Page 770 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

Protopresbyter-stavrophor Savo B. jović
We have sent one copy of this act to the Commission for Religious affairs of the Federal executive Council, and another to the Republic Commission of the Socialist Re- public of Serbia.
Taking into account what had already been done, the Holy Synod of Bishops decided to add this to the dossier and to await the results of the intervention.”72
The abbot of Dečani, Fr. Makarije, wrote Bishop Lav- rentije on September 9, 1968:
“Please give us some of your olive oil as our lanterns have a great tendency to go out.”
We are in great difficulties here. We are being robbed more and more each day. We report this to the police and the diocese executive Council in Prizren but little help. They are powerless to help us. On our property they have halved our fruit crops by stealing. We are snatching what can be snatched from them. The situation is horrible. Last night an albanian wounded policeman Marković with a revolver. He has undergone surgery and one of his kidneys has been removed. Who knows if he will live. Yesterday they also attacked the only Serb house in Streoce, that of Milutin Mijović and his two adult sons. Milutin got an ax to the head and they ordered him to leave the property or they would torch it. The chase has begun again like three months ago and God only knows where all this is leading. i am afraid for my young ones, that they will run away out of fear. i am not even thinking about it but waiting to see what God and fatebringme.atleastitwillbetalkedabout.”73
Bishop Lavrentije informed the Holy Synod of Bishops of this, which then sent the President of the Serbian as-
72 AHSB, Syn No 4799/zap. 765, Nov. 4, 1968.
73 AHSB, Syn No 3133/1968.
Mother superior Paraskeve of Devič complaining on pressures and theft from local Albanians, 1986
sembly a letter, act No 3055/zap. 502 from September 16, 1968, with the following content:
“Once again we have gotten concerning notification from the administrations of our monasteries and churches in the Kosovo-Metohija province regarding serious and irresponsible actions by the albanians in this region to- ward our priests, church property, actions toward our faith- ful, etc. all this has also been discussed by our Holy Synod of Bishops in a meeting on September 5 of this year, which decided to provide you with transcripts of this appeal and warning, asking you to consider them and give them your full attention so that our churches and monasteries as well as their servants and other faithful can be protected from anarchy and permitted to live and work in peace and with- out fear in our free Country.”74
President of the Serbian assembly Miloš Minić re- sponded to the Serbian Patriarch on September 23, 1968:
“i have received your letter of September 16, 1968, with enclosures. The president of the Republic executive Coun- cil, comrade Djurica jojkić, received from you a letter of the same content and i have been informed that he has given orders to competent officials to investigate the inci- dents to which your letter relates and act in accordance with the law.
Confirming receipt of your letter i also wish to inform you that it is my opinion that what the president of the Re- public executive Council has done is sufficient to establish therealsituationandundertakenecessarystepsintheevent it is established that it is necessary to undertake necessary steps for the protection of the law.”75
74 AHSB, Syn No 3055/1968. 75 AHSB, Syn No 3431/1968.
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