On this web-site we will be posting news in English related to the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, i.e. Diocese (Eparchy) of Raška and Prizren. Eparchy of Raška and Prizren - Wikipedia We hope that this will help our followers to keep more in touch with issues related to our life, problems and opportunities we have been facing.
For 22 years, since the end of the Kosovo war amid the dissolution of former Yugoslavia, our Church in this region has been facing severe problems with human and religious freedoms. More than 140 of our churches have been destroyed or desecrated, not in the time of war but under the internationally granted peace. Only one part of them has been reconstructed while many lie in ruins together with hundreds of destroyed and desecrated cemeteries. Our official site in Serbian www.eparhija-prizren.com has been publishing regularly the news, as was our old site www.kosovo.net but we hope that in this way we may make it easier to keep informed the English speaking public.
Our Church with its old Christian roots, many holy sites, four of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Peć Patriarchate, Dečani Monastery, Gračanica Monastery and the Holy Virgin of Lyevish, represents a strong and unwavering voice of the Serbian Orthodox people which has been living here for centuries and considers this land as its Holy Land, as its Jerusalem, regardless of political realities throughout the history.
Our main goal is to stay here with our people, with our holy sites, our tradition, Serbian-Orthodox identity, in peace with our neighbors regardless of their ethnicity. language or religion. Claiming Kosovo and Metohija as a Serbian Holy Land we are not denying anyone's rights and freedom to live freely and develop one's own tradition but emphasizing its spiritual meaning for our people. We remain fully resolute to preserve what is our own and share it as a token of brotherly love in the spirit of Gospel, proclaiming the good message of our Lord.
Some of the texts published on this site, which are not authored by our Diocesan staff, will be published only if they are in any way relevant to the life of our Church and her people. All texts which are not authorized by the Diocese of Raška - Prizren will have its source clearly indicated. Publishing of these texts does not necessarily means endorsment by our Diocese. If necessary the news or opinions of others may be commented in our own texts, which will be clearly stated.
Welcome again and let's hope we'll be helping you to learn at last what our Church and our people feel, think, what are our concerns and our expectations amid quite uncertain future prospects and developments.
We will also take the opportunity to promote our heritage using the verified sources and thus combat the growing attempts to deny our identity and our history.
Yours Serb-Orthodox-Kosovo team
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The 14th century church of Bogorodica Ljeviška (Holy Virgin of Lyevish), a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 14th century by Serbian King Milutin and a traditional seat of our Metropolitans of Prizren (photo by Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška-Prizren, May 2021)
