„All the doors of this world are open to me, just as our doors are open to everyone, only the doors of my home, the Patriarchate of Peć, are closed and they won’t let me in,“ Patriarch Porfirije reacted after he was banned from visiting Kosovo today. In the meantime, Pristina said that the reason for the ban lies behind Belgrade’s „campaign“ against Kosovo, including the ban on the entry of Pristina officials into central Serbia.
The regular session of the Serbian Orthodox Church was supposed to start tomorrow in the Patriarchate of Peć, and a day later the working session was to be held in the crypt of the Memorial Church of St. Sava in Vračar. However, after the Patriarch and the bishops were banned from entering Kosovo, the whole session will be held in Vračar.
The news of the ban was confirmed by the Serbian Orthodox Church in a press release.
„His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia Mr. Porfirije, who was supposed to, along with seven other archbishops, as per established procedure, arrive in the afternoon at the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Peć Patriarchate monastery, for the regular annual session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops, was stopped at the Merdare administrative crossing by the officers of the provisional authorities in Pristina who, without offering any explanation, announced that they were prohibited from entering the province,“ the SOC said in a statement.
While pointing a finger at Pristina, they state that the ban reveals the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbs in Kosovo.
„From the point of view of human rights and freedoms of any individual, the decision to ban the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and bishops from coming to the ancient seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church is unreasonable and unacceptable, at the same time it is an accurate portrayal of the position of the Serbian Church and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija,“ they said.
They say that the patriarch made an appeal and called on all those who have an influence on the situation in Kosovo to do what they can to „stop the flagrant violation of the human rights of the Serbian people, including the right to freedom of movement of the Serbian patriarch, bishops and clergy.“
The SOC stated that the Patriarch „will not abandon his people in Kosovo and Metohija“.
„He will do everything possible to meet with them and pray to God with them as soon as possible.“
In the meantime, the Patriarch reacted in a separate statement.
„All the doors of this world are open to me, just as our doors are open to everyone, only the door of my home, the Patriarchate of Peć, is closed and they won’t let me in,“ he said.
The Patriarch added that those who are closing the doors before him are „first of all harming themselves“.
„As the Patriarch of Serbia, as a citizen and as a believer, I know and I say that God himself will open that door sooner or later. Those who closed the doors of the house of prayer are causing harm first to themselves, and then to all people. They closed the door to every good, blessing and happiness. When the Serbian Patriarch is denied freedom of movement like this, what is happening to the Serbs who live in the ghettos? My message to them is to endure, because whoever endures to the end will be saved. If they closed the doors of the Patriarchate of Peć for the Patriarch of Serbia, they certainly cannot close our love and our good intentions. It is certain that for us, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, heaven is open and it will open all the doors that evil closed.“
Kosovo MIA: We will not allow visits while Serbia is working against Kosovo
Meanwhile, the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had rejected the Serbian Patriarch’s request to visit the Peć Patriarchate.
„As long as Serbia continues to violate the Brussels Agreement, does not allow the visits of our state officials to Serbia, and moreover, does not stop campaigns against the Republic of Kosovo in the international arena, both in the process of integration and in the process of recognition, it continues to use hate speech and threats against the Republic of Kosovo and its representatives, visits will not be allowed from our side either,“ the ministry said.
They underline that Serbia has created a „ministerial group for violating the basic agreement and preventing the membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe“. Furthermore, they emphasize that there will be no authorization for visits:
„As long as they continue with such an approach and waging war against Kosovo by all means, in any way“.
Finally, they encourage Serbia to implement the basic agreement and to act reciprocally with Kosovo and „mutual visits“.
The Kosovo Office was the first to announce that the Patriarch was banned from entering Kosovo, stressing that it is „just another example that testifies to the intentions of the Prime Minister of Kosovo and Pristina“:
„To expel everything Serbian from Kosovo and Metohija and erase the traces of the centuries-old existence of the Serbian people and the Serbian Church in these areas.“
Previously, Patriarch Porfirije was banned from entering Kosovo in December 2022, when he announced a three-day visit to the Patriarchate of Peć before the Nativity of Christ.
At the time, the Kosovo Office also stressed that this was the first time in history that a patriarch was banned from entering the territory of Kosovo and traveling to the Patriarchate of Peć.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
