Eparchy of Raska and Prizren: Spreading false information about the SOC incites religious and ethnic hatred

The Eparchy of Raska and Prizren has expressed deep concern over the irresponsible and false statements made by certain public figures within Kosovo's Albanian society. These claims allege that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) was the main organizer of violence against Albanians, that weapons are being hidden within church premises, and that Serbs should be ethnically cleansed from Kosovo.

"The recent statement by Selim Pacolli, an official from the 'New Kosovo Alliance' party and former mayor of Pristina, claiming that the SOC was the main organizer of violence against Albanians, alongside his call for the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo, is as dangerous as the statement made yesterday by Gurakuc Kuci from the Octopus Institute on Klan TV. Kuci suggested that weapons are being hidden in Serbian Orthodox churches and questioned the type of people living there," the Eparchy noted.

In response to Pacolli’s accusations, the Eparchy stated that the SOC in Kosovo has never supported violence or war. On the contrary, it has actively worked against all forms of armed conflict, as documented in numerous communications with international officials who greatly valued the SOC’s stance, visited Serbian monasteries, and insisted on their protection.

"Moreover, in some monasteries, such as the Visoki Decani Monastery, monks provided shelter to Albanian civilians during the armed conflict in 1999 and organized humanitarian aid in cooperation with the Orthodox humanitarian organization IOCC from the United States. After the war, the monastery also served as a refuge for numerous displaced Serbs and Roma who were expelled, as documented by international media. There are personal testimonies about the aid provided to Albanians, including one reported by BIRN in December 2022," the statement added.

Regarding the statement of Kuci, from the Octopus Institute, the Eparchy emphasizes that this is a repeatedly propagated slander, which was circulated last year by British MP Alicia Kearns, claiming that weapons were hidden in monasteries.

"This claim was refuted by KFOR, and Kosovo Police have never confirmed or proven such baseless allegations. In the case of the tragic incident near the Banjska Monastery in the fall of 2023, the police and EULEX confirmed that all the weapons found in the broader area of the monastery had been abandoned as a group of armed Serbs retreated through the monastery and temporarily stayed in a structure outside the monastery walls. The investigation determined, and the final report by the Kosovo government on the Banjska case confirmed, that no stockpiled weapons were found in the monastery and no involvement of the monastery or the Church in this tragic event was mentioned," the statement clarified.

The Eparchy of Raska and Prizren emphasizes that spreading false information is part of a campaign by irresponsible individuals in Kosovo’s public sphere, who, they say, incite religious and ethnic hatred by deliberately disseminating inaccurate claims. These claims, they note, have never been substantiated by the Kosovo government or police, as international representatives, including KFOR and EULEX, are well aware.

"Such misinformation does not contribute to calming the situation but rather fuels ethnic and religious intolerance in Kosovo and Metohija, which is not in the interest of either Serbs or Albanians in this region. Over the past 30 years, our Church has consistently called for peaceful resolution of all issues in this area, in accordance with the teachings of the Gospel," the Eparchy’s statement concluded.