December 27, 2010
Emg.rs
The enthronement ceremony was attended by representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church and monks from Mount Athos, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, a number of monks and nuns and around 1.500 believers, mostly from Kosovo-Metohija. Ivica Dacic stated that he hopes displaced Serbs would return to Prizren, “the city that bears great importance for the history of Serbia.”Bogdanovic called on Serbs to be united, and said that everything else can disorganise them and lead to further divisions and disappearances.
The newly-elected Bishop of Raska and Prizren Teodosije was enthroned in the reconstructed St George's cathedral church in the southern Kosovo city of Prizren, the seat of Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija, on Sunday.
The Divine Liturgy was served by Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Irinej.
Addressing Bishop Teodosije and congregation, the patriarch spoke about the suffering experienced by Prizren, the SPC and Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.
“This is a great day, the day of the enthronement of a bishop who should help the SPC pursue its history and existence in Kosovo-Metohija, and instill people with a new hope,” Patriarch Irinej said.
He pointed out that the Church has chosen a man in whom it has complete confidence and whom it believes will be able to live up to the tasks of the difficult and dreadful time the Kosovo Serbs live in.
Bishop of Raska-Prizren Teodosije, who had previously served as the head of the Visoki Decani Monastery, noted that the 19 years he has spent in Kosovo have been his best school of life.
The enthronement ceremony was attended by representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church and monks from Mount Athos, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, a number of monks and nuns and around 1.500 believers, mostly from Kosovo-Metohija.
The enthronement of Bishop Teodosije and the reception hosted in the new Diocese building in Prizren were also attended by Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, president's envoy Mladjan Djordjevic, Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic and Minister of Religions Bogoljub Sijakovic.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Muslim community in Kosovo, the Roman Catholic and the Evangelist Church, as well as representatives of KFOR, UNMIK, EULEX and European offices in Pristina, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe.
Dacic hopes Serbs would return to Prizren
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic stated on Sunday, on the occasion of the enthronement of Bishop of Raska and Prizren Teodosije, that he hopes displaced Serbs would return to Prizren, “the city that bears great importance for the history of Serbia.”
Together with Senior Advisor to the Serbian President Mladjan Djordjevic and Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic, Dacic visited the reconstructed Seminary building and the downtown in the southern Kosovo city of Prizren, where he was born 44 years ago.
Dacic told reporters that regardless of the current situation, it is very important that traces of Serb existence are still visible in Prizren.
He stated that he is happy to have had the opportunity to attend the ceremony of enthronement of Bishop Teodosije and visit his birthplace Prizren.
“This city is very important for the history of Serbia. Few Serbs still live here nowadays. Even if not a single Serb remains here, this will always be the city where (mediaeval Serbian emperor) Tsar Dusan founded his kingdom, and it (the city) is important for the Serbian history,” Dacic said.
Minister Bogdanovic said that the enthronement of the new bishop of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren proves that the facilities of the Serbian Orthodox Church can be reconstructed not only in Prizren, but in the entire territory of Kosovo-Metohija.
Bogdanovic called on Serbs to be united, and said that everything else can disorganise them and lead to further divisions and disappearances.
See video of the event here.