New Serbian Patriarch vows to defend Kosovo claim
The new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, vowed Saturday to defend Serbia's claim on Kosovo, signaling that the influential church will retain its firm opposition to the region's Western-backed independence.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, January 25, 2010
Patriarch Irinej, the 45th Serbian patriarch who was chosen to the post Friday, said in a speech after the enthronement that the primary goal of the church was to "help our state which is doing all it can to save Kosovo from those who want to grab it away."
"If we forget Kosovo, Kosovo will forget us. Kosovo is our Holy Land, our Jerusalem. We must go to Pec to complete this ceremony, but can we visit our relics? Without them, Serbia is not Serbia, without Kosovo it is deprived of its heart and soul, " he said.
The Serbian church considers Kosovo its seat, where hundreds of its churches and monasteries are located, some dating back to 13th century.
The new patriarch, Irinej, 80, has served in Kosovo in the past as did his predecessor, Pavle who died in November at the age of 95.
