Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Pravoslavlje Press Report

Belgrade, June 30, 1999

His Holiness Pavle, the Serbian Patriarch, has served the Holy Pontifical Liturgy in the monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec, today. After the Liturgy, Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije have visited the village Belo Polje. This village, which had consisted of more than 200 houses before the war, was burned to the ground, including its church. Having left Belo Polje, the Patriarch and the Metropolitan have gone to visit the village Gorazde, in which there are still 187 Serbs, determined in their intention to persevere.

Today, Bishop Atanasije Jeftic and Bishop Artemije have flown, by KFOR helicopter, over the whole Kosovo and Metohia. In Kosovska Mitrovica, they have met De Mello and the representatives of the local Serbian authorities. Kosovska Mitrovica can take great pride in having, still, Serbian structure of authorities in the part of the town stretching on one bank of the river Ibar.

Bishop Artemije and Bishop Atanasije have also visited the village Lepina, where Rt. Rev Artemije has spoken about the necessity of the Serbs' staying on their hearths. He has said that is the personal, national and familial interest of every villager. From there, the Bishops have gone to Lipljan, where both of them have repeated how important it is to persevere in
staying. Unfortunately, a great number of the Serbs have already moved out of that village.

At 19:30, Bishop Artemije has met with KFOR liaison general. On that occasion, the Bishop has conveyed his impressions acquired during the travels throughout Kosovo and Metohia, and criticized KFOR severely for its attitude towards the Serbs, thus demanding bigger protection for the Serbs.

In the northern part of the southern Serbian province, in the village Merdare, Podujevo area, stands a huge notice board stating that spot is the very border between Serbia and Albania, and KFOR is tolerating that.

Yesterday, the Albanians killed, among other Serbs, Sreten Zivkovic from the village Livadice, since he had not wanted to move out on their demand.

Bishop Atanasije
Rakita

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