground were the Devic monastery near Srbica and dormitories of the St. Archangels monastery near Prizren. In Prizren, church of Holy Mary of Ljeviska, from 14th century, and St. George from 16th were burnt. More than 10 thousand valuable frescoes, icons, cups, robes and other relics, as well as church registries of baptized, married and deceased, which were testifying of centuries-long Serb presence in the Province, have gone missing or damaged. Despite the opposition of Belgrade authorities and the Serbian Orthodox Church, it is announced that that the Kosmet police will soon take over the security of another three monasteries – Budisavce, Zociste i Gorioc.

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