SERBIA: STATE AND CHURCH REMAIN IN LOCKSTEP ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000879

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF YI SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: STATE AND CHURCH REMAIN IN LOCKSTEP ON
KOSOVO

REF: BELGRADE 786

Classified By: Ambassador Michael C. Polt for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Despite the impression of improved
atmospherics following the May 23 Vienna talks on religious
issues, Prime Minister Kostunica continues to work with more
conservative elders in the Church to derail efforts by
moderate elements to define a balanced and independent SOC
position on Kosovo status. The results of the SOC Assembly
of Bishops (May 15-27) may also reinforce this effort by
opening the way for hard-liners to take important senior
posts in the SOC hierarchy. We will continue to work for ways
to strengthen SOC moderates including ways such as the
Ambassador,s upcoming Contact Group/Quint level with the SOC
Kosovo team. End Summary.


2. (C) On May 26, soon to be Bishop Irinej (Dobrijevic)
(strictly protect throughout) met with poloff in the wake of
the May 23 Vienna talks on religious issues in Kosovo.
Irinej (Dobrijevic) was elected Bishop during an assembly of
SOC Bishops held in Belgrade from May 15-27 and appointed to
preside over Australia and New Zealand, but he is not likely
to depart for his new assignment until the fall. As reported
in reftel, Irinej (Dobrijevic) is a moderate voice within the
Church and has confided his deep concern that the PM is using
his influence in the Church to ensure full SOC support for
the government,s position in the Kosovo status talks. His
appointment as Bishop to Australia and New Zealand has
effectively promoted him away from the center of SOC power
while keeping his useful ties to Orthodox diaspora groups
(and their associated funding sources) in hand. He has
assured us that he will seek to remain engaged on Kosovo and
in Belgrade until the final settlement.


SOC reaction to the Vienna talks
--------------


3. (C) Irinej (Dobrijevic) downplayed reports of an improved
atmosphere at the May 23 round of talks (senior GOS
negotiator Leon Kojen called it "useful and productive") and
offered signs of a continuing effort by the PM to keep the
SOC delegates in step with his policy on Kosovo. The
composition of the SOC delegation in Vienna, Irinej
(Dobrijevic) said, showed how the SOC had been co-opted. He
called Bishop Tedosije the lone voice of moderation and said
he was mostly marginalized by
his superiors, Bishop Irinej of Backa and Bishop Artemije
(Embassy note: Irinej (Dobrijevic) has recounted to us in the
past how Irinej of Backa has worked openly and sometimes
impatiently with senior government officials to silence more
moderate voices in the Church. Amfilohije has also
reportedly worked behind the scenes in a similar manner. End
Embassy note). Bishop Artemije was particularly unhelpful in
the aftermath of the May 23 talks by blasting the UNOSEK
process in an interview with Belgrade daily Glas Javnosti on
May 25. He declared he was "fed up with Albanian promises"
and said there was "no progress" at the talks because UNOSEK
is "not paying much attention to the results."


Meanwhile, the Synod hardens
--------------


4. (C) The outcome of the recent SOC Assembly ofBishops also
suggests a hardening of the Holy Syod. In particular,
Irinej (Dobrijevic) noted the "astounding" appointment of
Bishop Filaret to the Synod, a person who he described as
from the extreme right wing of the SOC and one of the only
SOC clergy to insist on giving a eulogy at the funeral of
Slobodan Milosevic. Irinej (Dobrijevic) told other Emboffs
that the election of other new members of the Synod --
particularly "Bishops from Bosnia" -- would likely result in
a harder-line SOC leadership. Irinej (Dobrijevic) said that
the SOC leadership's top priority (including Patriarch Pavle,
Metropolitan Amfilohije) is to keep PM Kostunica in power so
as to avoid a Radical government -- he called an SRS
government a "nightmare scenario" for the Church.


5. (C) According to Irinej (Dobrijevic),Irinej of Backa has
attempted to make political inroads with President Tadic to
bring the SOC leadership close with the DS leadership (as it
is with the DSS). According to Irinej (Dobrijevic),Tadic

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reportedly shouted at Irinej of Backa that the DS was not
interested in these kinds of ties. Irinej (Dobrijevic) said
that Irinej of Backa had never been so directly rebuffed by a
GOS official In fact, Irinej (Dobrijevic) told us of one
occasion where Irinej of Backa reprimanded the PM for some
offense in front of his closest advisors, warning Chief of
Staff Nikitovic to stay out of the discussion. Tadic,s
reported refusal to develop a relationship with Irinej of
Backa may also be related to the fact that Tadic is working
behind the scenes with senior Church moderates in an effort
to influence the Patriarch,s succession.


6. (C) According to Irinej (Dobrijevic),the Bishop from
Backa is often deployed by the Church or by the government as
an interlocutor because he is perceived to be a moderate; in
reality, says Irinej (Dobrijevic),he often presents
different sides to different audiences. Irinej (Dobrijevic)
said that Irinej of Backa behaved accordingly in Vienna --
saying "all the right things" during the talks but reverting
to a hard-line stance when back in the company of his Bishop
colleagues.


7. (C) Comment: Father Irinej (Dobrijevic),s observations
provide some important insights into the complex in-fighting
among the SOC,s hierarchy, a struggle that has only
intensified with Patriarch Pavle,s increasingly frail health
and rumors about succession. Father Irinej (Dobrijevic),s
effort to forge a realistic, practical, and apolitical SOC
position on Kosovo (and other issues of interest to the
international community) has had to navigate difficult
currents. His work in that regard has strained his
relationship with the PM and raised suspicions about his
motives among more conservative SOC leaders. We cannot rule
out that his frustrations also color his description of
developments within the SOC. The PM sees only trouble if the
SOC position on Kosovo differs from his own, and he will do
his best to ensure people who agree with him stay in charge
of the Church. End Comment.
POLT