Bishop Atanasije, Administrator of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren responded yesterday with a letter to the editors of Vecernje Novosti to an article published by a journalist of this paper under the pseudonym E.V.N. Bishop Atanasije’s letter follows:

First ignorance/lie: ''Bishop Atanasije served the new Liturgy'' and slightly below that, using different words: ''not according to the established church order, but with some new elements''. – Response: Bishop Atanasije served according to the official Sluzhebnik of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The story of ignorant persons about “the established order” deserves the response: Which and whose “established order” do you mean? The one from the former Austro-Hungary? – No, the one from printed Serbian Sluzhebniks, which was transmitted in the modern Serbian language in the Synod Sluzhebnik. Unfortunately, what we have happening, especially in the newspapers, is ignorant people preaching to the Synod and the Bishops. And bishops serve the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy, which is eternally old and eternally new (Mat 13:52).

Yesterday, February 14, 2010, a group of about twenty monks of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren which opposes the decision of the Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, led by the hegumen of Crna Reka Monastery Fr. Nikolaj and a number of civilians from the north of Kosovo, forcibly broke into the courtyard of Gracanica Monastery with the intent of “protecting the dismissed Bishop Artemije”. After unsuccessful attempts to enter through the main gate, the group of perpetrators led by the monks of Crna Reka physically assaulted the monks who are helping Bishop Atanasije in performing his duties. After a clash the group broke into the monastery using a side entrance. Shouting, they broke the entrance door of the bishop’s residence and one civilian even snatched a rifle from a Swedish soldier. (Swedish KFOR has been providing security for Bishop Artemije and the monastery for years.) The incident concluded after the group reemerged from the bishop’s residence, having convinced itself that Bishop Artemije “is not being held prisoner”.

The newly appointed Administrator of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija His Grace Bishop Atanasije (Jevtic) served Holy Hierarchal Liturgy today on the feast of the Meeting of Our Lord in Gracanica Monastery with the concelebration of Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan and the clergy, monks and nuns of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren. Liturgy was sung by the nuns of Gracanica together with Abbess Mother Efronija, and attended by some 200 faithful from Gracanica with their children, two of whom were baptized after Liturgy.

By the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church no. 131 dated February 11, 2010, which is signed by His Beatitude the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija has been dismissed from the administration of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren until the conclusion of canonical proceedings that have been initiated or until the next session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops. His Grace Bishop Artemije is not banned from religious service and may reside in his bishop’s seat or another place or monastery or another Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the consent of the newly appointed administrator or the pertinent Bishop of the relevant other Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Diocese has been informed today that criminal charges were filed today in the High Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade against clergy member of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren archimandrite Simeon Vilovski and former member of the Diocese executive council Predrag Suboticki (better known for his former company Rade Neimar). Criminal proceedings were initiated on the basis of an investigation conducted by a commission of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church due to founded suspicions that Vilovski and Suboticki were involved in a series of illegal activities. According to state officials, last night (Friday, February 12) Vilovski fled from Gracanica to Macedonia by way of the Blace crossing using an unknown vehicle with Macedonian license plates. Early in the morning the next day (Saturday, February 13) he crossed the border between Macedonia and Greece at Djevdjelija in another vehicle with Belgrade license plates.

The newly appointed administrator of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Bishop Atanasije (retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina) arrived this afternoon in Gracanica Monastery to assume the duty of the administrator of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija. Bishop Atanasije was welcomed by Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan with monks, regional administrators, the abbess of Gracanica Monastery Mother Efrosinija and the abbess of Devic Monastery Mother Anastasija and the sisters.

Today at the session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, chaired by Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, it has been decided to initiate the procedure of determining the canonical responsibility of His Grace Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren in the first instance (Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church art. 70, sect. 20 and 356), with His obligation to cooperate during the procedure, and to be removed from the management of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren until the completion of the initiated procedure, or until the next regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops.