Published: 02/04/2025
Modified: 02/04/2025
Official Statement of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren Regarding the Desecration of the Church Flag in Orahovac
The Diocese of Raška and Prizren expresses its deep concern regarding an incident that occurred during the night between April 1st and 2nd, 2025, at the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Orahovac, Kosovo and Metohija.
Security cameras clearly recorded an unidentified individual wearing a mask approaching the church at approximately 12:36 AM and subsequently entering the church courtyard at 12:45 AM, where the perpetrator desecrated and tore the official flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church from the church bell tower.
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On the morning of April 2nd, the parish priest, Fr. Milan Stanojević, discovered the torn church flag and further noticed that another flag, located near the church’s candle stand, had been stolen. The incident was immediately reported to the local police station in Orahovac.
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The Diocese of Raška and Prizren firmly stresses that this flag is not a political symbol, but the official flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church, displaying the Christian cross and four traditional “ocila” (firesteels). The incident, which was clearly documented by security footage, constitutes a direct violation of religious symbols and property.
This act is part of a troubling pattern of systematic and continuous violations of the religious freedoms of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox community in Kosovo and Metohija. The Diocese unequivocally condemns this latest incident, which sadly illustrates the absence of essential conditions for the free and dignified practice of the Orthodox faith and the basic rights of our faithful.
The Diocese of Raška and Prizren will formally notify the relevant international institutions and organizations about this incident and will continue to consistently report all forms of violations against the religious freedoms and rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful in Kosovo and Metohija.
Diocese of Raška and Prizren
April 2, 2025
