SERBIA: HOLY ASSEMBLY RETAINS PATRIARCH PAVLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 001217 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV PREL SR KV SUBJECT: SERBIA: HOLY ASSEMBLY RETAINS PATRIARCH PAVLE REFS: A) BELGRADE 1123, B) BELGRADE 904, C) PRISTINA 583 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The annual fall session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops (Sabor) of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) ended with a whimper on November 15. Although the Sabor reportedly discussed the life, organization, and mission of the Church, it failed to resolve decisively the most pressing issues. The ailing 94 year old Patriarch Pavle, who marked one year in the hospital during the session, remained the head of the SOC, his request to step down quietly pushed aside. With tensions between the conservative wing of the SOC and more moderate bishops unaddressed, the Church remains in limbo. End Summary. Pavle Patriarch for Life -------------- ¶2. (U) With Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands presiding, the SOC Sabor held its bi-annual session from November 11-15 at the Patriarchate in Belgrade. All 45 diocesan bishops of the SOC took part in the session. ¶3. (U) On November 12, the Holy Assembly of Bishops issued a press release acknowledging that Patriarch Pavle requested on October 8 to be relieved of his duties for health reasons (ref A). It stated, however, that the Sabor, while noting the request, had decided to ask the Patriarch to remain head of the SOC. The media later reported that a majority of the 45 bishops present voted to have Pavle fulfill his lifetime appointment, well short of the two-thirds majority required to accept the resignation. ¶4. (U) Metropolitan Amfilohije, accompanied by Bishops Konstantin of Central Europe and Joakim of Polog and Kumanovo, visited the Patriarch at the Military Medical Academy on November 13 to inform him of the work of the Assembly and its decision. According to a short statement posted on the SOC website, Patriarch Pavle accepted "with tranquility" the decision of the Assembly that he remain the head of the Church. ¶5. (U) With the Patriarch incapacitated, a "technical authority" - the Holy Synod headed by Amfilohije - will continue to run the SOC. Some media reported that the Assembly authorized expanded but undefined powers for Amfilohije, but the Metropolitan refuted these reports in an interview published November 13 in the daily "Vecernje Novosti." ¶6. (SBU) Dragan Makojevic, director of the SOC charitable fund Philanthropy, told us on November 26 that he believes having Pavle ;remain at the head of the Church is "the best decision at the moment" for bishops and believers alike as it avoided conflict between groups with competing interests. Makojevic expressed hope that the bishops would use the coming months to bridge their differences for the good of the Church. Patriarchal Succession Nowhere in Sight -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Sabor began with almost two-thirds of the bishops absent from the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy conducted by Metropolitan Amfilohije, which preceded the working sessions. Many church analysts interpreted this perceived slight as confirmation of speculation about growing ideological divisions within the SOC and suggested that it may have been directed personally at the Metropolitan, considered a proponent for replacing the Patriarch and one of the front-runners to succeed him. Makojevic, however, cautioned against reading too much into this development. While admitting that personal dislikes may have played a role, he said that there were a number of objective factors that also contributed to the low turnout. ¶8. (U) The final communique of the Holy Assembly, issued on November 15, included a list of issues discussed during the session: the overall situation in Kosovo and Metohija, school education and catechism, status of the "Macedonian" and "Montenegrin" Orthodox Churches, church life in Croatia, and Bosnia and Hercegovina, and relations and cooperation with local Orthodox churches, other churches, and religious communities. ¶9. (SBU) The communique also stated that all disagreements with respect to rebuilding and reconstruction of SOC holy sites in Kosovo - at the core of the conflict between Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren and Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, Head of the Decani Monastery (ref B) - were resolved. In an interview with "Vecernje Novosti" on November 17, Metropolitan Amfilohije characterized this resolution as an important stimulus for the return of Serbs who left Kosovo. Although it appears the Sabor simply confirmed the Holy Synod's decision of August 26, which called on Artemije and Teodosije to resolve their differences, Makojevic told us that a return to cordial relations between Artemije and Teodosije (and Amfilohije) would be a welcome development for the future of the Church in Kosovo(ref C). ¶10. (SBU) Church expert Mirko Djordjevic told us on November 19 that the session brought no end to the conceptual conflict between conservative and reformist bishops. Speaking on the "Pescanik" BELGRADE 00001217 002 OF 002 radio talk-show on November 19, Djordjevic also said it was evident that SOC was in the midst of a political struggle, as evidenced by the fact that right-wing nationalist groups like Obraz and Tzar Lazar Guard rallied on November 12 against any reform of the SOC, including replacing the Patriarch, and in support of religious figures from the Banat, Srem, Zica, and Belgrade-Karlovac dioceses. Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) In the face of expectations that its session might lead to the election of a new Patriarch, the Sabor concluded cautiously, opting to delay change. Hopes that the Assembly might begin to unify the Church proved short-lived as the bishops sidestepped the most controversial issues. Instead of clearing the air, the SOC now faces another indefinite period of uncertainty as ideological - and increasingly political - divides grow more pronounced within the Church. None of the various factions likely will sit idle until the next Sabor session, scheduled for May 2009. We expect maneuvering among the factions to continue, as they position themselves for the inevitable succession of the Patriarch. End Comment. MUNTER