June 22, 2004

ERP KIM Newsletter 22-06-04

Consecration of Bishop Teodosije (Sibalic) of Lipljan at Visoki Decani Monastery

Today, more than ever before, Decani is important for the survival of the Serbs both in this region and for those who living abroad all across God's Earth. St. Stefan built part of himself into Decani and breathed some of heaven into the monastery, said Bishop Teodosije after the consecration, emphasizing that "all the sublimity and greatness of episcopal dignity lies in service, in sharing in love the suffering of one's flock and in zeal for the salvation of the souls of God's people entrusted to him".

Patriarch Pavle with newly elected Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan (pr. Theodosyeh of Leeplyan) (click to enlarge)

ERP KIM Info Service
Gracanica, June 22, 2004

Bishop Teodosije (Sibalic) of Lipljan in episcopal ornate (embroydery work of nuns from Montenegro)

In the presence of several hundred faithful from throughout Serbia and Montenegro, Serbian Patriarch Pavle with 17 hierarchs of the Serbian and Greek Orthodox Churches served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy at Visoki Decani Monastery on June 20 (Sunday), consecrating as the new Bishop of Lipljan and auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren, Teodosije (Sibalic), Abbot of Decani Monastery.

"I give You this scepter to graze the flock of Christ entrusted to you. May it serve to support and give strength to the obedient; teach the disobedient and unruly, tame them by reprimand and educate them in Jesus Our Lord Christ," Patriarch Pavle exhorted the new Bishop of Lipljan.

In his first sermon after consecration Bishop Teodosije emphasized that "it is the highest honor that the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church has invoked him to assist his spiritual father in the much-suffering Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija as bishop."

"My entire being is connected to this region, to this people and to its holy shrines. In Kosovo and Metohija all are persecuted, both the people and its centuries-old shrines. In this region there is more sorrow and tears than joy and children's smiles. But at the same time this people, passing through Christ's Golgotha, has been resurrected in Christ. We hope that this time will be no different," said Bishop Teodosije.

He called on all his "cohabitants, the honest and honorable people of Metohija and Kosovo" "not to readily depart from their centuries-old homes and renounce the patrimony of their fathers entrusted to them for safekeeping". Bishop Teodosije expressed his special thanks to Italian KFOR, "the good Samaritan" keeping watch over Visoki Decani Monastery around the clock.

"We also wish to thank our neighbors (Kosovo Albanians) with whom we share this piece of land under heaven. This holy shrine and its inhabitants have always served them well. Some returned the favor in kind; others did not. May God grant that some of them exist even today. I believe that there are those who do not condone this evil perpetrated against our holy shrines and people. May God be merciful toward all but, at the same time, may He be just. Yet again I regret with a human heart and especially now with the heart of a Bishop every human tear, every human victim, every drop of blood that has been spilled; every human being who perished, despite being created to live.

"My message to all is this: let us not stop with the evil that tragically transpired and still remains a part of human history. Let us look forward, first at God who is more powerful than every evil for 'God is love.' He calls us to an eternal assembly of togetherness, not to isolation, separatism or autism. Let us all be what this holy shrine has always been - open to all, bearing no hatred toward others, persecuting no one," emphasized Bishop Teodosije.

"Today, more than ever before, Decani Monastery is important for the survival of the Serbs both in this region and for those who living abroad all across God's Earth. St. Stefan built part of himself into Decani and breathed some of heaven into the monastery," said Bishop Teodosije after the consecration, emphasizing that "all the sublimity and greatness of episcopal dignity lies in service, in sharing in love the suffering of one's flock and in zeal for the salvation of the souls of God's people entrusted to him".

Thanks to strong and well organized KFOR escorts Serbs from all parts of Kosovo and Metohija arrived in Visoki Decani, claiming that the atmosphere at the monastery yesterday was especially festive. The buses with the guests from Serbia and Montenegro were additionally escorted by helicopters. In addition to a large number of the faithful, Serbian minister of education and sports Ljiljana Colic, Serbian minister for the emigrant community Vojislav Vukcevic, Return Coalition deputies and members of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija Rada Trajkovic and Randjel Nojkic, representatives of KFOR and the international community in Kosovo and Metohija, the monks and clergy of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Dioceses of Raska and Prizren, Zahumlje and Herzegovina, and Zica all attended.

Representatives of the U.S., British, French and Italian offices in Pristina also attended Holy Liturgy and the luncheon, as did the commander of Italian and German military forces, general Danilo Errico and his officers. Representing the UNMIK chief was Johannes Regenbrecht, the deputy chief of the UNMIK police section, who with carefully chosen words congratulated the Bishop of Lipljan on his consecration on behalf of the UN Mission. Regional and local UNMIK representatives also attended the ceremony.

The newly consecrated Bishop of Lipljan will perform the duties of an auxiliary (vicar) bishop of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija and will be seated in Visoki Decani Monastery where, in addition to his episcopal duties, he will continue serving as Abbot of Decani Monastery.

From consecration of newly elected Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan In the evening before the consecration 18 Orthodox Bishops participated in the solemn nomination of a new Bishop-elect Fr. Teodosije. Following an ancient custom the Bishops presided by the Patriarch shared bread and wine in the narthex of the church. (click to enlarge)

BISHOP TEODOSIJE'S BIOGRAPHY

The newly consecrated Bishop Teodosije (Theodosios) of Lipljan, was born Zivko Sibalic (1963) in Cacak. Upon completing his elementary and secondary school studies in Gorjani and Uzice, he studied theology at the Theological Faculty in Belgrade, graduating while at Decani Monastery. He began his monastic life in Crna Reka Monastery under the spiritual guidance of then Abbot Artemije (Radosavljevic), now Bishop of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija. He took his monastic vows in 1989 and appointed Abbot of Decani three years later upon the restoration of monastic communal life (coenobitism) in the endowment shrine of the Holy King, St. Stefan of Decani. He was elected Bishop of Lipljan and Vicar of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren at this year's May session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Bishop Teodosije's see will be at Visoki Decani, currently the largest male monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church, number 30 monks and novices today.

The full text of the oration by Bishop Teodosije in English will be published in our next edition.

LIST OF BISHOP – PARTICIPANTS ON THE CONSACRATION OF BISHOP THEODOSIUS (names in English transcription)

+Archbishop of Pech, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Patriarch of Serbia, Paul
Bishop of Rashka–Prizren and Kosovo–Metochya, Artemius
Bishop of Liplyan, Theodosius
Bishop of Kozani, Ambrosios (Greek Orthodox Church)
Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral, Amphilochius
Metropolitan of Veles and exarch of Ochrid, John
Bishop of Nis, Irinaeus
Bishop of Zvornik and Tuzla, Basil
Bishop of Budapest, Lucian
Bishop of Canada, George
Bishop of Bachka, Irinaeus
Bishop of Central Europe, Constantine
Bishop of Vranye, Pachomius
Bishop of Shumadya, John
Bishop of Budimlye and Polimlye, Joanichius
Bishop of Zahumlye and Hercegovina, Gregory
Bishop of Jegar, Porphyrius
Bishop of Velichka, Joachim
Bishop Athanasius, retired of Hercegovina

Archimandrite John bishop–elect of Dioclea
Archimandrite Maximus bishop–elect of Chum

The Rite of Consecration

By the laying on of their hands on those chosen from among the faithful, the Apostles consecrated bishops, priests and deacons. It is evident from this that the Christian faith is not merely dogma but spiritual power.

Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

The consecration of a bishop is comprised of three separate rites: the rite of election, of confession and the actual consecration.

Confession: The next morning, after the reading of the Hours, the hierarchs again take their places behind the table, in front of which is a large eagle rug. The senior priest and protodeacon lead the bishop-elect onto the tail of the eagle. He is asked, "How believest thou?" and responds by reciting the Creed. Advancing to the middle of the rug, he expounds on the Creed by reciting a second "confession of faith". Finally, at the top of the rug, he is asked to explain his attitude towards the canons and traditions of the Church. The candidate promises to observe these and likewise "to preserve the peace of the Church and firmly to hold and zealously to teach the people entrusted to me, and not to devise any thing whatsoever which is contrary to the Orthodox Catholic Christian faith of the East all the days of my life....I promise also to do nothing through constraint, whether coerced by powerful persons, or by a multitude of the people....I promise to visit and watch over the flock now confided to me, after the manner of the Apostles...and to inspect with diligence, and to exhort and inhibit, that there be no schisms, superstitions and impious veneration, and that no customs contrary to Christian piety and good morals may injure Christian conduct....And may our God, Who seeth the heart, be the witness to my vow." The bishop-elect then bows down before the assembled hierarchs and kisses their hands as a sign that he is entering their ranks and as a pledge of love and peace with them in Christ. The choir sings "Many years", and the bishop-elect goes into the altar, where he stands at the side on an eagle rug, waiting like a bride-to-be, as the Liturgy begins.

Consecration: After the Small Entrance (which represents the coming to earth of the Lord incarnate) and the singing of the Trisagion, the senior priest and protodeacon lead the bishop-elect through the south door onto the ambo to the Royal Doors where he is received by two hierarchs. While the candidate kneels with his head touching the altar table, an open Gospel is placed face down upon his head, as a sign that although he is given authority over all, he himself is under the law and his head is Christ. Holding the Gospel in this way, the bishops pray: " O Lord our God...do Thou make this man...to be an imitator of Thee, the true Shepherd, Who didst lay down Thy life for Thy sheep; to be a leader of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a reprover of the unwise, a teacher of the young, a lamp to the world..."

The new bishop is then vested as a hierarch, and when the omophorion-an article unique to the episcopal office- is placed upon his shoulders, the clergy followed by the people shout thrice, "Axios!" ("worthy"), indicating their assent to the implied question: "Is he, in truth, worthy of this ministry?"

At the end of the Liturgy, the Chief Bishop gives a word of instruction to the new bishop and hands him his pastoral staff. The new bishop blesses the congregation with both hands as the choir sings, "Eis pollá éti Déspota" (Many years, O Master).

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