Page 795 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

households in each of three villages; three Orthodox house- holds in one village; four Orthodox households in each of two villages, etc. in Podujevo itself there are 21 households. We will see whether things will improve as a result of the recent campaign of the people. But it is difficult to expect good from bad.”122
The official communiqué on the work of the regular session of the Holy assembly of Bishops in 1986 included the following:
“The Serbian Orthodox Church during the course of the year 1985/86 has carefully followed all the tragic events against the Serbian population in Kosovo, experiencing all the suffering and persecution of its children in this region as its own suffering and persecution, and feeling the vio- lence and terror against those who suffer in innocence, es- pecially children and Serbian Orthodox holy shrines, as violence and terror against itself.
Therefore, the Holy assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church appeals to all competent political offi- cials to seriously and responsibly protect all innocent Serbs in Kosovo who are persecuted: their lives, property, honor and holy shrines.
at the same time, the Holy assembly of Bishops has asked Their Graces the Bishops to assist the Šarić Family in the village of Meće near Djakovica according to their best ability through His Grace Bishop Pavle of Raška and Priz- ren, the competent Bishop.”123
in its meeting on june 16, 1986, the Holy Synod of Bish- ops informed the Commissions for Relations with Reli- gious Communities of the executive Council of the as- sembly of the Socialist Republic of Serbia and the execu- tive Council of the assembly of the Socialist autonomous Province of Kosovo that it fully supports the position of His Grace Bishop Pavle of Raška and Prizren expressed in a petition sent to the Commission of the executive Coun- cil of the assembly of SaP Kosovo under No 272 from May 30, 1986, as follows:
The church of the Holy Trinity existed in the village of Novo Čikatovo near Glogovac until World War ii with a churchyard of 1 hectares, 4 ares and 63 square meters. The church was destroyed during the war. The land parcel be- longs to the church parish of Goleš in Batuša, which was confirmed, among other things, by a court decision of the Municipal Court in Priština R.V. 539/76 from September 14, 1977.
Despite this, the sons of Duš Demaku arbitrarily built two houses on one end of the land parcel after 1982, and this land parcel, in spite of all court decisions, has not been turned over to the church parish of Goleš to this day.
Since there have been misunderstandings in the village of Batuša between local residents and two families of new- ly settled albanians, this Council is of the opinion that it
122 AHSB, Syn No 1416/1986.
123 AHSB, Syn No 1535/zap. 546/86.
Raped young Serbian girl (age 9) from Žitinje near Vitina, in the arms of her father, Stojan Perić, 1983
would be beneficial to offer these two families the possibil- ity of relocating to the church land parcel in Novo Čikatovo, while turning over their property in Batuša, in correspond- ing value, to the ownership of the church parish of Goleš. This would help resolve both problems.”124
His Grace Bishop Pavle of Raška and Prizren also sent the Commissions for Relations with Religious Communi- ties of the Socialist autonomous Province of Kosovo in Priština and the Socialist Republic of Serbia report No 295 from june 18, 1986, as follows:
“in the village of Mušutište near Suva Reka on May 31, 1986, an unfortunate event took place: Priest Radivoje Živ- ković was doing something in the churchyard in everyday clothing, when an unknown man entered the courtyard and asked, ’Where is the priest?’ ’What do you want with the priest?’ asked the priest. ’i have a score to settle with him,’saidtheunknownmanandthepriestthennoticedhe had a big knife in his hand. ’Show me where the priest is.’ The priest led the man all the way to the police, and when he arrived at the police station, he ran inside and told a
124 AHSB, Syn No 1619/zap. 570/86.
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