Serbian bishops distance themselves from church statement

NEWS 27.05.201913:57
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A group of Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) bishops have distanced themselves from the SPC statement following a session of the Holy Synod and meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade daily Danas said on Monday.

The group, headed by Montenegro-Coastal Bishop Amfilohije, said in a letter to church head Patriarch Irinej that they disagree with the May 18 statement by spokesman Bishop of Backa Irinej Bulovic who “formulated some decisions counter to the will of the Holy Synod”. The letter said the bishops are distancing themselves from the statement.

The main point of contention, according to the letter that Danas said it was given access to, is the fact that Biship Irinej Bulovic “intentionally overstated the importance of the visit by regional political leaders Aleksandar Vucic and (Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency chief) Milorad Dodik. “The fathers at the Synod were not united in their views of the battle to preserve Kosovo in Serbia, on the contrary”, the letter said adding that the SPC spokesman’s talk of “efforts and an unequal battle with the powerful over Kosovo”.

The bishops also denied that Vucic and Dodik were invited to the meeting by the Holy Synod but that the invitation was made by the Patriarch. They demanded the issuing of a new, amended statement.

Danas said that Patriarch Irinej did not respond to the letter.