The priest of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren visited the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael in Rakinica, near Podujevo, yesterday after an ethnic Albanian Nikolla Xhufka, who claims to be an Orthodox priest, entered the church along with a group of individuals, where he announced that he founded the „Albanian National Church“ and changed the site’s name.
Parish priest Staniša Arsić visited the SOC church on Thursday, accompanied by the Kosovo Police.
“Father Arsić discovered that certain construction work had been carried out on the church without permission, following the burning and demolition of its southern wall several years ago.”
The Diocese specified that he attempted to enter the church, but found the doors securely locked with a large new padlock and chains embedded in the stone door frame and the old wooden doors, which have their own lock.
“On the north side of the church, the main section, the window glass was broken. Through it, one could only see part of the interior and the liturgical vestment left behind after the break-in and the alleged service by the self-proclaimed priest Nikolla Xhufka and Kristian Zagalli, another false cleric from Albania proclaimed a priest by Xhufka,” the Diocese added.
According to them, in the bushes beside the sidewalk under the window, remnants of small white candles used for decoration were discarded, likely used in the “ritual” performed in the burglarized church.
“Father Staniša prayed in front of the closed doors and among the pile of broken and discarded tiles and bricks, he found a part of the door frame from the interior of the church, adorned with ornaments and Cyrillic letters. Although rare post-war reports mention an old cemetery around the church and two preserved crosses, they were not found today,” they said in a statement.
Previously, the Raska-Prizren Diocese announced a criminal complaint against Nikolla Xhufka and called for an investigation from the police regarding the involvement of representatives of the municipality of Podujevo in this criminal act.
Xhufka said that „this historical event“ in the church was attended by representatives of the Municipality, the Conservative Party, as well as representatives of „various religions“.
After the Diocese, the Kosovo Office also reacted, condemning the intrusion into the SOC facility.
They accused Pristina of supporting Xhufka, alleging that the authorities in Pristina are trying to use various „perfidious and dangerous strategies“ to take over the churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church and declare them part of „so-called Kosovo heritage“.
This act represents a blatant assault on the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church, aimed at fostering ethnic and religious hatred and instability, the Diocese of Raska-Prizren said.
They said that Nikolla Xhufka is a citizen of the Republic of Albania from Elbasan and is not an ordained clergyman but “falsely presents himself as an Orthodox priest.”
Also, the Orthodox Church of Albania stated in a statement last year that Xhufka is not an Orthodox priest, and that he is not recognized by any Christian church in any country.
Nikolla Xhufka caught the public’s public attention last year when he claimed that he was allegedly „kicked out“ from Visoki Decani Monastery „simply because he is Albanian“.
At the time, the monastery immediately reacted, stating that Xhufka tried to take photos and video material in this monastery with „provocative nationalist intentions.“
Visoki Decani also underlined that he was not kicked out, but that they informed KFOR about his activities.
In the meantime, the Coordinator of the Working Group for Chapter 35 of the National Convention on the European Union, Dragiša Mijačić, also reacted, saying that democracy “isn’t measured by using big words” but by respecting one’s own constitution and laws.
“Being a democracy isn’t measured by using big words in media yet by respecting its own Constitution and Laws, and be sensitive on any act of discrimination.”
“There’s no legal or moral boundaries in ‘the most advanced democracy’ when attacking SOC and its property in Kosovo,” Mijačić wrote on X
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.