Serbian Church: The ban on Pat Porfirije's entry into Kosovo is lawlessness

Patriarch Porfirije and the hierarchs of the Serbian Church. Photo: spc.rs

The Holy Assembly of Bishops the Serbian Orthodox Church believes that the ban on Patriarch Porfirije and seven other bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from entering Kosovo is lawlessness that is unfolding before the entire civilized world.

The Serbian Church reminded that since the first half of the 14th century and the time of His Holiness Patriarch Joanikije II, the Holy Assemblies of Bishops have been held at the Peć Monastery.

According to the Serbian Orthodox Church, "Facing the complete lawlessness that the current authorities in Priština are bringing to bear on the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox People, this time restricting the freedom of movement of the very Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church – His Holiness Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade–Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije, as well as other Serbian Hierarchs…. the Holy Assembly of Bishops gives witness before the entire civilized world, and especially before Christians, that the Serbian People and their Serbian Orthodox Church on Kosovo and Metohija are living in total legal, which means existential, uncertainty."

“Preventing the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church from going to the Patriarchate of Peć is like forbidding the Pope to go to the Vatican or the Head of the Church of England to go to Canterbury Cathedral,” the communique states.

"We Hierarchs gather once a year from all over the world, from all continents, we cross many borders without problem, except when we need to come to Kosovo and Metohija, our spiritual hearth," the Serbian bishops wrote.

According to them, "this lawlessness, committed before the face of the world, at a time when the authorities in Priština hope for admission to the Council of Europe, is a pale reflection of what the local authorities there do on a daily basis to the Serbian People who have been living in their centuries-old homeland, on Kosovo and Metohija, for at least a millennium and a half, to which ancient monasteries and churches, graves, frescoes, and priceless icons bear living witness…."

Therefore, the Holy Assembly of Bishops draws the attention of all responsible international factors who have the ability to influence the authorities in Priština to this, that by this act they have grossly shown that the internationally recognized and binding provisions of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other conventions that directly guarantee the right of every man – be it the Serbian Patriarch, Hierarchs, clerics or faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Synod of the SOC also called on "the Orthodox and the entire Christian world and its spiritual leaders to, through prayer or by other means, advocate for the respect of our religious rights".

"The Serbian Orthodox Church has never been, nor is she now, and certainly will not be in the future a political institution, but rather she is and remains the spiritual Mother of Orthodox Serbians, carrying out her spiritual mission without impediment in countries throughout the world," the hierarchs stressed.

They also stated that the Serbian Orthodox Church does not have the status of a state church or political organisation in the Republic of Serbia or in other countries, and therefore political measures cannot be applied to it.

"The current authorities in Priština have attempted, through the classical abuse of rights and the undermining of the foundations of the rule of law, to humiliate the Serbian Orthodox Church, and give rise to new fears and anxieties among the Kosovo–Metohian Serbians, in order that they might force them to abandon their holy places and homes," the document said.

The Serbian Orthodox Church also affirmed that it remains with its people, “without regard for the violence that has been systematically and without anyone being held accountable being carried out for decades, and especially since 1999 through today over Orthodox Serbians".

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, headed His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, appeals to the international factors on Kosovo and Metohija to do whatever they can to end the flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Serbian people.

As earlier reported by the UOJ, Patriarch Porfirije commented on the ban on entry into Kosovo.

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