Rakocevic: Xhufka is a forger whose name should not even be mentioned, he has won no case against the Serbian Orthodox Church

Writer Zivojin Rakocevic said that Albanian citizen Nikolla Xhufka, who presents himself as an Orthodox bishop, has not won any court ruling against the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), despite claims he has made in the media, noting that this has also been confirmed by the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren. He added that Xhufka is "a regional-level forger" whose name should hardly be mentioned at all.

Rakocevic believes Xhufka should be called what he is, in his words, a forger.

"That man receives no negative publicity. Mentioning his name, whether in a negative or positive context, only promotes him. That is why this small group of troublemakers, fraudsters and forgers should be called a sect that is trying to enter the system, become part of it and gain acceptance so that others recognize it and political power in Kosovo is directed toward it," Rakocevic told Kosovo Online.

He stressed that Xhufka, together with a small number of his followers, is in a state of complete terminological, ecclesiastical and spiritual confusion.

"That confusion reached its peak in their latest statement, when they spoke of the 'Albanian Church of Kosovo.' The essence of it is that they are trying to appeal to the sense of Albanian identity, which among some Albanians is almost equated with religion. Albanian identity as a religion is one of the motives of this fraudster and forger, who is trying to gather as many followers as possible. There is a danger because it has been shown that emerging entities have a need to create their own, conditionally speaking, spiritual organizations. This is not the first time that such sects have been registered at police stations or other institutions, only for certain authorities to later activate, support and turn them into a project that could eventually become a kind of official institution. However, in this case we are talking about completely marginal individuals and a marginal phenomenon," Rakocevic said.

He said it is not clear how the registration of believers should even work.

"That is not in line with anything that functions in this world. Believers belong to a church, they believe and feel a sense of belonging, but they are not registered. Who is supposed to register you now so that, based on that registration, you could establish your own institution that would then claim ownership of holy sites that have existed with their rightful owners for a thousand years?" Rakocevic asked.

He stressed that Xhufka has not won any judgment against the SOC.

"Everything in that statement and in that entire appearance is completely fabricated. Just like the claim that the Church of St. Archangel Michael in Rakitnica belongs to Albanians and that it was usurped by Serbs. Even before the war, Albanians referred to that church as 'Lazar's Church' because, according to tradition, and possibly historical facts, the body of Prince Lazar rested there for one night after the Battle of Kosovo. It is a beautiful church in the hills above Podujevo. Today we live in ghettos and enclaves, while our holy sites remain far from us, but we have neither lost them nor renounced them. They are organically connected to us, they belong to us, and they have remained our property continuously from the time they were built until today. That cannot be forged," Rakocevic said.

He added that such groups remain dangerous as long as their names are mentioned, even in a negative context.

"It is a group trying to become a sect and then combine political, ideological and national positions within itself and turn them into power. There is nothing else to it," Rakocevic concluded.

Nikolla Xhufka, an Albanian citizen who presents himself as an Orthodox bishop, said in an interview with Kosova Press that the so-called Orthodox Church of Kosovo had won a court case against the Serbian Orthodox Church, meaning that Orthodox Albanians can now register with that church.

Shortly afterward, the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren responded, stating that Xhufka had made a series of demonstrably false claims about the Serbian Orthodox Church, and that his statements could constitute the criminal offense of inciting national, racial, religious or ethnic hatred, discord and intolerance.

The Eparchy reminded that Xhufka is not, and has never been, a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, or any canonical Orthodox Church.

Responding to Xhufka's claims that the SOC had lost a court case against his organization and that he had proven in court that the medieval church in Rakitnica does not belong to the SOC, the Eparchy described those claims as "an absolute falsehood."

"The Serbian Orthodox Church has never initiated, nor has it ever been a party to, any civil dispute with Mr. Xhufka, his organization or any person associated with him. There is not a single court ruling in which the Church has lost anything in his favor," the statement said.