After an attempt to renew their residence permit, one of the monks of the Raska-Prizren Diocese faced a threat that, within a few days, he could be deported from Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), KoSSev portal reports. The problem of documents that the majority of Kosovo Serbs have, has proven to be one of the more serious problems Serbs have been facing in this area.
Chairperson of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Sonja Biserko assessed for Belgrade-based daily Danas that the division of Kosovo and the exchange of territory became legitimate option for a part of the international community and warned that such a solution would sacrifice the fate of the Serbs there.
Biserko told Danas that the Serbian Orthodox Church is aware of the dangers of dividing the territory.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in Helsinki he is hurt with “bad meddling” of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) in the politics, BETA news agency reported.
Commenting on the Holly Assembly of Bishops statement that at no price full sovereignty and integrity of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija should be brought into question, Vucic said that people and territory keep sovereignty and asked what Serbia has from that in Kosovo.
The Bishops remain firmly against partition and any kind of recognition of the breakaway Serbian province. The Assembly of Bishops gave full support to Bishop Teodosije, his clergy, monastics and his faithful people in their efforts to survive amid difficult circumstances, reads the latest Communique of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church regarding Kosovo-Metohija.
The autumn session of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church took place in the Patriarchy in Belgrade on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A group of Serbian intellectuals and Church dignitaries sent a letter to the Serbian Orthodox Church Holly Assembly today, saying that half a year after the SOC session on Kosovo, the situation has deteriorated, and there is a real danger of surrendering the province, Belgrade-based daily Politika writes today.
Position of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) regarding Kosovo remains unchanged - neither partition, nor independence, Belgrade-based daily Blic reports today, adding the stance was reconfirmed during the first day of Holly Synod autumn session in Belgrade.
During the weekend, all Serbian media quoted a statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Kosovo, where it was said that the situation is concerning and that the practice of usurpation of the property continues.
The Ministry listed, as an example, the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Holy Paraskeva, which are no longer found in the local cadastre documents in Pec as the property of the SPC, it was published on the website of the Russian Ministry.
Serbian Orthodox Church Ascension of the Lord in the village of Devet Jugovici, northern of Pristina was robbed and 25 kilograms of wax candles were taken away, priest Aleksandar Naspalic confirmed to Gracanica-online portal.
“I just came back from the village, visited the church and spoke with remaining Serb inhabitants,” Father Aleksandar told the portal on Saturday. He added that remaining Serbs in the village cannot certainly tell when the church was robbed, and that Dragan Vukadinovic from the village noticed the burglary while visiting the church.
The CI SDP says in a statement that the arrival of Serbian Patriarchs and Serbian Orthodox Church leaders to Kosovo is of great importance for further survival of Serbs in this region, however they point out that citizens have not been informed about the arrival.
SDP reminds that the Serbian people in the most difficult moments had the greatest trust in the Church.
The Church does not change its stance on Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej said in Gracanica, where he pays the visit together with the Patriarch of the Antioch and the Entire East, Jovan X, Radio KIM reports today.