His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Mr. Porfirija, who with seven other archbishops was supposed to, according to established procedure, arrive in the afternoon at the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Peć Patriarchate monastery, for the start of the regular annual session of the Holy Synod of Bishops, was stopped at the Merdare administrative crossing by the officers of the provisional authorities in Pristina and , without any explanation, announced that they were banned from entering the Province.

From the point of view of human rights and freedoms of any person, the decision to ban the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the bishops from coming to the ancient headquarters of the Serbian Orthodox Church is unreasonable and unacceptable, at the same time it is an accurate picture of the position of the Serbian Church and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.

The Patriarch appeals to all who have an influence on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija to do what they can to stop the flagrant violation of the human rights of the Serbian people, including the right to freedom of movement of the Serbian Patriarch, bishops and clergy. Patriarch Porphyry will not leave his people in Kosovo and Metohija and will do everything possible to meet with them and to pray together with them to God as soon as possible.

The session of the Holy Synod of Bishops will begin tomorrow in the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar, where the Holy Liturgy of the Bishops, with the participation of all bishops, will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Statement of the Serbian Patriarch Mr. Porphyrie

All the doors of this world are open to me, just as our doors are open to everyone, only the doors of my home, the Patriarchate of Peć, are closed and they don't let me in.

As the Patriarch of Serbia, as a citizen and as a believer, I know and say that God himself will open that door sooner or later. Those who closed the doors of the house of prayer are doing evil first to themselves, and then to all people. They closed the door to every good, blessing and happiness. When the Serbian Patriarch is denied freedom of movement like this, what is happening to the Serbs who live in the ghettos. I tell them to endure, because whoever endures to the end will be saved. If they closed the doors of the Patriarchate of Peć for the Patriarch of Serbia, it is certain that they cannot close our love and our good intentions. It is certain that for us, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, heaven is open and it will open all the doors that evil has closed.

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

Source: SPC