Effie Ganatsios
08-10-2003, 07:11 AM
I have just read an article in the Christian Science Monitor about Decani monastery and the “resurgence of the Orthodox faith”. This was the opening paragraph :
-“ The stars are shining above Decani Monastery as monks in black robes hurry across the yard and through the wooden side door of the Church of the Ascension. They gather in the cavernous darkness and begin to pray, their voices at times rising into song. Around them, barely visible in the flickering light, saints and warriors of the Orthodox Church gaze out from frescoed walls painted nearly 700 years ago.
These Serb monks trace their lineage to the 14th century, when King Stefan Uros III founded a monastery in a cleft of the Accursed Mountains in western Kosovo. Rising well before dawn, the monks pursue a life of work and prayer whose essential rhythms have changed little since that time.
Just a decade ago, this way of life had nearly died away”
The article is an excellent example of disinformation. A few truths mixed with negative assumptions and a subtle twisting of the truth.
Another excerpt from the article and the only reference to the drastic situation this monastery now finds itself in :
“Of all the monasteries in the former Yugoslavia, Decani is perhaps the most remarkable. After NATO evicted Serbian forces from Kosovo three years ago, ordinary Serbs fled the Decani area, making the monks the only Serbs for miles around. Today, Italian soldiers guard the monastery's approaches, and the monks do not leave without an escort.
But Decani's predicament only increases its appeal. With 33 monks and novices, it has the largest brotherhood of any monastery in Serbia. "The outer situation has not affected the inner, spiritual life at all," says Father Sava Janjic, the deputy abbot. "I can say it's even become more intense. In the history of Christianity, spiritual life increases under repression."
Apparently now that Kosovo has been “ethnically cleansed” and those Orthodox stubborn enough to stay haven’t been murdered , Orthodoxy has a chance to re-emerge. Orthodoxy survived the communist era in Jugoslavia just as it did the 400 year occupation by Islam in Greece.
Orthodoxy will also survive the dreadful conditions that the Orthodox in Kosovo are now experiencing.
If anyone is interested, below are 3 links.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0619/p14s01-lire.htm
http://www.kosovo.com/teodosijes_interv.html
http://www.kosovo.com/glaskim_int.html
The first is for the Christian Monitor article.
The next two are articles by the abbot and deputy abbot of Decani monastery.
I can still remember the cries for help that went out from this monastery during the Nato/US bombing and the helpless situation it found itself in. It is still in a desperate situation but is now at least being protected by KFOR.
The article by the Abbot of Decani also refers to the fact that the Albanians are now busy re-writing history and trying to get everyone to believe that what they are saying is true. “They have even begun to re-tailor history and to write things for which there is no historical or material evidence. “ “I think that responsible individuals from UNESCO and all those who concern themselves with Balkan issues are aware of the truth, and that all these stories the Albanians are coming up with will not be long-lived. Lies tend to unravel quickly and thus their version of history cannot be sustained.”
This is from the second article : What is the present condition of our spiritual and cultural heritage in this region?
It is with regret that I must admit that there have been no positive moves. Following the destruction and damage of more than 110 Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries, the process of destruction of our centuries old heritage is continuing. The latest reports from the field indicate that churches which were only damaged or set on fire from within a year ago are now even more damaged and destroyed. On the other hand, there is an attempt to remove the ruins of our churches altogether and thus erase every trace of their existence as well as traces of the crimes committed against them.”
The Christian Science Monitor – and many other publications – are apparently trying to do a bit of rewriting of history themselves.
I thought this subject might be interesting as an example of how Orthodoxy has survived in hostile environments during the whole of its history.
-“ The stars are shining above Decani Monastery as monks in black robes hurry across the yard and through the wooden side door of the Church of the Ascension. They gather in the cavernous darkness and begin to pray, their voices at times rising into song. Around them, barely visible in the flickering light, saints and warriors of the Orthodox Church gaze out from frescoed walls painted nearly 700 years ago.
These Serb monks trace their lineage to the 14th century, when King Stefan Uros III founded a monastery in a cleft of the Accursed Mountains in western Kosovo. Rising well before dawn, the monks pursue a life of work and prayer whose essential rhythms have changed little since that time.
Just a decade ago, this way of life had nearly died away”
The article is an excellent example of disinformation. A few truths mixed with negative assumptions and a subtle twisting of the truth.
Another excerpt from the article and the only reference to the drastic situation this monastery now finds itself in :
“Of all the monasteries in the former Yugoslavia, Decani is perhaps the most remarkable. After NATO evicted Serbian forces from Kosovo three years ago, ordinary Serbs fled the Decani area, making the monks the only Serbs for miles around. Today, Italian soldiers guard the monastery's approaches, and the monks do not leave without an escort.
But Decani's predicament only increases its appeal. With 33 monks and novices, it has the largest brotherhood of any monastery in Serbia. "The outer situation has not affected the inner, spiritual life at all," says Father Sava Janjic, the deputy abbot. "I can say it's even become more intense. In the history of Christianity, spiritual life increases under repression."
Apparently now that Kosovo has been “ethnically cleansed” and those Orthodox stubborn enough to stay haven’t been murdered , Orthodoxy has a chance to re-emerge. Orthodoxy survived the communist era in Jugoslavia just as it did the 400 year occupation by Islam in Greece.
Orthodoxy will also survive the dreadful conditions that the Orthodox in Kosovo are now experiencing.
If anyone is interested, below are 3 links.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0619/p14s01-lire.htm
http://www.kosovo.com/teodosijes_interv.html
http://www.kosovo.com/glaskim_int.html
The first is for the Christian Monitor article.
The next two are articles by the abbot and deputy abbot of Decani monastery.
I can still remember the cries for help that went out from this monastery during the Nato/US bombing and the helpless situation it found itself in. It is still in a desperate situation but is now at least being protected by KFOR.
The article by the Abbot of Decani also refers to the fact that the Albanians are now busy re-writing history and trying to get everyone to believe that what they are saying is true. “They have even begun to re-tailor history and to write things for which there is no historical or material evidence. “ “I think that responsible individuals from UNESCO and all those who concern themselves with Balkan issues are aware of the truth, and that all these stories the Albanians are coming up with will not be long-lived. Lies tend to unravel quickly and thus their version of history cannot be sustained.”
This is from the second article : What is the present condition of our spiritual and cultural heritage in this region?
It is with regret that I must admit that there have been no positive moves. Following the destruction and damage of more than 110 Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries, the process of destruction of our centuries old heritage is continuing. The latest reports from the field indicate that churches which were only damaged or set on fire from within a year ago are now even more damaged and destroyed. On the other hand, there is an attempt to remove the ruins of our churches altogether and thus erase every trace of their existence as well as traces of the crimes committed against them.”
The Christian Science Monitor – and many other publications – are apparently trying to do a bit of rewriting of history themselves.
I thought this subject might be interesting as an example of how Orthodoxy has survived in hostile environments during the whole of its history.