Kosovo – Serbian Jerusalem

5/10/2010

Željka Jevtić

IMPRESSIONS OF FOREIGN ARCHBISHOPS FROM PEC

Church officials who attended enthronement ceremony of the Serbian Patriarch, left Kosovo and Metohija with mixed emotions. They spoke to ‘Blic’ about the joy for attending such ‘historical event’ but also about the sorrow they felt ‘seeing the circumstances in which Serbian Orthodox Church and people are living in in Kosovo and Metohija.

‘I feel that I am at a place where there is no truth, no justice and no law. In the Czech Republic all having their roots there enjoy the same rights. This is not the case here. The Almighty sees the history and it is on us to wait for His judgement’, Hristifor, the Archbishop of the Czech Church says. ‘Serbian Patriarch is an open human being ready to accept people as they are’, he says.
Hrizostom, leader of the Cypriot Church compares Cyprus and Serbia and says ‘we are similar’.

‘All of us representing the Orthodox Church are ready to cope with difficulties but also to fight. Serbian nation is not alone in that struggle. That is the similarity between you and us. I am sure that our two nations shall resurrect’, Archbishop Hrizostom says. For him Serbian Patriarch Irinej is ‘a man of decision and order’.
The Littoral Head of the Jerusalem Patriarchy Teofilakt and also Archbishop of the Jordan Church says that ‘a historical event has taken place at the Patriarchy in Pec’.

‘But what I have seen around me in Kosovo is sad. Our church, too is acting in several politically divided areas, Palestine and Israel, but nevertheless we are united. There is attempt that Serbian Church is split, too and I pray God not to allow that to happen’, the Littoral Head Teofilakt says.

The Littoral Head of the Albanian Orthodox Church Ignjatije admits to feel anxiety.
‘I see now this situation in Kosovo. I feel anxiety. We Orthodox Albanians felt sympathy with the Serbian people and Church during bombing and today. But I also feel great joy here at the Patriarchy in Kosovo. I know, I feel it is for the Serbs and their Church your Jerusalem’, Ignjatije, the Littoral Head says.

Domentian, the Littoral Head of Vidin (Bulgarian Church) says: ‘We of the Bulgarian Church feel sorry when our fraternal church and its people are suffering, but we are also happy that the Serbian Patriarch has been enthroned at this historical place. He is a moderate and a dignified person’.

Enthronement of the Serbian Patriarch at the Pec Patriarchy was attended by 40 high officials of all Orthodox churches and about 30 high representatives of other Christian churches and traditional religious communities. The Vatican envoy, the Archbishop Kurt Koch said to have been attending the enthronement ceremony for the first time.

Church officials, the Prime Minister, ministers and opposition leaders yesterday attended reception at the Patriarchy in Belgrade on the occasion of enthronement of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

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