SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH: A PRIMER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BELGRADE 001512 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KIRF SR SUBJECT: SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH: A PRIMER REF: A) BELGRADE 1356; B) BELGRADE 217; C) BELGRADE 1080 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is the largest and most influential religious institution in Serbia. It also is the most privileged of the seven "traditional" religious communities recognized by the 2006 law on religion. Public opinion polls consistently demonstrate that the Church is by far the most respected and trusted institution in society. The November 15 death of revered Patriarch Pavle following an extended illness has placed the Church at an important crossroads in its development. The expected late January 2010 selection and enthronement of a new Patriarch will be crucial in shaping the SOC's attempts to adopt its role to modern-day Serbia. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is an autocephalous("self-headed" or "self-governed") Orthodox Christian church that includes bishoprics (dioceses) in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, and overseas, including in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Among autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, the SOC ranks sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey),Alexandria (Egypt),Antioch (Syria),Jerusalem (Israel), and Moscow (Russia). ¶3. (U) Various estimates place the number of SOC adherents worldwide at between 7 and 11 million. According to Serbia's 2002 census, 85% of the population, or 6.3 million people, identified themselves as Orthodox. (Note: Approximately five percent of the population was Roman Catholic and another three percent was Muslim. Protestant groups represented slightly more than one percent of the population. End note.) In addition, more than 97% of ethnic Serbs responded that they were Orthodox. Although some NGOs and minority religious communities dispute this last figure, Orthodoxy clearly is the predominant religion in Serbia. ¶4. (U) There is no state religion in Serbia; however, the 2006 law on churches and religious communities, which the USG has criticized as discriminatory and requiring amendment, recognizes seven "traditional" religious communities: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Islamic community, and Jewish community. As a "traditional" community, the SOC was exempt from an invasive and burdensome registration process and enjoys preferential treatment such as tax exemptions. The government also subsidizes salaries for Serbian Orthodox clergy working in other countries. Structure -------------- ¶5. (U) The SOC is headed by a Patriarch, who is considered the first among equals, and whose full title is Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch. The Patriarch is elected for life during a session of the Sabor, or Holy Assembly of Bishops. Pavle, the 44th Serbian Patriarch, passed away on November 15 after 19 years as Patriarch (Ref A). The SOC constitution allots 90 days for the election of a new Patriarch, and it was announced on November 25 that an electoral session of the Sabor would begin on January 22 following observance of the traditional 40 days of mourning. Most commentators believe BELGRADE 00001512 002 OF 004 that the Sabor would like to install the new Patriarch by January 27, which is the Day of Saint Sava, the founder and first Archbishop of the SOC. ¶6. (U) The Holy Assembly of Bishops, or Sabor, brings together all SOC bishops. Under the SOC constitution, the Sabor is required to meet on a yearly basis, but in recent times it has held bi-annual sessions in the spring and fall. The Holy Assembly of Bishops is the highest body in the Church hierarchy and as such is empowered to take binding decisions concerning faith, worship, and internal discipline. The Sabor selects the heads of Orthodox seminaries, approves the curriculum for secondary school Orthodox religion classes, and is responsible for "the moral upbringing of youth." It also oversees the Holy Synod, or Church government, and acts as the highest Church judicial authority in disputes between archbishops and on canonical errors by archbishops or the Patriarch. ¶7. (SBU) The Holy Synod, a five-person body headed by the Patriarch, essentially governs the Church on a daily basis. The Sabor appoints members to the Synod for two-year terms with half of the Synod changing each year. The Holy Synod is responsible for "supporting dogmatic and canonical unity and continual contacts with all autocephalous churches" and for advancing the Christian faith. Currently headed by Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands, who also is caretaker of the SOC following Pavle's death, the Synod oversees the work of the bishops, handles a host of administrative functions, and acts as a judicial body for disputes between bishops. The other members of the Holy Synod currently are Bishop Irinej of Backa, Bishop Irinej of Nis, Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia, and Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina. Both Irinejs and Grigorije are considered front-runners, along with Amfilohije, to be the next Patriarch. Patriarch Election Procedures -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Current election procedures, which may come under challenge in the run-up to January 22, are complicated. At least two-thirds of the 44 bishops must be present for the Sabor session to be considered valid. Through repeated rounds of voting, bishops identify three "finalists," who must have served five years or more as a bishop to be nominated. Retired bishops cannot be nominated or vote. In order to advance to the final round, a nominee must be supported by at least half of the bishops. The final choice is a "blind draw" or "apostolic choice" in which the oldest monk with the title of archimandrite, representing the "hand of God," chooses the Patriarch by selecting one of three sealed envelopes containing the candidates' names. The new Patriarch typically is installed in the Cathedral Church in Belgrade the day after his election, while the final ceremony takes place in the old seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Pec Patriarchy (Kosovo). Although long considered by SOC analysts to be the frontrunner to succeed Patriarch Pavle, Metropolitan Amfilohije steadily has lost ground to potential contenders Bishop Irinej of Backa and Bishop Grigorije. (SOC election analysis to be reported septel.) Role and Status of the SOC -------------- ¶9. (U) Public opinion polls consistently have shown that the SOC enjoys the public's trust, especially in comparison to governmental institutions, and some observers believe this trend generally has held true over the past 20 years. The results of a poll presented by Balkan Monitor on December 2 showed that 67% of respondents expressed confidence in the SOC and other religious institutions, as opposed to 37% in the courts, 35% in the government, and 22% in political parties. BELGRADE 00001512 003 OF 004 ¶10. (SBU) The outpouring of emotion following the Patriarch's death, while also attributable to his humility and monasticism, further reinforced the impression that the SOC remains a respected force in society. More than 600,000 people from across Serbia and the region turned out in the streets on the day of Pavle's funeral, and many thousands stood wordlessly in miles-long lines throughout the night during the three-day mourning period to pay their last respects. Embassy observers were struck by the solemnity that marked these events, in particular the respectful silence, punctuated only by the sound of shoes slapping the ground, during the funeral procession throughout usually bustling downtown Belgrade. With the exception of Bishop Grigorije who rode by car as master of the procession, Metropolitan Amfilohije and the top church leadership walked the entire funeral route, as did leaders from across the political spectrum, including Serbian Progressive Party president Tomislav Nikolic and Liberal Democratic Party president Cedomir Jovanovic. President Tadic and his entire cabinet attended the funeral, which was broadcast live on public television in its entirety. ¶11. (SBU) In a November 5 meeting, pensioned (but still a member of the Sabor) Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac, who will preside over the January Sabor as the longest-serving bishop, painted an optimistic picture of the SOC's future. Arguing that the Church emerged from World War II "as an invalid" but was all the stronger for the 60 years that it suffered under socialism, Lavrentije told us that there has been an "awakening" since 2000. The number of christenings has risen dramatically, and, most importantly, those who have returned to the Church have remained. Asked to explain the level of popular support for the SOC, Lavrentije replied that the Church has been above politics and therefore is not seen as responsible for problems currently faced by the population. "For centuries, the Church has been seen as a guardian," he said, explaining that historically Serbs, due to their experiences with the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, have never seen the state as their own. Relations between Church and State -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Over the past year, there has been a noticeable uptick in government efforts to engage with the Church, perhaps in an attempt to capitalize on the SOC's standing and popularity. President Tadic attended Orthodox Christmas Mass at Belgrade's Saint Sava Cathedral in January 2009 and pointedly stood among the parishioners instead of taking his spot in the VIP section. The President and Foreign Minister Jeremic on several occasions met with the Holy Synod, ostensibly to discuss preservation of cultural and Church heritage in Kosovo. Following the Patriarch's death, the President observed the emergency Holy Synod session, drawing criticism from civil society, and he spoke at the funeral. In a December 10 article in the daily "Vecernje Novosti," Protosyncellus Metodije (Ostojic),assigned by Metropolitan Amfilohije to care for Patriarch Pavle, described how the President, upon arriving at the Military Medical Academy after the Patriarch died, reportedly asked rhetorically "What will I do now? On whom will I rely?" ¶13. (SBU) The Church also has sought to reassert itself in the political arena. During the past year, the SOC, in particular Metropolitan Amfilohije, Bishop Irinej of Backa, and Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren, spoke out publicly on political hot-button issues such as the draft Vojvodina statute and draft anti-discrimination law (Ref B),the Pride Parade (Ref C),and the status of Kosovo. Even though some of these statements crossed the line of apostolic advocacy, the government countered criticism by arguing that the Church was entitled to express its stance. As Bishop Irinej of Backa told us on November 5, the mission of the Church is to "create a society in which Christianity has influence" and democracy dictates that the Church, given its standing and support, should be one of the factors in decision-making. ¶14. (SBU) Critics of Amfilohije argue that the Church should spend more time teaching the tenants of Christianity to a Serbian public traumatized by decades of communism and war, rather than advocating BELGRADE 00001512 004 OF 004 for government policies. Charge has suggested to a number of Church officials the example of John Paul II who devoted a visit to Poland, early in the Solidarity government, to teaching the Ten Commandments. Comment -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Although it stagnated during Pavle's two-year illness, the Serbian Orthodox Church retains its prominent role in Serbian society. It, however, faces a number of challenges - both internal and external - as it seeks to ensure its continued relevance and adapt to the 21st century. The campaign to succeed the Patriarch will sharpen competing directions for the Church's future. The new Patriarch will need to unify the Church and undertake a missionary role in re-introducing Christianity to Serbia's Orthodox. He also will need to find the correct balance in addressing Serbia's serious social issues while not blurring the line between church and state. End Comment. BRUSH