On Thursday, the Press Office of the Diocese of Dacia Felix issued a statement concerning the announcement published Tuesday on the Serbian Orthodox Church’s official website regarding the restriction of access to the province of Kosovo for Patriarch Porfirije and several Serbian hierarchs.
“We express our sorrow regarding these events and our sadness over the fact that the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful have become collateral victims of political misunderstandings,” the Diocese of Dacia Felix conveyed.
“In these times of uncertainty and tension, with the hope that ‘in all things, God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28), we pray to our Saviour Jesus Christ, ‘our peace’ (Ephesians 2:14), to grant wisdom and understanding to the political decision-makers, as well as support, hope, and comfort to all Serbian Orthodox clergy and faithful affected by these disagreements,” the Diocese further stated.
Patriarch Porfirije and several hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church were prevented by Kosovar authorities from crossing the border into the Kosovo Province to attend the annual synod traditionally held at Peć Monastery, a former patriarchal residence.
In the statement regarding this situation, the Serbian Patriarchate has appealed to international authorities capable of managing the situation in Kosovo to take action and “do everything within their power to put an end to the flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Serbian people.”
The Diocese of Dacia Felix is an eparchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church dedicated to Romanians in historical communities in Serbia – Vojvodina (Serbian Banat) and Timok.
Photo source: Banatulazi.ro