The Serbian Orthodox Church in the Kosovo Drama Cycle
The Serbian Orthodox Church in the Kosovo Drama Cycle

Author(s): Mirko Đorđević
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Politics and religion, Inter-Ethnic Relations
Published by: CEDET Centar za demokratsku tranziciju
Keywords: Serbian Orthodox Church - SOC; official documentation; statements of the Holy Synod and the Holy Assembly; differences between the official position and statements made by bishops; Kosovo
Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with the development of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s (SOC) position on the status Kosovo from 2000 until today. This position was indeed harmonized before, and reiterated in a Memorandum on Kosovo and Metohija of The Holy Synod of Bishops of the SOC, but it was subsequently updated, and even changed during this period, though never in its salient features. More light is cast on the position in the official documentation of the Holy Synod and Holy Assembly of the SOC. This standpoint is also compared with earlier statements by certain bishops. Although a difference between the documentation and the statements is noted, an assumption is made on the change of position, which will occur with the final act of the “Kosovo drama". A necessary distinction is made between strictly ecclesiastical positions and positions that are distinctively political and adjusted to those voiced by the current ruling coalition. These are present in the reports of the government negotiating team, which is, at present, a state-Church negotiating team. Indicated sources and literature confirm this.

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