PATRIARCH IRINEJ TELLS: It is not time for Papal visit

Patriarch told the Serbian people that, although the troubles of our time are too severe, all of thisis the current state, and Serbian people will prove to be a peaceful people, the people who know what the culture is, the people who know what a country is and that this state will be changed, to the delight and benefit of Serbs Serbian Orthodox Church considers that it is not time for papal visit to Serbian Church, said Patriarch Irinej, who says that the Pope as a statesman can always be invited to visit Serbia and that the Church will not intervene.

Recommended

NIKOLIC BRINGS THE POPE DUSHAN'S CODE: Serbia is grateful to the Vatican because of Kosovo, and criticizes it for Stepinac!

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK – Telegraf English or write to us – office@telegraf.rs

- We as the Church would have nothing against it, we would even be an honor to receive him, but at the same time we are keeping in mind the huge number of our people who were expelled from Croatia, and some of them are still living as refugees in difficult conditions - the patriarch said in interview for the portal Vesti onlajn.

The Patriarch recalled that during the Second World War, terrible tragedies occurred in these areas and that a large number of their clergy took part in the most heinous acts against the Serbian people.

- We were one church to the mid 11th century and we have a lot in common. We wish that we are closer to each other, because on the commonness we need to build a community of which there would certainly not be harm but benefit, but we think it is still not the time for such a visit - said the Patriarch.

Speaking about the canonization of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, Serbian Patriarch says that the Serbian Orthodox Church has already said everything about, and that he was a man who, in a tragic time, was the head of the Catholic Church in Croatia.

- We have no data, at least public, that he did anything to alleviate the situation of our people in Croatia and to prevent the genocide that was carried out against our innocent people, against children - said Irinej.

He recalled that in the village of Mlaka, near Jasenovac, there was a camp of 20,000 children and that a German woman, born in Vienna, married to a Serb Budisavljević in Zagreb, drew 12,000 children from that camp.

On the other hand, the Patriarch said, we do not have any evidence that Cardinal Stepinac saved a child.

- There was the genocide carried out. We do not know how Stepinac contributed to that, but we know that he did nothing to prevent it. They say that there are some letters that he wrote to Pavelic, this is likely, but they did not appear publicly, and he received the highest honors from Pavelic in those troubled and difficult times - said Irinej.

In the interview with the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church during his visit to Canada in the function of an administrator of the Diocese of Canada, the Patriarch told the Serbian people that, although the troubles of our time are too severe, all of this is the current state, and Serbian people will prove to be a peaceful people, the people who know what the culture is, the people who know what a country is and that this state will be changed, to the delight and benefit of Serbs.

Asked where today the Orthodox Church is, the Patriarch said that it is there where it has always been with its mission, with its role in the nation.

- With its role it had a significant contribution to the creation and existence of our state and its role, whatever the other opinion are, is visible and known in our history, our culture. A lot of things would not have happened if it was not for the Church - said the Patriarch.

(Telegraf.co.uk)