Pristina, Kosovo, January 6, 2023
spc.rs
Authorities in Pristina have changed their mind and are allowing His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church to enter Kosovo and celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ with his flock there.
Kosovo initially announced late last month that the Serbian primate would not be allowed to enter the breakaway state. He was then physically stopped and turned away at the border.
The Serbian Church raised its voice in protest, as did individual Serbian hierarchs in America and Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese in his capacity as head of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops.
And yesterday it was announced that Prime Minister Albin Kurti of Kosovo had accepted the request of Nenad Rašić, a Kosovo Serb politician serving as Minister for Communities and Returns, to allow Pat. Porfirije to enter his canonical territory in Kosovo and Metohija.
The Serbian Church announced yesterday:
According to the predetermined program, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will serve the holy Hierarchical Liturgy in the Church of St. Sava in Vračar at midnight on the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
His Holiness will go to his stavropegial Lavra of the Peć Patriarchate and visit the clergy and faithful people of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren in accordance with his program and discretion, which are not related to any political context or to any personality from political life.
The statement from the Kosovo PM notes that Pat. Porfirije specified that he will enter Kosovo without his bodyguards.
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