SZS to Irinej: The SPC is not owned by the Serbian Progressive Party

BELGRADE, (Patria) - The Alliance for Serbia (SZS) today addressed a public letter to Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), telling him that the SPC is not owned by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and that he is the head of a Church made up of believers of different political affiliations, including opposition ones.

The Alliance for Serbia recalls that Patriarch Pavle, in complex and crisis historical situations, always called for dialogue and reconciled conflicting sides in society, and did not interfere in daily politics.

 

Pismo patrijarhu:

Vaša javna negativna ocena o protestima je direktno mešanje u dnevno-politička pitanja i otvoreno stajanje na stranu vlasti, što neko na Vašem položaju nikako ne bi trebalo da čini, jer SPC nije u vlasništvu SNS.https://t.co/26YEYKmJ5P

— Savez ZA Srbiju (@SavezZaSRB) March 25, 2019

 

"We expected you to continue along that path and call on representatives of the authorities to open a dialogue with the opposition and the organizers of the protests, because that is the only way to resolve serious socio-political crises peacefully," it is stated in the open letter, regarding yesterday's statement by Patriarch Irinej that "what we see on the streets today is not good."

The SZS statement says that the public negative assessment of the protests is direct interference in daily political issues and open siding with the authorities, which someone in that position should never do.