Page 760 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

Protopresbyter-stavrophor Savo B. jović
the bare walls remained. When the people from this church parish tried last summer to repair the chapel, they were called to a village conference and roughly reprimanded. Their response brought them prison sentences of one month each and a 3,000 dinar fine. The chapel remains uncovered.
2) in the village of Mušnikovo near Prizren, there is an ancient cemetery near the church of St. Paraskeva. The lo- cal organization of the Socialist League has appointed a council there that sells the grass from this cemetery-court- yard and does what it pleases with this money, as well as with the funds from the church without the permission or control of higher church authorities. (They gave the money to the village for the construction of a power station.) Upon the appeal of the diocese executive Council the District Court judged that the council is legitimate. The higher court rescinded the decision and returned it for re-judgment. Two years have passed and the matter is not yet closed.
3) in the village of Vrnica near Vučitrn the situation is similar. The Municipal People’s Council of Nevoljane has utilizedalegalprovisionregardinggeneralstateownership of cemeteries and courtyards; thus, it oversees the ceme- tery and sells the grass in it. Upon appeal by the church administration the People’s Municipal Council upheld its decision.”53
The Year 1961
in the next act, e. No 136 from april 27, 1961, Bishop Pavle again informed the Holy Synod of Bishops regarding per- manent dislocation:
“Our permanent difficulty is the uncontained perma- nent dislocation of our population, more or less from the entire territory of the Diocese. The only reason they give is fear of reprisals by the albanians and the Turks in the event of some sort of political complication in the region. Occa- sionally we are all witness to their attacks even now For example, after my visit to Kosovska Kamenica and the in- complete chapel in the village of Koretin, the next night all the windows on the chapel were smashed. Last year, on the eve of the trial in Prizren of a saboteur from albania, some- one set fire to the gate in the courtyard of the Cathedral in Prizren. This year in the cemetery (in Prizren) all porcelain portraits were smashed on all the Orthodox monuments, including the one on the monument of Bishop Vladimir. Others say that the government favors the albanians of whom there are many among government officials who work together and ensure every legal loophole for their own kind, while the Serbs are stuck with all the difficult duties, always presented in legal form. The Serb members of the Party also take part in this, apparently to avoid being accused of discrimination, etc. Our people cannot endure this economically, and they are leaving. Of course, there are other reasons, too: industrial jobs, better opportunities
53 AHSB, Syn No 154/1961. 758
for educating their children, etc. which are understandable and justified but the two first ones are the primary ones and i am convinced that the worrisome extent of the per- manent dislocation stems from them.”54
By act No 276 from august 23, 1961, he also describes the behavior of the albanians toward Serbian holy shrines which is spreading throughout Kosovo and Metohija:
“i have been informed by the monasteries of Visoki De- čani and the Holy Trinity in Prizren of an unprecedented, to this degree impudence in the destruction of monastery crops, vegetables and fruits. This is being done not just by children but by adult albanians who come and help them- selves to whatever they want. When reprimanded by the nuns or other staff in the monastery, they are arrogantly confrontational, even going so far as to attack and threaten to beat them, swearing at them and threatening that this is not Serbian but albanian.
i will also be informing the Commission for Religions in Priština of this but i ask the Holy Synod of Bishops to undertakestepstolegallyprotectthoseofushere.”55
The Year 1962
in the next act e. No 132 from May 11, 1962, Bishop Pavle says:
“The people here are truly like sheep without a shep- herd, left to fend for themselves, and it is therefore no won- der that it is confused and shaken in its faith under the on- slaught of every possible trouble blowing over it in strength. For the main part, i have reminded them to guard what is most important—their souls and the honor of their peo- ple, for the general good, inherited from our holy ancestors (...).
The monasteries are having a lot of difficulties with re- spect to preserving their forests, gardens and orchards from violence, looting and robbery by young and old, mostly albanians, who when reprimanded by monastery staff want to attack and beat them, swearing and threatening that this is not Serbian but albanian. an albanian inflicted a physi- cal injury on a nun who was chasing his sheep from the monastery meadow. a similar fate befell a student in Deča- ni and a servant in Sokolica Monastery. i have asked the Commission for Religions to investigate the matter and undertake necessary measures to ensure us (Serbs) the rights the Constitution guarantees to all. We are not left alone even in church.
a young priest in Velika Hoča near Prizren got into a conflict with the local organization, and then with the au- thorities, with respect to collecting non-monetary dona- tions from the faithful. He was sentenced to 15 days in pris- on. The authorities have let him know that he is not wanted there. During a fight that occurred there, in which a mem-
54 AHSB, Syn No 190/1961. 55 AHSB, Syn No 67/1962.