Preparations for patriarch's enthronement

It is still unclear which Belgrade officials will attend the enthronement of the Serbian Orthodox patriarch at the seat of the Serbian Church in Kosovo. The ceremony is planned for October 3 at the SPC Patriarchate of Pec, and is expected to gather 10,000 worshipers, according to media report. Preparations for patriarch's enthronement The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has announced that people will only be able to travel to the enthronement in the organization of the SPC by buses. A priest will travel in each of the buses. The arrival of about 400 high officials, among them highest representatives of other Orthodox Churches and other religious communities, is also expected. NATO-led forces in the province, KFOR, will be in charge of security and Kosovo police (KPS), KFOR and EULEX will be responsible for the area from the administrative line to monastery zone. It is unclear if Kosovo Albanian officials from Pristina will manage to attend the ceremony, something the Church previously rejected. Religious analyst Zivica Tucic states that it is not a good idea for the highest Kosovo officials to attend the enthronement. “If the SPC invited them it would in a way recognize them as the only authority, put even before the Serbian state. The SPC does not want to make such a precedent, but the mayor of Pec could have been invited which would not imply recognition of the state,” he told B92. The Kosovo Albanian government has also been preparing for the event and representatives of political parties will only be able to enter Kosovo if they respect procedures which apply to such official visits to Kosovo. This includes registering the arrival at the EU office in Belgrade which then informs the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Kosovo about the request. The ICO then forwards the requests to Kosovo institutions which then decide whether they will approve them. KPS will provide security to Serbian politicians and each of them will be allowed to have not more than two armed bodyguards.

Preparations for patriarch's enthronement

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has announced that people will only be able to travel to the enthronement in the organization of the SPC by buses. A priest will travel in each of the buses.

The arrival of about 400 high officials, among them highest representatives of other Orthodox Churches and other religious communities, is also expected. NATO-led forces in the province, KFOR, will be in charge of security and Kosovo police (KPS), KFOR and EULEX will be responsible for the area from the administrative line to monastery zone.

It is unclear if Kosovo Albanian officials from Priština will manage to attend the ceremony, something the Church previously rejected.

Religious analyst Živica Tucić states that it is not a good idea for the highest Kosovo officials to attend the enthronement.

“If the SPC invited them it would in a way recognize them as the only authority, put even before the Serbian state. The SPC does not want to make such a precedent, but the mayor of Peć could have been invited which would not imply recognition of the state,” he told B92.

The Kosovo Albanian government has also been preparing for the event and representatives of political parties will only be able to enter Kosovo if they respect procedures which apply to such official visits to Kosovo. This includes registering the arrival at the EU office in Belgrade which then informs the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Kosovo about the request.

The ICO then forwards the requests to Kosovo institutions which then decide whether they will approve them.

KPS will provide security to Serbian politicians and each of them will be allowed to have not more than two armed bodyguards.