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
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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
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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
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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"

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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
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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