Glas javnosti - Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia

26 serbia 2009 : i europeanization: accomplishments and limitations
New Patriarch
Given the close relationship between the Serb Orthodox Church /SPC/ and
the political elite, the change at the SPC throne is a major indicator of Serbia’s
future orientation. As things stand, the change itself will eff ectuate
no other major changes in the SPC structure, organization and functioning
or, for that matter, in its secular ambitions. In this context, the newly
elected Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic), former bishop of Nis, has been skilfully
picked to guarantee continuity.
In other words, SPC will be trying to safeguard the space it has occupied
at Serbia’s public scene over the past ten years, strengthen its position
and further expand its infl uence on governmental policies.
SPC will be relying on nationalism, a constant value vertical of its own
identity and its “spiritual” infl uence on the Serb national corpse. In his
inaugural address on the day following his election, Patriarch Irinej said,
“One of the Church’s most important and holiest tasks is to safeguard the
tormented Kosovo and help the state that does its best to defend it from
those planning to snatch it away from us.” 13 For him, Kosovo is a Serb Jerusalem
– Serbia cannot be without Kosovo. What also marked his inaugural
address is the emphasis he placed on the Church’s obligation to “bring
together and maintain the unity of the people scattered at all the continents,
which has been its primordial duty at all times.” 14
With its big infl uence on Republika Srpska, aggressiveness against
Montenegro, denial of autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
and ambitious to “help the state to defend Kosovo” SPC denies the new
realities in the region and continues fostering the deadly nationalistic
mythology that brought about a calamity for Serb nation at the end of the
20 th century.
13 Danas, January 25, 2010.
14 Ibid.