by Z.J.
The brotherhood of Zociste Monastery in Metohija has declined to remove the
Serbian flag from their belltower after being asked to do so yesterday by
international forces in Kosovo and Metohija. The request to remove the flag
was made after Albanian threats that if the monks did not do this, the
monastery would be attacked.
Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren said that "if someone is bothered by
the flag, then they should intervene" but that the monks would not remove
the flag. Members of Austrian KFOR which secures the monastery advised the
monks early yesterday morning that the Albanians are threatening to attack
the monastery, stating that it is KFOR's task to protect those who are
threatened and to calm those who are creating disturbance in Kosovo. They
then requested that the flag be removed. Yesterday the Kosovo Government had
no comment regarding threats directed at the Serbian Orthodox Church,
claiming that they had no knowledge of the matter.
"If the Kosovo Albanians have the right to display the flag of another
country - Albania - on their homes and huts, why would Serbs not have the
same right to do so on their monastery," said Bishop Artemije. He added that
Zociste Monastery is located in its own country of Serbia.
Zociste Monastery was completely dynamited in 1999. However, three years ago
the monastery elder, Father Petar (Ulemek), received the blessing of Bishop
Artemije to begin rebuilding the holy shrine. The consecration of the
renewed church and the return of the holy relics of Unmercenary Physicians
Cosmas and Damian after eight years took place on Saturday, the monastery
patron saint's day, and gathered some 3,000 Serbs from all parts of Kosovo
and central Serbia. Five monks live in the monastery.
Zociste Monastery is currently unique in Kosovo and Metohija in that it is
the only restored and consecrated holy shrine out of the approximately 150
that have been destroyed (since) 1999. As well, it was restored largely
through individual donations, and unique in that since the first day of the
brotherhood's return, it has also received visits from local Albanians who
say that they "respect the Unmercenary Physicians".
