Foreword, serbian Patriarch

SERBIAN PATRIARCH

Advent 1995
Belgrade

Warning His Disciples of the afflictions which would befall them in this world, our Lord Jesus Christ told them more than once: "In the world ye shall have tribulation. But beware of men. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you" (Jn 16:33; Mt 10:17; Jn 15:20).

In their epistles, the Holy Apostles instructed the faithful about possible misfortunes, distinguishing between suffering for the sake of righteousness, and suffering while following the path of injustice, which is why they must hold fast to the commandment: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer… Yet, if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed… For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing" (1 Pet 4:15–16; 3:17).

This unfortunate time of madness and horror due to the civil war being waged within our territory, with so much bloodshed, so many destroyed homes, churches with their treasuries of precious historic and cultural value, on all sides in the conflict, will cause many to pose the question of the ancient Preacher: "What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:3).

It is not the first time in their history that our people have stood on the brink of their very existence, "to be or not to be", in the darkness of slavery, in calamities, both before the battle of Kosovo, and during the battle itself, until this very day. But enlightened by Gospel teaching and belief in the Son of God, our people have not given in to either apathy, or despair. They had the strength to build sanctuaries such as Studenica, Zica, Sopocani, Gracanica, and numerous other sacred places, large and small, throughout our country. They erected them first of all for the glory of God, for their own sake, and for posterity. Like stars in the sky these places of worship have shone in the darkness of ensuing troubles. Strengthened by that faith, our people were able to withstand all these tribulations, and again and again they rebuilt their churches, destroyed by enemies. They understood properly what they would have been without them throughout the centuries; and of what significance they were in the eyes of God, of the world, as well as in their own eyes.

It has been hard for our people to survive, but they have endured, because the words of the Son of God addressed to all His believers from the depth of the centuries until the end of the world, echoed within their souls: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer… Fear not; I am the First and the Last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore… Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev 2:10; 17–18).

This publication is due to the dedicated work of Slobodan Mileusnic, Director of the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum, in Belgrade. It describes the present sufferings of our people and our sanctuaries; it gives basic data concerning their origin, restoration, and their repeated destruction.

We read this with sadness, and with shame, because so much evil has happened, even amongst ourselves. With the same sadness, and shame, we hear about the destruction of Roman Catholic churches and Muslim mosques. Our heads bowed in sorrow, we pray to God that these troubles will finally end, never again to be repeated anywhere in the world, and never again to befall any nation.

Although the conflicts of this civil war, the Lord be thanked, have ceased, the first book of "Spiritual Genocide 1991–1993" must be completed. The data acquired concerning the destruction of Orthodox holy places from 1993 to the Peace Treaty in 1995 are published in this volume. It is for future generations to see the whole misfortune of our nation and our Church. And it is for them to have an evident example of where evil can go once it starts its ill-fated walk. Let at least future generations live their lifetimes in peace, as people worthy of the name.

SERBIAN PATRIARCH