Developments concerning the "Croat Orthodox Church"

ZADAR (B92) - SPC Bishop of Dalmatia Fotije has called on Croatian President Ivo Josipović to stop the formation of the so-called Croat Orthodox Church (HPC).

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) dignitary told B92 that there are no conditions for forming such a church, but also that the main problem is the pro-Ustasha stance of its community.

The Croatian Orthodox community is not even registered as an organization, but has been announcing that it is looking to form a Croatian branch of the Orthodox Church.

Fotije has sent a letter of protest, public appeal and letter to Josipović regarding the issue.

He reminded the president that the original "Croat Orthodox Church" was formed in 1942 during the puppet Nazi Independent State of Croatia (NDH) Ustasha regime of Ante Pavelić, when that regime committed genocide against Serbs, Jews and Roma.

Fotije told B92 that he hopes that the organization will never be registered.

“The founding of this church is not possible. The Church was founded 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. There are no canonical conditions regarding this community, for the formation of a church,” he said.

"Their teachings are problematic, since they base it on some organization that existed during the NDH, in fact, they have said so themselves on their website," the bishop explained.

The Serb National Council in Croatia has also stood up against the formation of such a church.

“It is clear that is not about religion, or believers, or Christianity, they celebrate, they are in fact inviting evil and hate,” Council Deputy President Saša Milošević said.

The "Croat Orthodox" community has about 400 members.

According to the initiator of the idea to form this into a church, Jelisej Lalatović, and the secretary of the initiative committee, Ivo Matanović, there is nothing wrong with the "restoration of the Church".

“I noted that it does not go along with Croatian sovereignty for another country to have jurisdiction over the Orthodox people of Croatia,” Lalatović said, in reference to the SPC.

“Some of those people who represent this community have said that they will need religious buildings later. Which means that they can potentially put pressure on our church buildings, our property,” Bishop Fotije said.

“They can also pressure our believers. They claim that Serb churches can exist here. It is a question of ownership, we have our papers, of course, those are our churches and monasteries, but for those kinds of people, sometimes that is not enough,” he added.

Belgrade Politika daily journalist Milenko Pešić said that the goal of the whole concept is to pressure the remaining Serbs in Croatia.

“It is a form of intimidation. It is not curious that this Croat Orthodox Church was formed precisely in Zadar, we know that the return of Serbs to that region is going slowly and it seems to me that the idea to set up a church is in a way a plan to stop the return of Serbs,” Pešić said.

The "Croat Orthodox Church" in question existed only for three years after it was founded in 1942, by a decree issued by the Ustasha regime leader Ante Pavelić. It was not recognized in that time by any of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches.

And also...

(SPC) - News that yesterday in Zadar (12.03.2010) was an announcement on the establishment of the so-called "Croatian Orthodox Church" caused anxiety for the clergy and the Orthodox Serbs in Croatia. It is known that the HOC was formed in 1942 in the time of the fascist and Ustashe regime of Ante Pavelic in the NDH (Independent State of Croatia). Then the Pavelic's regime committed genocide against the Serbian, Jewish and Roma people in the NDH, and the goal of the phantom HOC was to destroy every trace of existence of the Orthodoxy and the Orthodox Serbs in this region.

The Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people have been living for centuries in the region of Dalmatia, as it is evident and confirmed the best by its parish churches and monasteries, which were built between XIII to XV century and represent a significant cultural heritage, which as such, is under the protection of the competent institutions of the Croatian state.

Previously during the publication of the website and the program of the forming "Croatian Orthodox community" it became certain that this association identify and organically links with the Ustashe regime from the time of Ante Pavelic and the so-called HOC. It is, as one indivisible whole, had genocidal program of destruction and extinction of all non-Croats in the time of the criminal NDH, thus the formation of this community clearly causes human fear of the possibility of restoring of its program. Behind it numerous camps, scaffolds and pits were left at the time of World War II, of which is certainly the largest and most notorious extermination camp was Jasenovac.

We sincerely hope that this Community, which is associated with the darkest period of the recent history of Croatia - because of his openly militant and pro-Ustashe character will not be able to be registered at the competent institutions of today's Croatia which is at the door of entry into the European Union.

Also we appeal to the bodies of the rule of law and relevant ministries of the R. Croatia, to protect facilities and property of the Serbian Orthodox Church , as well as our believers from possible harassment and attacks, as some of the leaders of this phantom community announced. They promoted these days and thereby publicly rehabilitated a "ghost from the past", which reawakens fascism and the ustashism in this region of the European continent.

Our clergy and the faithful in pastoral care and responsibility, we recommend to reinforce their fasting and prayer to God, which is the only Lord and Judge of the world and the guardian of our martyr Church for centuries and still crucified Dalmatia, not to be afraid and do not accept these fake pastors and preachers, "who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15), but to save their world Orthodox church and their faith, their Patron Saint's (slava) and their Dalmatian shrines, which have preserved and kept it throughout history.