A priest of the SOC Diocese of Raška-Prizren visited the desecrated temple near Podujevo and found the church locked

The parish priest of the Priština deanery, Fr. Staniša Arsić, visited the desecrated church near Podujevo and found the church locked.

Following reports of a break-in at the church of Saint Archangel Michael in Rakinica, near Podujevo, the responsible parish priest, Staniša Arsić, accompanied by the Kosovo Police, visited this sacred site.

Father Arsić discovered that certain construction work had been carried out on the church without permission, following the burning and demolition of its southern wall several years ago. He attempted to enter the church, but found the doors securely locked with a large new padlock and chains embedded in the stone door frame and the old wooden doors, which have their own lock.

On the north side of the church, the main part, the window glass was broken. Through it, one could only see part of the interior and the epitrachelion left behind after the break-in and the alleged service by the self-proclaimed priest Nikolla Xhufka and Kristian Zagalli, another false cleric from Albania proclaimed a priest by Xhufka.

In the bushes beside the sidewalk under the window, remnants of small white candles used for decoration were discarded, likely used in the “ritual” performed yesterday in the burglarized church.

Father Staniša prayed in front of the closed doors and among the pile of broken and discarded tiles and bricks, he found a part of the door frame from the interior of the church, adorned with ornaments and Cyrillic letters.

Although rare post-war reports mention an old cemetery around the church and two preserved crosses, they were not found today.