Page 742 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

Protopresbyter-stavrophor Savo B. jović
opinion remained unchanged and he directed us to pro- vide evidence of our right.“4
The Year 1946
at the request of the Holy Synod of Bishops, Sin No 1815 from july 4, 1946, His Grace Bishop Vladimir of Raška and Prizren submitted a report on the situation in some mon- asteries and churches from which the attitude and behavior of the new government representatives toward the Church and her property can be seen.
The report says:
1) For Visoki Dečani Monastery:
all the buildings in the monastery complex, with the
exception of four monks’ cells, the kitchen, the pantry and the refectory, have been occupied by the District People’s Council for Kosovo and Metohija to be used for a children’s recreational center and settlers’ families.
The Royal residence and the Prizren residence are in use for the children’s recreational center, and Miloš’s resi- dence and the servants’ residence are in use for housing for settlers’ families.
in the village of Dečani, the Local People’s Council has occupied the monastery building called the Mill—Power- house for use as a local post office and Youth Center.
The monastery administration is not receiving any rent for any of the aforementioned buildings.
2) For Gračanica Monastery:
Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo owns a building in the monastery courtyard occupied immediately after libera- tion by the Local People’s Council in Gračanica. To this day this building houses the offices of the Local People’s Council, the People’s Front, the Youth Center, conferences held by the People’s Front, the anti-Fascist Women’s Front, youth groups, various Young Pioneer events, dances, etc. in addition to this, they also occupy the monastery barn, the arcades, etc. The secretary of the Local People’s Council occupies four chambers where he resides with his family.
The above report is sent with the request to do what is necessary in order to free this building because the same is being ruined more and more with each passing day, as well as its furniture, fixtures, etc., while the monastery’s ad- ministration lacks adequate space.
3) For the church in Priština:
according to a report by the first parish priest of Priš- tina, the church of St. Nicholas Church in Priština owns two buildings that have now been confiscated.
The old primary school in Hadži jovanova Street No 1 has been occupied by the iii Region Youth Center, i.e. some chambers serve as the iii Region Youth Center and others as offices of the iii Region.
The church building in Nemanjina Street No 16 has also been occupied by the Vi Region Youth Center and is today being used as a Youth Center.
4 aHSB, 1948. 740
The residents in these buildings are not paying any rent to the Church administration.
3) For the church in Novi Pazar: (...)
4) For the church in Prizren:
The building in 99th Street No 8 in Prizren, which is owned
by the church parish of Prizren, has been occupied almost since the day of liberation by the City People’s Council and houses the people’s primary school for which they are not paying rent although asked to do so.
5) For the church in Ljubižda, ecclesiastical administra- tive district of Prizren:
Two buildings in the village of Ljubižda owned by the church parish of Ljubižda have been occupied by the Local People’s Council in Ljubižda. One of them serves as the offices of the Local People’s Council, and the other as a primary people’s school in Ljubižda, for which no rent is being paid.
6) For the buildings of the Prizren seminary:
all buildings of the Prizren seminary have been occu- pied by state authorities since the liberation. They are using them to this day. To this day they have not paid any rent.5
in a meeting on March 22, 1946, the Holy Synod of Bish- ops discussed the confiscation of the furniture and inven- tory of the Seminary in Prizren, as well as the arrests of Professor Petko Trifunović and Purchaser Vasilije Kruljik- ovski, and in this regard decided that the Presidency of the Holy Synod of Bishops, together with the competent Bish- op, would take care further care about the remaining in- ventory of this Seminary confiscated by state officials.6
in this regard, Bishop Vladimir, the administrator of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren, informed the Holy Syn- od of Bishops by act No 428 from March 18, 1946, that state authorities in Prizren returned the confiscated items to the Church for her use, with the exception of furniture, with a request for instruction on the items’ storage.
On March 28, 1946, the Holy Synod of Bishops asked Bishop Vladimir to provide a list of items/inventory for the Seminary in Prizren.7
in a meeting on june 19, 1946, the Holy Synod of Bish- ops approved a report from Bishop Vladimir, administrator of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren, regarding a petition submitted to competent state authorities that the Semi- nary in Prizren be reopened, noting that the preserved in- ventory was being guarded by Petko Trifunović, a former professor.8
at the same time, the Holy Synod of Bishops postponed a decision on Bishop Vladimir’s recommendation (from May 9, 1946) that a part of the removable inventory (blan- kets and linen cloth for bedding) be transferred to Belgrade until it received confirmation whether or not the Seminary
5 AHSB, Syn No 55/1946.
6 AHSB, Syn No 736/zap. 13/46. 7 AHSB, Syn No 784/zap. 62/46. 8 AHSB, Syn No 1527/zap. 203/46.