Patriarch to spend St. Vitus Day in Kosovo
Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej will spend Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day), with the people in Kosovo, said reports.Serbian Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said that official Belgrade does not want to infringe on the rights on any resident of Kosovo and wishes to find a way for everyone to live together.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, June 28, 2010
On Sunday, Patriarch Irinej attended ceremonies at the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Gracanica, near the Serb enclave.
According to the announcement from the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), Irinej also will visit Gazimestan, the location of the Battle of Kosovo, and hold a memorial service for the Serb soldiers who died there fending off the Ottoman Turk invasion in 1389.
The Church and the Serbian Orthodox Christians are today continuing centuries-old tradition of commemorating Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic of Serbia's medieval state, and other Serbian warriors who died in battle.
Serbian Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic opened late Sunday this year's Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) poetry reading at the SPC monastery of Gracanica.
Speaking at the Serbian Orthodox monastery located near the Serb enclave, Bogdanovic said that official Belgrade does not want to infringe on the rights on any resident of Kosovo and wishes to find a way for everyone to live together.
"It is not our intention to humiliate anyone because we know what that means. We do not intend to make anybody feel like the loser. We want to look for solutions, defend what is ours, and make the survival of our institutions, people and church possible," Bogdanovic said.
He added that Serbs need to be patient and persevere through these difficult times by drawing strength from their roots.
