Metropolitanate of Montenegro and Littora: Pravoslavlje Press Report

Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Pravoslavlje Press Report

Belgrade, June 27, 1999

The golgotha being endured by the Serbian people on Kosovo and Metohia, is continuing. The biggest afflictions happen in the southern part of the province. One hundred and thirty Serbs were evacuated yesterday from the monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec, and sent into Crna Gora (Montenegro). Only ten of them have remained in the monastery.

Rt. Rev. Amfilohije, the Metropolitan of Crna Gora and Primorje, has visited, today and on the previous day, Serbian villages in the vicinity of Pec. In the village Naklo, numbering 35 houses, a recently built Orthodox church was demolished, and holy vessels and icons were taken away. The whole village Belo Polje, out of which the Serbs were expelled, was in flames yesterday. At the moment when the Albanians were plundering it and setting it on fire, the only person in the village was Milos Cirkovic, the forester, who had decided to fight against the attackers, and, if necessary, to die at his threshold. At least 3 attackers were killed, but there has still been no information about Milos. In the village Zahoc, 4 Serbian women have been kidnapped. There are only 180 Serbs in the village Gorazdevac. Metropolitan Amfilohije held counsel with them and encouraged them to stay, at least as some kind of seed for the Serbian Kosovo and Metohia. The church in Djurakovac, recently built, was demolished and the parish centre was plundered.

The members of the KLA came to the priest Miljko Koricanin in Pec, yesterday, and said: "You priest, you may stay, but the people has to go!"

Yesterday, the Albanians barged again into the houses and apartments of the Serbs. More than half of the professors of the University of Pristina, Serbs by nationality, left this town. Many of the Serbs who have stayed, fear to spend the night in Pristina, but sleep in Gracanica.

In Gnjilane, the Albanians carved with knife swastika and letters "UCK" (KLA), on one Serb's back. Many Serbs were killed in Laplje Selo.

One hundred and forty Serbs have been kidnapped up to now, out of which about 80 have been kidnapped in the last ten days. Generally looking, Kosovo and Metohia now represent northern Albania: the cars with the Albanian registration numbers can be seen everywhere, currency in circulation is not Yugoslav Dinar, but Albanian Lek and German Mark…

His Holiness Pavle, the Serbian Patriarch, has gone today into Gracanica monastery where he will mark Vidovdan* tomorrow, together with Rt. Rev. Atanasije, the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, Rt. Rev. Artemije, the Bishop of Raska and Prizren, Rt. Rev. Amfilohije, the Metropolitan of Crna Gora and Primorje, clergymen, monastics and the faithful. The Divine Liturgy will also be served in Lazarica church, in Zemun. From Gracanica, the people will go to Gazimestan**.

This Vidovdan is different from the previous ones: there will be no hypocrisy, no faithless leaders of our people will take part in the marking of this date on Kosovo and Metohia. Vidovdan will be marked in prayers and with tears. We shall pray to God to pardon our sins, the sins we have committed to Him, to ourselves, to one another and to our enemies.

We shall also pray to God to save us and to give us strength.

+ Atanasije
Bishop of Hvosno
and Auxiliary of
His Holiness

*the day when Kosovo battle took place in 1389; in the calendar of the Serbian Orthodox Church this day is dedicated to St. Lazarus the great Martyr and to All Serbian Martyrs
**the memorial place of Kosovo battle; the spot where the monument dedicated to the heroes of this battle was erected

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