Document
Letter to His Holiness Pavle, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 16 August 2002
Your Holiness,
We greet you in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
On behalf of the leadership of the World Council of Churches and of the Conference of European Churches, we are writing to express our profound concern at the continued violence facing members of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its cultural and spiritual property in Kosovo and Metohija in the recent period. The WCC and CEC have been closely following developments, and note with dismay an increase in the level of these attacks during the last months.
The deliberate attacks on the churches and holy places of the Serbian Orthodox Church occurring in Kosovo and Metohija at this time are a painful and scandalous manifestation of the extremism and instability still affecting parts of this region. We condemn these and all acts of violence and destruction, and remember with sadness all of those, from all communities, who have fallen victim to extremism and intolerance in recent years. As the WCC and CEC have stated on several occasions, it is our firm belief that a lasting solution for peace in this region can only be based on a situation of mutual tolerance and respect for all ethnic and religious communities. The WCC and CEC will therefore continue to work with the Serbian Orthodox Church and with other churches to promote all efforts of dialogue and peace-building in this region.
This situation also reflects the inadequacy of the international protection provided by the interim authorities in Kosovo to the minority communities, and particularly to the Serbian community. It is our intention, therefore, as WCC and CEC have done in the past, to intervene with the appropriate international authorities to raise awareness about this situation, and to appeal for effective international guarantees for all the peoples and their spiritual and cultural inheritance in South-East Europe.
We pray that a spirit of peace and healing may be brought to all peoples in the troubled region of South-East Europe. May the churches and religious communities do all that is within their possibilities to contribute to an opening of minds and a calming of hearts at this time.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser Rev. Dr Keith Clements,
General Secretary General Secretary
World Council of Churches Conference of European Churches
Letter to H.E. Mr Michael Steiner, Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo, 16 August 2002.
Dear Mr Steiner,
On behalf of the leadership of the World Council of Churches and of the Conference of European Churches, we are writing to express our profound concern at the continued violence facing members of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its cultural and spiritual property in Kosovo in the recent period. The WCC and CEC have been closely following developments in the region, and note with dismay an increase in the level of these attacks during recent months.
The deliberate attacks on the churches and holy places of the Serbian Orthodox Church occurring in Kosovo and Metohija at this time are a painful and scandalous manifestation of the extremism and instability still affecting parts of this region. We condemn these and all acts of violence and destruction, and remember with sadness all of those, from all communities, who have fallen victim to extremism and intolerance in recent years. These attacks are a major obstacle to the hope of a normalisation of inter-communal relations in the province.
This situation also reflects the inadequacy of the international protection provided by the interim authorities, including UNMIK, in Kosovo to the minority communities, and particularly to the Serbian community. We appeal to you and to the responsible authorities in Kosovo to ensure effective security and justice for all the peoples and the protection of their spiritual and cultural inheritance in Kosovo.
It is the firm belief of our organizations that a lasting solution for peace in this region can only be based on a situation of tolerance and respect for all ethnic and religious communities. The WCC and CEC will continue to work with the Serbian Orthodox Church and with other churches to promote all efforts of dialogue and peace-building in this region. May the churches and religious communities do all that is within their possibilities to contribute to an opening of minds and a calming of hearts at this time.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser Rev. Dr Keith Clements,
General Secretary General Secretary
World Council of Churches Conference of European Churches
