SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH BISHOP IRINEJ ON PATRIARCH'S

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001585

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SV
SUBJECT: SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH BISHOP IRINEJ ON PATRIARCH'S
SUCCESSION

REF: BELGRADE 1560

Summary
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1. (SBU) Novi Sad Bishop Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church spoke
to the DCM on November 21 about successors to Patriarch Pavle, who
is ill, naming Metropolitan Amfilohije as a likely candidate.
Irinej said SOC would need a dynamic new patriarch who could both
command the same authority as his predecessors and modernize the
church. Pavle's funeral and burial would be in Belgrade, not in
Kosovo, though there would be a memorial service, in the Pec
Patriarchate. Irinej expected governmental, in addition to
religious, delegations from abroad to attend and agreed the Russians
would send a high-level official. Irinej said the church very much
would welcome a high-level USG delegation. End Summary.

Confirming Patriarch's Grave Illness
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2. (SBU) Bishop Irinej Bulovic, Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) Bishop
of Novi Sad and Backa, spoke to the DCM about Patriarch Pavle's
illness (reftel) and likely successors on November 21. He
acknowledged that the Patriarch was very ill and Metropolitan
Amfilohije, recently appointed by the SOC government to "assist"
Pavle, was carrying out the daily responsibilities of the Patriarch.


Challenges for the Next Patriarch
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3. (SBU) Irinej said the church needed to modernize and would need a
dynamic new Patriarch to address SOC's challenges. The position of
patriarch, lacking the universal authority of the Vatican within the
Roman Catholic Church, depended on the personal authority of the man
in the position. Pavle's shoes would be hard to fill. In reality,
very few bishops possessed the experience for candidacy. Amfilohije
had the experience, Irinej said, as did Vasilije. In response to
DCM's comments about Vasilije's role in blessing Bosnian Serb Army
troops during the war there, Irinej said there were other candidates
under consideration.

Funeral in Belgrade, not Kosovo
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4. (SBU) Irinej said the funeral and burial of Pavle would take
place in St. Marko in Belgrade, not in Pec, the SOC's historical
seat in Kosovo. Irinej said all patriarchs had been buried in Pec
until death of the previous Patriarch, German, who died in 1987, and
was buried at St. Marko instead. There would be a memorial service
for Pavle in Pec, and the investiture of the new patriarch would be
there as well. Irinej confirmed that SOC expected high-level
governmental delegations from abroad, in addition to religious
representatives, to attend the funeral in Belgrade. He welcomed the
suggestion that the USG also send a delegation.

Comment
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8. (SBU) Irinej was cordial and open about the need for the Church
to modernize. Observers cite him as one of the more progressive
bishops, despite his close ties to Milosevic. Although observers
consider him a frontrunner to succeed Pavle (reftel),he did not
mention himself, possibly out of modesty or because he did not want
to discuss the political aspects of the succession--or possibly he
does not want to take on Amfilohije yet. Irinej's comments that the
Serbian Orthodox Church expects political delegations at Pavle's
funeral and welcoming of a USG delegation are positive signs. End
Comment.

BRUSH