Belgrade based daily Danas writes about the meeting of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the SPC Assembly and Patriarch Irinej. Patriarch's praise for President Vucic and his "heroic fight for Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija and all that is related to the Serbian name" are not the position of the Holy Archbishop's Assembly, as stated by the SPC leader, Danas was told by SPC Assembly's circles.
Journalist Djordje Vlajic assesses the appearance of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Assembly as "some kind of demanding the complicity of the Church in the work that he does with Kosovo".
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said late on Monday he informed the Holy Synod of the Serb Orthodox Church about "all my worries," adding Patriarch Irinej, who said Vucic's fight for Kosovo was heroic, understood him well, N1 reported.
Vucic was present at the Holy Synod annual meeting in the Patriarchy in Belgrade.
President Vucic is fighting for Serbia, Kosovo all that is linked to the Serb name heroically, says the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
"We do not doubt his good intentions and the effort that we see," Patriarch Irinej emphasized late on Monday in Belgrade, after a two-hour meeting with Vucic.
The Alliance for Serbia (SzS) states today that the possibility of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's participation in the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Assembly is an abuse of the Church by Vucic and the SPC Patriarch Irinej, adding that this is a play that is allegedly anesthetizing SPC before the decision on Kosovo.
SzS says that today's confirmation of the possibility of Vucic's participation in the Assembly, sees as the damage of the SPC and its believers.
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church said that he does not belong to any political side and urged unity for the sake of the survival of the Serb nation.
“I do not belong to any political side. I would like and I pray that there will be no divisions among us but a single policy, a single view and one path – the good of our people,” Patriarch Irinej said in an Easter interview to TV Hram which has been published on Good Friday.
Serbia’s high-ranking officials met Patriarch Irinej on Sunday to inform him about the current situation in the country, which President Aleksandar Vucic assessed as “difficult.”
Besides President Vucic, the meeting was attended by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic.
Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej said that the division of Kosovo and new borders, some are talking about, for the Serbian Orthodox Church, but also for the majority of the population are unacceptable, BETA news agency reports.
Patriarch noted that “Serbia without Kosovo and Metohija is not Serbia”
“As if you would take away a heart from a person, the person is no longer alive,” Patriarch Irinej told RIA Novosti during his visit to Moscow.
The Serbian Orthodox Church and its believers will celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the Julian calendar.
Ahead of the holiday, Patriarch Irinej issued his Christmas message, published below in its integral version.
Full Patriarch’s message available at:http://www.spc.rs/eng
Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej issued a statement on Kosovo army, KoSSev portal reports. The statement can be read below:
“The Serbian Orthodox Church has no doubt that this army is exclusively directed against the Serbian people who boldly practice their faith in Kosovo and Metohija and are proud of the Serbian name. We also know that the formation of this army is also directed against the ancient Serbian Orthodox sanctities in Kosovo and Metohija, which the enemies of the Church of God intend to destroy or, at least, take away.