“For our Church, division of Kosovo and Metohija often mentioned in the media, is not only a political matter, but the matter of destiny of dozen thousands of our believers and the most important holy shrines,” Raska-Prizren Eparchy said in a statement, KIM Radio reported.

The reaction came following a wave of attacks by Serbian authorities’ representatives and the media, after the Eparchy issued an appeal “on the division of Kosovo and Metohija,” KIM Radio recalled.

„Representatives of the Srpska Lista in Kosovo and Metohija hurried to throw a stone at our Bishop Teodosije who carries a cross for his people but none of them lifted a finger to help Decani Monastery in the problem with the illegal road construction. International representatives care more about the problems we are facing than them. Whom do they actually represent?“ the Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery Sava Janjic posted during the weekend via social network.

Serb National Forum (SNF) said yesterday it disagrees with the statement of Srpska Lista (SL) that “majority stance” of the Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija is to support any solution Belgrade proposes for the Kosovo issue, Danas daily reported.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned that if Kosovo and Metohija issue is not resolved, in 20 years Serbia would lose everything, RTS reported. President Vucic was asked to comment on an appeal sent by the Serbian Orthodox Church Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije, expressing concern over statements by some politicians from both sides regarding delineation.

In an appeal, Bishop Teodosije warned that division of the territories would lead to the departure of Serbs from the southern province and destruction of cultural heritage.

As a Bishop of Raška and Prizren and an Archpastor of the Orthodox Christians in the regions of Kosovo, Metohija and Raška, with tremendous pastoral and moral responsibility I feel the need to express my grave concern regarding a series of political statements on Kosovo-Metohija in the recent time which fill our hearts with increasing uncertainty and disquiet.

Bishop of Raska-Prizren Eparchy Teodosije met yesterday in Gracanica with NATO Allied Forces Commander, US Admiral James G. Foggo and KFOR Commander, Major-General Salvatore Cuoci, KoSSev portal reported.

During the meeting, Bishop Teodosije expressed concern over a series of ethnically motivated attacks against Serbs that took place this month in Kosovo and Metohija as well as over persistent disrespect of the law on the part of local institutions, in particular in Decane municipality.

Since yesterday afternoon many citizens of Mitrovica North but also from central Serbia pay tribute to Oliver Ivanovic, Vecernje Novosti daily reports today.

Oliver Ivanovic will be buried on Thursday in Belgrade, at 12.30 in the Alley of Great Citizens at Belgrade cemetery and a transport will be organized from Mitrovica North for those wishing to attend his funeral. The same day will be declared as a day of mourning in Mitrovica North municipality, Vecernje Novosti daily further reports.

Bishop of Raska-Prizren Eparchy, Teodosije appealed today that the arrest case of Bogdan Mitrovic should be clarified as soon as possible in cooperation with the international representatives in Kosovo, as Serbs, in particular those wishing to rebuild their properties see this act as yet another kind of pressure by the Kosovo institutions against citizens of the Serb ethnicity.

Bishop Teodosije also said that Mitrovic was visiting Kosovo freely over the last years and that no one cast any doubt on him.