Surlic: The Holy See is very sensitive regarding the issue of cultural heritage in Kosovo

During the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in Belgrade, one of the topics discussed was the respect for the rights of the Serbian and other non-Albanian populations in Kosovo, as well as the protection and restoration of Serbian religious and cultural heritage. Stefan Surlic, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, said that this meeting was very important because the Holy See does not recognize Kosovo and is very sensitive when it comes to cultural heritage.

"So far, the Holy See has received and supported voices highlighting that the Decani Monastery is still endangered and that the status between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the authorities in Pristina must be permanently resolved and cannot be left to arbitrary decisions. The Holy See has shown a certain level of solidarity in this regard. When we add to this its principled policy, especially regarding Kosovo's statehood, I believe this meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See was extremely important, as they are, in a sense, ambassadors for any future permanent normalization of relations and resolving all open issues, particularly including cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo," Surlic told Kosovo Online.

Regarding how much the Vatican understands and influences cases of the appropriation of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo, Surlic said that it could certainly have an influence, especially when Kosovo authorities present Orthodox churches and temples as Roman Catholic shrines.

"It could have an influence, especially in cases where it is clearly about Orthodox churches and temples, but they are being presented as Roman Catholic shrines that were somehow, historically, occupied by the Serbian Orthodox Church. At least, that is the narrative presented by Pristina. We already had one such situation around the site of Novo Brdo. Dialogue, primarily between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Holy See, could be key in defining what are important sites and holy places for the Serbian Orthodox Church, and what is, without dispute for both sides, part of the Roman Catholic Church," said Surlic.