Стаза Православља THE PATH OF ORTHODOXY THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA VOLUME 44 JUNE 2009 NO. 6 DECISION ON THE REORGANIZATION OF SOC IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA he Holy Hierarchical Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church during its meeting on May 21, 2009, based on the recommendation of the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America regardingT the restructuring of the existing dioceses in North and South America, rendered the following decision confi rming the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, according to which the Dioceses of our Church on that territory will be structured in the following manner: 1. THE METROPOLITANATE OF LIBERTYVILLE-CHICAGO, with its See at St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville (comprised of St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois and the Holy Resurrection Cathedral Church with its three parishes), whose Metropolitan shall be president of the Episcopal and Central Church Councils and of the Church- Laity Assembly, and thereby the ex offi cio representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church on that territory. 2. THE DIOCESE OF NEW GRACANICA-MIDWESTERN AMERICA, with its See at New Gracanica Monastery (comprised of all the church school congregations, parishes and monasteries in Chicago - with the exception of the aforementioned Holy Resurrection Cathedral - and of the other states of the previous Metropolitanate of Midwest- ern American, as well as all the church-school congregations, parishes and monasteries of the previous Diocese for †ATANASIJE America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate on the territiory of the previous Metropolitanate of Retired Bishop of Hercegovina Midwestern America). 3. THE DIOCESE OF EASTERN AMERICA, with its See in Pittsburgh/Mars (comprised of all parishes the Church- School Congregations, Parishes and Monasteries of the current Eastern American Diocese and the Church-School “UNITED, WE CELEBRATE THE Congregations, Parishes and Monasteries of the previous Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate on the territory of Eastern America) ALL-HOLY SPIRIT!” 4. THE DIOCESE OF WESTERN AMERICA, with its See in Los Angeles/Alhambra (comprised of all the Church- School Congregations, Parishes and Monasteries of the current Western American Diocese and the Church-School Towards the beginning of 1991, when the Holy Synod Congregations, and Parishes of the previous Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate (Patriarch German was already bedridden, as Patriarch on the territory of Western America). Pavle is today) decided by the grace of God, with Serbian seriousness and pastoral responsibility, that our unfortu- 5. THE DIOCESE OF CANADA, with its See in Toronto/Monastery Milton (comprised of all the Church-School nate church schism in America should be resolved and Congregations, Parishes and Monasteries of the current Canadian Diocese and the Church-School Congregations surpassed, we wrote that the Diaspora has for a long time and Parishes of the previous Diocese for America and Canada of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate on the territory been the most complex problem of the entirety of Ortho- of Canada). doxy, and for that reason it has been included on the agen- da of the future Great Council of the Orthodox Church. We also said at that time that the experience of Diaspora in the Church, either with the Jews in the Old Testament or with the Christians in the New, that is to say the Church, is not something evil in itself. It is an unavoidable and at the same time a providential challenge for God’s Israel, both the old and the new, that is, for the Jewish people and the Church of Christ. The Diaspora reminds all of us, as the community of the people of God in history moving on the path towards the Heavenly Kingdom, of the traveling and crucifi ed status of the Church in this world and age: “we are in the world but we are not of this world”; we are in the House of God, but the Dispensation – the building up of the House of God which is the Church – is still in progress and continuing. God’s Kingdom is already pres- ent in the Church, but as Christians we are also simultane- ously still on the path towards the Kingdom, the Heavenly Homeland of us all. The Diaspora poses to the Orthodox Church two im- portant questions: the question of verifi cation of our cor- rect ecclesiological understanding, our living experience of the Church, and the question of the mission of the Church in the world. In recent times the Diaspora has reminded us, and in it’s own way has compelled us, to not forget the im- portant mission of Orthodoxy in the modern world, which is possible only by coming out of our narrow nationalistic frameworks in which we are threatened by the danger of isolation. The Diaspora in the West was and still remains a missionary territory of Orthodoxy. Especially, North and Hierarchs meeting at a session of this year’s Holy Assembly of Bishops hear a report on progress in the South America still remain missionary territories. construction of the St. Sava Memorial Church on Vracar in Belgrade. The Diaspora presents a vital problem of Orthodox Ecclesiology to all the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches – one which we have apparently, under the infl uence OMMUNIQUÉ of recent world and national political history, begun to C forget about. Namely, that the fundamental organizational principle of the ancient Church of the East – the Church FROM THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH was born in the East and the Gospels were spread through- continued on p. 4 HELD IN BELGRADE MAY 14-22, 2009 With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pavle Conscious of the Church’s responsibility for the life and and under the presidency of His Eminence Metropolitan salvation of people and of the great spiritual challenges of our Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands, who, in day, the Holy Assembly of Bishops dedicated itself to solving accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of the Ser- the vital questions of the Serbian Orthodox Church. IN THIS ISSUE bian Orthodox Church is serving as substitute to the ailing Firstly, the Assembly dedicated its attention to the state Patriarch, the regular Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian of the Church and people in our southern province after the Kosovo, p. 3 Orthodox Church was held at the Patriarchate in Belgrade illegal proclamation of the so-called independence of Kosovo from May 14 through 22, 2009. Participating in the work of VP Biden at Decani, p. 2 and Metohija. The Assembly gave due recognition to the the Assembly were all the diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian state of Serbia for all its efforts to cease and render impo- Our View, pps. 6-7 Orthodox Church, including His Beatitude Archbishop of tent that clamorous lawlessness with all the unforeseeable Serbian Section, pps. 8 - 12 Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje Jovan with the hierarchs consequences which can ensue from it in the near or distant of the Autonomous Archdiocese of Ohrid. continued on p. 3 PAGE TWO THE PATH OF ORTHODOXY JUNE 2009 THE PATH OF ORTHODOXY The Official Publication of the Serbian Orthodox Church US VP Biden visits Visoki in the United States of America and Canada EDITORIAL STAFF Dechani Monastery English Section Editors Serbian Editor V. Rev. Rade Merick, Senior Editor V. Rev. Nedeljko Lunich 530 North Fourth Street 300 Stryker Ave Steubenville, OH 43952 Joliet, IL 60437 Phone: 740-264-4809 Fax: 815-741-1883 email:[email protected] email: [email protected] Rev. Milovan Katanic Technical Editor 65 South Keel Ridge Road Vesna R. Meinert Hermitage, PA 16148 Phone: 304-842-2927 Phone:724-342-1198 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] V. Rev. Dr. Bratislav Krsic Business and Circulation Address 3025 Denver St The Path of Orthodoxy San Diego, CA 92117 P. O. Box 883 Phone: 619-276-5827 Bridgeport, WV 26330 email: [email protected] The Path of Orthodoxy is a monthly publication with a double issue printed for the months of July and August. Subscriptions are $12.50 per year for U.S. residents and $15.00 per year (U.S. funds only) for Canadian subsribers. Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. All letters and manuscripts submitted for publication must be signed and contain the author's name and address. Please send materials through email or MS Word format. Monks of Visoki Decani monastery engage in conversation with U.S. Vice President. Biden outside the monastery after lighting candles on May 21. Visoki Decani Monastery is situated in the western part of the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia. It was built between 1327 and 1335 by the Serbian medieval king St. Stephen of Decani and EDITORIAL was dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden vis- for some time to talk with the monks. Fa- ited the monastery of Visoki Dechani May ther Sava informed Mr. Biden about the life DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES 21. On behalf of the abbot of the monastery, of the monastery and the situation in which Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, who was Serbs live in Kosovo and Metohija. MANY FRUITS AND GUIDES US TO ALL TRUTH attending the regular May session of the Particularly emphasized was the need Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian to protect human and property rights, to One should stand in church or in front of the home icon(s) (home Orthodox Church, the high guest from the preserve the Serbian spiritual and cultural altar) and maintain a respectful and contemplative silence in the face of States was received by deputy abbot Father heritage on these territories, as well as the such an awesome event: the Descent of the Holy Spirit.