Bishop Artemije: Open letter to Metropolitan Amfilohije
OPEN LETTER TO METROPOLITAN AMFILOHIJE
TO THE DIOCESE ADMINISTRATOR OF RAŠKA-PRIZREN
Although exiled from Kosovo and Metohija, We do not stop thinking about Kosovo and Metohija, praying for Kosovo and Metohija, following events in Kosovo and Metohija. This does not mean that we interfere or that we want to interfere in the authority and management of ERP You, now as the competent Bishop. Nevertheless, we cannot calmly and disinterestedly watch and listen to what is happening to Our spiritual children whom we "with difficulty gave birth" and brought up for decades - monasticism from the monastery until recently Our ERP.
Punishments (prohibition of actions, denial of communion), threats of ecclesiastical court and even more severe punishments, insults, and slander by you and many others (including their spiritual brothers), due to their alleged guilt - arbitrary abandonment of the monastery, demolition of the canonical church order, etc. is, to put it mildly, unfounded. You, and not only you, know very well why they did it. Certainly not out of some whim or because they are disobedient to the MOTHER Church, but because you, and others with you, have already violated and destroyed every canonical and ecclesiastical order by the way of solving our (montaged) case, brought confusion and dissension into the monasticism, clergy and faithful people, not only in Kosovo and Metohija but in the entire SPC, both in the homeland and in the diaspora, so now you ask that the monks respect that canonical disorder as church order. With what right? They, as faithful children of the SPC, in a regular way, with a reasonable explanation, in writing from you, as the competent Bishop (proof that they recognize you and that they respect the church order) requested a canonical release for one of the dioceses of our SPC (again proof that they respect the ecclesiastical-canonical order). You deny them that right and threaten them with court and punishment.
Do you really think that in this way you will restore peace and church order in ERP and in our people in Kosovo and Metohija? That you will increase your authority by coercion and coercion? Didn't it seem to you that you would cause even greater spiritual damage to the SPC? Think about it before you take another wrong step. It is not too late to resolve the situation peacefully. We talked about it verbally at one time.
Worried
Retired Bishop of Raška-Prizren
and Kosovo-Metohija
+ARTEMIJE