Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović (1930- ), the First Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church
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On Friday, Patriarch Irinej Gavrilović, the First Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), backed the right of northern Kosovo Serbs to self-defence by putting up roadblocks. He called on the local Serbian population to persist in the fight for their rights. Earlier today, the Patriarch served liturgy at the Patriarchate of Peć, located in western parts of the province. The spiritual leader of Serbian Orthodox Christians was in Kosovo for the holyday of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God, which is one of the medieval SPC monastery’s patron saint days. In a statement for reporters after the service, Irinej called on northern Kosovo Serbs to stand firm until “the strongmen come to realise that Serbs will defend their country and that they’ll put up barricades on their own land, in order to protect their homes in areas where they’ve been living for centuries”.
14 October 2011
B92
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=10&dd=14&nav_id=76863
Editor’s Note:
Irinej’s defying the USA and the EU, which means that he’s got tacit Russian support for his stance. No doubt, Vova has given him the green light in this. It could also mean that opposition to the EU’s solidifying in Serbia. Let’s see how things develop…
BMD
