The Serbian Patriarch’s testament on war
Patriarch Pavle stated that he did not need Greater Serbia if it meant killing people. Why are these words so important today?
In 1990, Bishop Pavle (Stojčević) of Raška-Prizren became the Serbian Patriarch. He was born in 1914 and lived through the two most horrific wars in human history – the First and Second World Wars. After these wars, it seemed that humanity would forever give up the idea of armed confrontation as a way to solve political problems. But since then, the planet has hardly lived in peace. Patriarch Pavle did not get a taste of this coveted peace either.
As a bishop, he served for 34 years in the most troubled places in Serbia – Kosovo and Metohija, and when he became Patriarch, he witnessed the bombings of Belgrade. Therefore, Patriarch Pavle reasoned about war from a practical perspective – painful, terrifying, bloody...
At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Church canonically embraced different territories, including those where the most intense phases of armed conflict took place, where blood was shed: Serbs, Albanians, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Croats and other Balkan peoples.
It is for this reason that the position of Patriarch Pavle is of enormous significance to us, and it is interesting to compare it with the position of modern apologists for "just" wars and "fair" peace.
Scandal and temptation
The attitude towards Patriarch Pavle from different sides of the conflict was diametrically opposite.
When he spoke about Croats and Muslims committing war crimes, and Serbs simply having to defend themselves, he was hated by Croats and Muslims.
When he said that Serbs should not act inhumanely towards Muslims while defending themselves, he was hated by Serbs.
When he said that Milošević was not a Christian and only used the Church for his interests, he was hated by Milošević's supporters.
When he said that Serbs should not engage in a larger war against NATO because they needed to preserve the people, the gene pool, he was hated by Serbian nationalists.
When he stood up for the opposition and joined demonstrations to prevent violence against the opposition, he was hated by the authorities.
When Patriarch Pavle welcomed Milošević and his family to find some compromise solutions, he was hated by the opposition.
Why did he act this way? To answer this question, one must recall that when Bishop Pavle was asked about his patriarchal program before his enthronement, he replied that his program had long been written – it was the Gospel. Following this program, he acted, trying to "live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18) but in the end, he "was persecuted by all" (2 Timothy 3:12). Because even Christ was a "scandal" to some and a "temptation" to others.
What is a "just war" in Patriarch Pavle's eyes?
On June 4, 1999, the Serbian Patriarch gave a significant interview to the magazine "Svetigora", where he answered questions from a journalist regarding war and military actions.
He explained that a "just war" cannot have an aggressive nature and cannot receive God's blessing: "An aggressive war is not only unacceptable for Christians but also subject to condemnation, while a defensive, liberating war is blessed."
But in the state neighbouring Ukraine, calling the "SMO" (“SVO”) a "sacred war", they try not to notice this aggressive aspect. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin directly stated that "Russia has acquired new territories" and in October 2022, he signed a decree on the incorporation of Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia, which became a formal confirmation of the fact that the war is aggressive. But what about the Church?
Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church continued to call this war "sacred" and the Synod of this Church declared that the eparchies of the UOC located in the occupied territories are placed under the direct subordination to Patriarch Kirill...
The Church and war
Patriarch Pavle believed that even in the case of a "blessed" war, the Church should not support the escalation of conflict, especially if it involves a war between brothers or brothers in faith.
For this reason, Patriarch Pavle as the Primate of a multinational Church always sided with the victims, not the politicians. In a communique issued at the end of an extraordinary session of the Holy Synod of Bishops in December 1992, he stated: "We experience the suffering of every person as our own. Because every human tear, every bodily and spiritual wound, every drop of spilt blood is a brotherly tear, a brotherly wound and brotherly blood."
Patriarch Pavle always reminded Christians that they couldn’t forget that they were disciples of Christ: "Our troubles, you see for yourselves, come not only from non-Christian enemies or the godless but also from those who call themselves Christians. And now we see how such Christians act like non-humans... But if we did the same, we would be even more condemned: to whom much is given, much is asked. It’s all about whether we will endure to the end."
When Patriarch was told that enemies deserve harsh punishment, he replied that the most terrible thing is when people "respond to crime with crime".
Compare how different these words of Patriarch Pavle are from the position of those who talk about Russia's right to bomb Ukraine because Ukrainian authorities bombed Donbas during the ATO.
Causes of war
At the same time, Patriarch Pavle never blamed any one side for the outbreak of hostilities and never said that the cause of the war was because there were "tongues (nations) desiring for war," never assured that Serbia was not guilty in this war and that there were some "geopolitical processes" that provoked this war.
No, he always said that the cause of war is sin, and Christians are primarily guilty of this sin, and only then everyone else: "Since the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, there has never been a moment for a person to breathe, to rest their soul. Just remember what happened in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and now in Kosovo, and in such a terrible way! But the most important thing for us is what we feel, and we feel that here, of course, there is our guilt and our sins, but there are also the sins and guilt of others, not only Albanians but also Europe and America. The guilt and sins of the ruling people who had the "courage" to make such a decision to bomb, from which Albanians suffer, and all of Kosovo suffers, and which contributed the most to this terrible common tragedy."
For this reason, Patriarch Pavle believed that Christians should seek peace with all their might: "Let us now remember the words of the Apostle Paul - '... have peace with all.' It is important not to wait until someone else wants peace but first of all to take this step towards peace ourselves. If we do it sincerely, half the job will be done. If those people also wanted it, everything would be for the good of us and them. Whether they want it or not depends on them."
Defence of traditional values and war
Understanding that all stated goals of the "SMO” such as demilitarization, denazification, and others are abstract concepts and have nothing to do with reality, the ROC tries to justify the war by defending traditional values. What does the Russian Church consider as such?
Firstly, the rejection of LGBT propaganda (we still don't understand what it has to do with Ukraine). And secondly, the "protection" of Holy Rus, for preserving which military force is quite acceptable. Patriarch Kirill even called heroes those who die in Ukraine "for the values that Russia defends today". By this, he means not "some political principles but those spiritual-moral values that have become our national values today."
Both Patriarch Kirill and many other ROC representatives have a clear thesis that the "SMO" is a war of the forces of good (Russia) against the forces of evil. And Russia in this war has almost a messianic role in saving the world. But can "messianism" really be realized through death, blood and suffering?
Here is how Patriarch Pavle responds to such a question: "The Serbian Church and I are accused of inciting war to preserve Greater Serbia. I declare if committing a crime was necessary to preserve Greater Serbia, I would never agree to it. Let Greater Serbia disappear then. If it required preserving even Little Serbia in this way, I would not agree to it either. Let even Little Serbia disappear, only so there is no bloodshed. No, by such a price – no! If at such a cost, it were necessary to preserve the last Serb and I myself were that last Serb, I would not give my consent. Let us disappear, only in this disappearance let us remain Christ's people. Otherwise, we are not willing to live. That's the essence, for we know that our ancestors endured troubles and wars for so many centuries and years, stood in truth, and the Lord Almighty, Who is always on the side of good, preserved all of us. And if we must suffer, it is better to lay down our heads than to become inhuman."
Let's agree that the words of Patriarch Pavle are the words of a Christian. He just could not physically imagine "Greater Serbia" or the "Serbian world" amidst the ruins of Kosovo and Metohija.
Patriarch Pavle could not imagine himself walking through Belgrade, scorched by fire, covered with the bodies of Serbs, Croats, Albanians, who died for the idea of the "Serbian world", and hearing the cries of children left fatherless or mothers mourning their children.
For him, it was impossible to imagine that this "Serbian world" would be established on ruins, death and pain that cannot be forgotten. Can the brothers' lives be sacrificed in this endless game of power and political ambitions? After all, every stone and every destroyed and burnt house in this "world" would remind him of the terrible price that had to be paid for its existence. Ultimately, for Patriarch Pavle, this "world" would become a symbol of emptiness and death.
And for you?
