The spring session of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be completed by ”an appeal for Kosovo and Metohija”, writes today’s daily Blic, adding that the original text of the appeal was somewhat changed during the session, so that, apart from international actors, now it appeals domestic politicians to never give consent to the alienation of Kosovo.
According to the Blic information, the document was prepared at the beginning of the session, and it was read out to the archbishops and it was mainly about the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), which has been previously known and arguemented.
The Church was not lead by the daily politics in this text, rather it began from the attitude of Kosovo institutions towards the Serbs and the holy shrines, writes the daily.
The daily thus states that the Church pointed out that it did not conflict with Europe, but also pointed to the disagreement within the EU itself on the recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
The SOC stated in the text that neither the recognition of independence nor division was a solution, as it would lead to instability in the region and Europe, while the division would automatically amputate the part of Kosovo, in which the Serbs live and where are the most important churches and monasteries.
In this case, as stated in the text, the Serbian community would receive “its share” and the southern would be left to the exodus, probably a pogrom similar to that of 2004, reports the daily.
The Church believes that the dialogue in Brussels should continue, but also urges the US and the EU to do more on the respect of the law and rights in Kosovo, because, as they say, tolerance of lawlessness would be another precedent that would continue the EU’s disintegration on a national basis and would encourage separatism.
In the latest version of the text, in which Blic had insight, division was not mentioned, but insisted that Serbia do not agree to the independence of Kosovo.
However, according to Blic, the messages of the Church remain the same regardless of whether the text of the appeal will be altered, which is that the Church will never leave Kosovo and its people and that it considers Serbia’s place is in Europe, but as a dignified member, ”with recognition of its own territory regardless of the self-proclaimed secession of Kosovo”.
