Patriarch interviewed ahead of enthronement

Serbian Patriarch Irinej stated on Wednesday that peace is in the interest of the Church and the time we live in. He spoke in favor of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, but in such a way that would satisfy both Serbs and ethnic Albanians. Patriarch interviewed ahead of enthronement "We wish that there is dialogue between representatives of Serbia and the self-styled authorities in Kosovo, that there are talks that will attempt to reach the most just solution," the patriarch stated. Such a solution, according to the head of the Orthodox Serb Christians, who will be enthroned at the seat of the Church in Kosovo on Sunday, should not see Serbs lose everything and Albanians gain everything. "I am speaking for myself and on behalf of the Church, we will never and under any circumstances renounce Kosovo, and a just solution would be a gift from God both for us and them (ethnic Albanians). Any other solution, especially one absolutely detrimental for Serbia, would represent a permanent source of discord that will bring nothing but a potential for what nobody wants to see in the future," he warned. He said that his official enthronement is a spiritual and religious ceremony of immense significance, and expressed his belief that everyone will contribute so that it be held in peace and order. "We want to show what the Patriarchate of Pec means to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serb people, and what the ceremony represents for the life of the Church. We therefore hope that everything will go as we have planned and as wish it to be. We hope that the ones engaged in the matter of Kosovo-Metohija will also understand this," the Patriarch said in an interview for Tanjug. The patriarch, however, admitted that he is somewhat concerned. "Having in mind the many (unfortunate) events of the past, we have reason to be somewhat concerned. That is why we would like that conditions be provided for the Serbian people to come without any difficulty or incidents, so that the enthronement could be carried out in perfect peace and order," he said. The patriarch described himself as a pacifist who holds ecumenical values and said he would welcome the visit of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to Serbia, but that the invitation must come from the Assembly of the Holy Synod of the SPC. In his interview for the Tanjug news agency in Belgrade on Wednesday, Irinej also stated that although the case of Bishop Artemije represented an unpleasant episode for the church, Artemije has preserved his place in the Church. Artemije's archbishopric has never been brought into question, he added. Bishop Artemije was removed from position of bishop of the Diocese of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija early in 2010, and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Synod decided that he be retired in May. Speaking about the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch told Tanjug that this is still a deep wound which was inflicted on the Serbian Church, and qualified the split as a the result of political moves premeditated by the communists who wanted to separate two close peoples. After lengthy talks in the 1960s, it was decided that autonomy be given to the Macedonian Orthodox Church within the canonical unity of the SPC. As for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which has not been canonized, the patriarch said that this is "no church, but rather a breakaway church community" which has its own leader. "They were all (Montenegrin Church) deprived of their status before turning into what they are now, since Metropolitan Mihailo was defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople," Irinej recalled, adding that a breakaway group can hardly constitute a church. "The Montenegrin authorities support such a community, which does not do them credit and which speaks volumes of a deviant situation they will be ashamed of one day, but this is the way things stand," the Patriarch stated. Following the criticism levied by Chief Mufti of the Islamic Community in Serbia Muamer Zukorlic that the SPC is responsible for all the mishaps of the community, particularly in respect of religious teaching, the Patriarch said that the Mufti is a man who has departed from the religious organization and wants to become a political leader. "Zukorlic's doings have nothing to do with religion, these are evident political moves made by a person who wishes nothing good to the country he lives in," Patriarch Irinej told Tanjug. SPC Patriarch Irinej (Tanjug)

Patriarch interviewed ahead of enthronement

"We wish that there is dialogue between representatives of Serbia and the self-styled authorities in Kosovo, that there are talks that will attempt to reach the most just solution," the patriarch stated.

Such a solution, according to the head of the Orthodox Serb Christians, who will be enthroned at the seat of the Church in Kosovo on Sunday, should not see Serbs lose everything and Albanians gain everything.

"I am speaking for myself and on behalf of the Church, we will never and under any circumstances renounce Kosovo, and a just solution would be a gift from God both for us and them (ethnic Albanians). Any other solution, especially one absolutely detrimental for Serbia, would represent a permanent source of discord that will bring nothing but a potential for what nobody wants to see in the future," he warned.

He said that his official enthronement is a spiritual and religious ceremony of immense significance, and expressed his belief that everyone will contribute so that it be held in peace and order.

"We want to show what the Patriarchate of Peć means to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serb people, and what the ceremony represents for the life of the Church. We therefore hope that everything will go as we have planned and as wish it to be. We hope that the ones engaged in the matter of Kosovo-Metohija will also understand this," the Patriarch said in an interview for Tanjug.

The patriarch, however, admitted that he is somewhat concerned.

"Having in mind the many (unfortunate) events of the past, we have reason to be somewhat concerned. That is why we would like that conditions be provided for the Serbian people to come without any difficulty or incidents, so that the enthronement could be carried out in perfect peace and order," he said.

The patriarch described himself as a pacifist who holds ecumenical values and said he would welcome the visit of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to Serbia, but that the invitation must come from the Assembly of the Holy Synod of the SPC.

In his interview for the Tanjug news agency in Belgrade on Wednesday, Irinej also stated that although the case of Bishop Artemije represented an unpleasant episode for the church, Artemije has preserved his place in the Church.

Artemije's archbishopric has never been brought into question, he added.

Bishop Artemije was removed from position of bishop of the Diocese of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija early in 2010, and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Synod decided that he be retired in May.

Speaking about the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch told Tanjug that this is still a deep wound which was inflicted on the Serbian Church, and qualified the split as a the result of political moves premeditated by the communists who wanted to separate two close peoples.

After lengthy talks in the 1960s, it was decided that autonomy be given to the Macedonian Orthodox Church within the canonical unity of the SPC.

As for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which has not been canonized, the patriarch said that this is "no church, but rather a breakaway church community" which has its own leader.

"They were all (Montenegrin Church) deprived of their status before turning into what they are now, since Metropolitan Mihailo was defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople," Irinej recalled, adding that a breakaway group can hardly constitute a church.

"The Montenegrin authorities support such a community, which does not do them credit and which speaks volumes of a deviant situation they will be ashamed of one day, but this is the way things stand," the Patriarch stated.

Following the criticism levied by Chief Mufti of the Islamic Community in Serbia Muamer Zukorlić that the SPC is responsible for all the mishaps of the community, particularly in respect of religious teaching, the Patriarch said that the Mufti is a man who has departed from the religious organization and wants to become a political leader.

"Zukorlić's doings have nothing to do with religion, these are evident political moves made by a person who wishes nothing good to the country he lives in," Patriarch Irinej told Tanjug.