October 24, 2005

KiM Info Newsletter 24-10-05

Holy Synod of Bishops hails begining of reconstruction of Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo and Metohija

SOC Information Service
October 19, 2005, Belgrade

Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with great pleasure received the report by His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan regarding the beginning of reconstruction of churches and monasteries destroyed or damaged in Kosovo and Metohija during the pogrom over the Serbian Orthodox Church and its people in March 2004.

Bishop Teodosije, informed the Holy Synod that on October 10, after the signing of contracts (with contractors), a group of supervisors was appointed, the working grounds were established and initial works on the first group of damaged sites began. The supervisors are taking care that during the cleaning of the locations and the preparation of the grounds, all valuable remains are carefully selected and classified. In most severely damaged sites, St. Nicholas church in Pristina and St. George's cathedral in Prizren, beside cleaning of debris a special scaffolding with a roof will be erected in order to protect walls and interior of these churches so that during the winter no additional damage may occur from frost and snow. In the next few months comprehensive project documentation will be prepared so that with the beginning of the spring working season in 2005 the works may be resumed with full intensity.

Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed its full determination to support and assist in every possible way further work on reconstruction of holy sites, not only of those which were demolished or burned during the March Pogrom 2004 but also of all other sites which have suffered from mass terror and crimes since 1999, when the southern Serbian province came under protectorate of the international peace mission.

Bishop Teodosije: Soon beginning of works on the following 19 sites

KIM info-service
Decani, October 19, 2005.

After receiving a strong support by the Holy Synod of Bishops for continuation of reconstruction of churches and monasteries demolished or damaged during the March riots 2004, Bishop Teodosije, a member of the Commission for implementation of reconstruction (RIC) confirmed that soon a new group of contracts will be signed by contractors so that works on the following 19 sites planned for the second round of tenders may begin.

Bishop Teodosije expressed his pleasure that there is a full consensus between the Holy Synod of Bishops, Ministry of Culture (Belgrade) and the Institute for protection of cultural monuments that this important work should be continued so that before winter the first phase in reconstruction process may be successfully completed.

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