[Il bollettino sui Balcani dell'IWPR - una delle strutture ad hoc che
guidano la campagna antijugoslava e di demonizzazione del popolo serbo,
finanziata da enti di Stato della UE e da fondazioni come la Fondazione
Ford - spiega dal suo punto di vista la vicenda delle divisioni, tutte
politiche, esplose all'interno della cosiddetta Chiesa ortodossa
macedone...]
IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, No. 477, January 23, 2004
PRO-SERB REVOLT ROCKS MACEDONIAN CHURCH
Government steps into to detain rebel clergy as fears grow that church
row may undermine national unity.
By Zoran Bojarovski in Skopje
Macedonia's parliament has offered to publicly back Macedonian Orthodox
Church leaders as they battle a rebellion that threatens to reawaken
awkward questions about the country's identity.
Determined to stop a damaging split within the Orthodox church,
parliament is drafting a declaration in support of leading clerics in
their conflict with about 30 monks.
These rebels have vowed to leave the Macedonian church and join a
renegade bishop, Zoran Vraniskovski, who advocates returning the
institution to Serbian control.
The declaration is expected to be adopted this week and aims to
demonstrate the state's resolve to uphold the unity and independence of
the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
Vraniskovski, whose religious title is Bishop Jovan, was arrested along
with several well-known monks while holding a service in his flat in
Bitola on January 11. The monks were released but Bishop Jovan remains
detained.
The authorities have defended their action, saying they are
investigating charges of inciting religious hatred.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called for
his immediate release, supported predictably by the Serbian and Greek
churches.
The public was shocked to learn that two high-profile monks were among
those found in the Bitola raid, as they were seen as Macedonian church
loyalists and potential bishops.
Their action has raised the spectre of further divisions within the
Macedonian church, with other monasteries joining the pro-Serbian
faction.
The Macedonian church declared autocephaly, or ecclesiastic
independence, from the Serbian church in 1967 in a move that was
co-ordinated with the communist authorities in order to bolster
Macedonia's identity within the Yugoslav federation.
The Serbian church protested and Macedonian autocephaly has not been
recognised by Orthodox leaders elsewhere.
To solve the issue, the Serbian church in 2002 suggested that its
Macedonian counterpart should accept semi-autonomous status under
Belgrade. A public outcry forced Macedonia's religious leaders to
reject this.
Only Bishop Jovan, then bishop of the southern town of Veles, accepted
the Serb proposal. After removal from office, Serbian clerics inflamed
the row last May by designating him as their own Archbishop of Ohrid.
Sources close to the governing synod of the Macedonian church told IWPR
they were not overly concerned about Jovan's stance until about
one-third of the country's monks came out in support of him before his
arrest.
Their breakaway raised the fears of further division within the Church,
and the possibility of other monasteries going over to the
Serbian-backed Ohrid Archbishopric, effectively creating a parallel
church.
With Bulgaria refusing to recognise Macedonian as an independent
language and Greece continuing to insist on use of the cumbersome title
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM, as Greece`s northern
province carries the name Macedonia, the last thing the Skopje
government wants is further doubts over the status of the national
church.
Many Macedonian analysts see the hand of Greece behind the church
debate. They say that the Serbian Orthodox Church depended heavily on
Greek funding during the wars of the 1990s and that Athens is believed
to be putting pressure on Belgrade to stop the emergence of a truly
independent church in Macedonia. This view is contested in Serbia and
Greece.
Over the past decade, the Skopje authorities have taken a back seat in
ecclesiastical affairs. But the government now faces pressure to act
amid fears that Macedonian church may disintegrate.
Macedonia's Social-Democrat prime minister, Branko Crvenkovski, vowed
his administration would continue to back an independent church in
"response to interference in the internal affairs of Macedonia coming
from abroad".
A source from the ruling Social Democrats said the government took the
threat to the Church seriously. "This is the first time that the state
has reacted with repressive means, and it has put Jovan behind bars to
defend the unity of the Macedonian church," he said.
The source noted that questioning the independence of the Macedonian
church was not simply an ecclesiastical matter but touched sensitive
political issues, such as the dispute with Greece over the country's
name.
"We had to step in as the church seems incapable of sorting out its own
problems. If this split were to escalate, it would reopen the whole
debate on Macedonia`s identity," he said.
The rebel monks blame the Church leadership for the crisis, saying
acceptance of the Ohrid Archbishopric might end Macedonia's
decades-long isolation within the Orthodox world.
Fr David, one of the high-profile monks found at Jovan's apartment,
told IWPR that their motive was unhappiness with Macedonia`s religious
leadership.
He accused church authorities of neglecting the monasteries and of
viewing congregations as a source of money.
The Church Synod, he said, saw monasteries "only as property and as
assets that should make money and not as spiritual centres".
"If the synod gets the strength to openly discuss the church's internal
problems and if some of its members withdraw from their posts, that
could open the door to a possible solution of the problem," Fr David
said, adding that he opposed the existence of parallel churches in
Macedonia.
Clerical officials have declined to discuss the rebel monks, beyond
calling their actions "treason". But a senior church source admitted to
IWPR that the crisis might force changes in the leadership.
The government is reluctant to become further involved and wants the
Church to deal with the issue while Bishop Jovan`s case is left to the
courts.
But parliament's public show of support for the Church, and the fact
that the interior ministry stands behind one of the charges against
Bishop Jovan, suggests the government may have to stay involved in what
could become a drawn-out dispute.
Zoran Bojarovski is deputy editor at the bi-weekly Forum magazine.
IWPR ON-LINE: www.iwpr.net
(...) Balkan Crisis Report is supported by the Department for
International Development, the European Commission, the Swedish
International Development and Cooperation Agency, The Netherlands
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and other funders. IWPR also acknowledges
general support from the Ford Foundation.
(...) The Institute for War & Peace Reporting is a London-based
independent non-profit organisation supporting regional media and
democratic change.
Copyright (c) 2004 The Institute for War & Peace Reporting
BALKAN CRISIS REPORT No. 477
guidano la campagna antijugoslava e di demonizzazione del popolo serbo,
finanziata da enti di Stato della UE e da fondazioni come la Fondazione
Ford - spiega dal suo punto di vista la vicenda delle divisioni, tutte
politiche, esplose all'interno della cosiddetta Chiesa ortodossa
macedone...]
IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, No. 477, January 23, 2004
PRO-SERB REVOLT ROCKS MACEDONIAN CHURCH
Government steps into to detain rebel clergy as fears grow that church
row may undermine national unity.
By Zoran Bojarovski in Skopje
Macedonia's parliament has offered to publicly back Macedonian Orthodox
Church leaders as they battle a rebellion that threatens to reawaken
awkward questions about the country's identity.
Determined to stop a damaging split within the Orthodox church,
parliament is drafting a declaration in support of leading clerics in
their conflict with about 30 monks.
These rebels have vowed to leave the Macedonian church and join a
renegade bishop, Zoran Vraniskovski, who advocates returning the
institution to Serbian control.
The declaration is expected to be adopted this week and aims to
demonstrate the state's resolve to uphold the unity and independence of
the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
Vraniskovski, whose religious title is Bishop Jovan, was arrested along
with several well-known monks while holding a service in his flat in
Bitola on January 11. The monks were released but Bishop Jovan remains
detained.
The authorities have defended their action, saying they are
investigating charges of inciting religious hatred.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called for
his immediate release, supported predictably by the Serbian and Greek
churches.
The public was shocked to learn that two high-profile monks were among
those found in the Bitola raid, as they were seen as Macedonian church
loyalists and potential bishops.
Their action has raised the spectre of further divisions within the
Macedonian church, with other monasteries joining the pro-Serbian
faction.
The Macedonian church declared autocephaly, or ecclesiastic
independence, from the Serbian church in 1967 in a move that was
co-ordinated with the communist authorities in order to bolster
Macedonia's identity within the Yugoslav federation.
The Serbian church protested and Macedonian autocephaly has not been
recognised by Orthodox leaders elsewhere.
To solve the issue, the Serbian church in 2002 suggested that its
Macedonian counterpart should accept semi-autonomous status under
Belgrade. A public outcry forced Macedonia's religious leaders to
reject this.
Only Bishop Jovan, then bishop of the southern town of Veles, accepted
the Serb proposal. After removal from office, Serbian clerics inflamed
the row last May by designating him as their own Archbishop of Ohrid.
Sources close to the governing synod of the Macedonian church told IWPR
they were not overly concerned about Jovan's stance until about
one-third of the country's monks came out in support of him before his
arrest.
Their breakaway raised the fears of further division within the Church,
and the possibility of other monasteries going over to the
Serbian-backed Ohrid Archbishopric, effectively creating a parallel
church.
With Bulgaria refusing to recognise Macedonian as an independent
language and Greece continuing to insist on use of the cumbersome title
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM, as Greece`s northern
province carries the name Macedonia, the last thing the Skopje
government wants is further doubts over the status of the national
church.
Many Macedonian analysts see the hand of Greece behind the church
debate. They say that the Serbian Orthodox Church depended heavily on
Greek funding during the wars of the 1990s and that Athens is believed
to be putting pressure on Belgrade to stop the emergence of a truly
independent church in Macedonia. This view is contested in Serbia and
Greece.
Over the past decade, the Skopje authorities have taken a back seat in
ecclesiastical affairs. But the government now faces pressure to act
amid fears that Macedonian church may disintegrate.
Macedonia's Social-Democrat prime minister, Branko Crvenkovski, vowed
his administration would continue to back an independent church in
"response to interference in the internal affairs of Macedonia coming
from abroad".
A source from the ruling Social Democrats said the government took the
threat to the Church seriously. "This is the first time that the state
has reacted with repressive means, and it has put Jovan behind bars to
defend the unity of the Macedonian church," he said.
The source noted that questioning the independence of the Macedonian
church was not simply an ecclesiastical matter but touched sensitive
political issues, such as the dispute with Greece over the country's
name.
"We had to step in as the church seems incapable of sorting out its own
problems. If this split were to escalate, it would reopen the whole
debate on Macedonia`s identity," he said.
The rebel monks blame the Church leadership for the crisis, saying
acceptance of the Ohrid Archbishopric might end Macedonia's
decades-long isolation within the Orthodox world.
Fr David, one of the high-profile monks found at Jovan's apartment,
told IWPR that their motive was unhappiness with Macedonia`s religious
leadership.
He accused church authorities of neglecting the monasteries and of
viewing congregations as a source of money.
The Church Synod, he said, saw monasteries "only as property and as
assets that should make money and not as spiritual centres".
"If the synod gets the strength to openly discuss the church's internal
problems and if some of its members withdraw from their posts, that
could open the door to a possible solution of the problem," Fr David
said, adding that he opposed the existence of parallel churches in
Macedonia.
Clerical officials have declined to discuss the rebel monks, beyond
calling their actions "treason". But a senior church source admitted to
IWPR that the crisis might force changes in the leadership.
The government is reluctant to become further involved and wants the
Church to deal with the issue while Bishop Jovan`s case is left to the
courts.
But parliament's public show of support for the Church, and the fact
that the interior ministry stands behind one of the charges against
Bishop Jovan, suggests the government may have to stay involved in what
could become a drawn-out dispute.
Zoran Bojarovski is deputy editor at the bi-weekly Forum magazine.
IWPR ON-LINE: www.iwpr.net
(...) Balkan Crisis Report is supported by the Department for
International Development, the European Commission, the Swedish
International Development and Cooperation Agency, The Netherlands
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and other funders. IWPR also acknowledges
general support from the Ford Foundation.
(...) The Institute for War & Peace Reporting is a London-based
independent non-profit organisation supporting regional media and
democratic change.
Copyright (c) 2004 The Institute for War & Peace Reporting
BALKAN CRISIS REPORT No. 477