Serbs will lose Hilandar monastery if they go with Moscow: Split of the Orthodox church threatens with immeasurable consequences
Ukranian church issue could cause problems in the entire Orthodox Christian world
If the Serbian Orthodox Church approaches Moscow, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople could introduce draconian measures, and even forbid the visits of Serbian believers to the monastery Hilandar.
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According to some analysts, the Serbian Orthodox Church will have to "sit on two chairs" in order to maintain an important heritage.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople announced on Thursday that it will begin the process of granting independence to the church in Ukraine in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch of Russia Kiril interrupted all contacts with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on Tuesday and at the same time forbade the Russian believers to go to Mount Athos in the future to pray and for communion.
Due to the split, if Serbia completely takes side with Moscow, that could leat to ban for Serbs to visit the monastery on Mount Athos since it is under the jurisdiction of Constantinople.
Religious analyst Zeljko Injac reminded that the Serbian Orthodox Church, at the moment, but also through the centuries-old history, is balancing between Moscow and Constantinople.
- If Serbian Orthodox Church completely stands on Moscow's side, then it would join the split. So far, the SOC is balancing. If it completely bows to Moscow, then the split with Constantinople is inevitable, and since the Mount Athos is under the jurisdiction of Constantinople, that would mean that that SOC would lose its influence on the grounds of Mount Athos. The problem is not whether Serbs will be able to go to Hilandar, but what would happen with the monastery itself! However, don't forget, there is a possibility for Mouth Athos to decline further obedience to Constantinople - Injac said.
- If the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople continues to function outside the canon and if they begin to accept the Montenegrin, Macedonian, or even the Croatian Orthodox Church, then we will be forced to interrupt our relations with them. Only then can a ban be imposed, and Serbian believers will no longer have permission to enter Hilandar - says analyst Stevica Dedjanski for "Informer".
Contrary to his opinion, theologian Milos Stojkovic, who is the trustee of Hilandar prior, claims that this split will not affect the status and position of our monastery and our believers.
- The attitude of the Russian church is that their monastery Panteleimon at Atos should support the position of the Russian church. They will urge Russian believers not to spiritually unite with the members of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Russians who come to the Mount Athos will no longer be able to commune in Panteleimon and other monasteries. The SOC backed the Russian position but did not take the stance that the Serbs who come to the Holy Mountain cannot commune. Hilandar has nothing to do with all this. The decision of Patriarch Kiril refers exclusively to the Russians and Russian monasteries - explains Stojkovic.