Belgrad, May 17, 2013
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The order of Patriarch Irenaeus of Serbia not to appear at
the council was given to Bishop Athanasius possibly as a
disciplinary action for his anti-government speech at the
mass meeting in Belgrad that took place on May 10 this
year against the so-called Brussels agreement. This
agreement, concluded on April 19, 2013, by the prime
ministers of Serbia and self-declared Kosovo Ivica Dacic
and Hashim Thaci, is devoted to organization of Serbian
municipalities in north Kosovo and it de facto recognizes
their submission to Pristina's authorities in exchange for
continuation of negotiations on Serbia's entry into the
EU.
Speaking at the rally, Bishop Athanasius compared Ivica
Dacic with the prime minister Zoran Dindic, murdered in
2003 in the assassination plot, saying: "Dacic does
not recognise the Heavenly Serbia. The late
Djindjic--Heavenly Serbia did not interest him, only the
earthly one, and how did he end up? Let God judge".
And Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Montenegro and
the Littoral during his speech at the same rally prayed
for repose of the current members of government and the
Parliament of Serbia and for forgiveness of all their
voluntary and involuntary sins.
These speeches of both Hierarchs have attracted a wide
response in Serbian MEDIA. Commenting on them, Patriarch
Irenaeus informed that Bishop Athanasius had asked him
through intermediaries to allow him to participate in the
rally but received no reply while Metropolitan Amfilohije
was allowed only to perform a prayer service in the
Church. So, in view of the Patriarch, these Hierarchs did
not have a blessing to speak in Belgrad.
Although the same Politika newspaper informed
earlier that the speeches of these Hierarchs would hardly
cause any prohibitions, now it is expected that speeches
of Metropolitan Amfilohije and the present Bishop of
Zahumlje-Herzegovina , Gregory (Duric), in a program of
the Serbian Б92 TV channel will be discussed
at the council of Bishops.
At the same time, sources in the Patriarchate add that
Bishop Athanasius (Yevtich) has always been famous for his
radical views and the Patriarch more than once asked the
Hierarchs not to invite him to the council meetings.
Bishop Vasily (Kachavenda) who was removed from the
Diocese of Zvornitsko-Tuzla in April this year in charges
of corruption and immoral behavior, will not be invited to
the council either. So far the main tasks of the meeting
of the next council of Bishops have been the following:
approval of retirement of Bishob Vasiliy (Kachavenda), and
also the question of retirement because of old age of
Metropolitans Nikolaj of Dabrobosanska and Constantine of
Middle Europe. Also, appointment of three new Hierarchs at
least on three Dioceses is to be discussed: the Dioceses
of Dabrobosanska (temporarily ruled by Bishop Gregory of
Zahumlje-Herzegovina), Zvornicko-Tuzlanska (temporarily
ruled by Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka) and Zica
(temporarily ruled by Bishop John of Sumadijska).
