Dear Friends

This year we had three pre-Christmas carol services in the ‘parish.’ They were held here last Saturday evening, in Sarajevo last week (at which My Lord Paddy Ashdown put in an appearance) and in Skopje last Monday, at which the President of the republic read a lesson and the US Ambassador administered the chalice at the Eucharist that followed. Driving back from there yesterday I was beginning to feel in the Christmas mood, and was looking forward to celebrating our Christmas Eve mass.

By a long tradition, the Anglican Community in Belgrade is the guest of the Serbian Patriarch and the Eucharist is celebrated in his chapel within the Patriarchate. Although, because of international tensions, years of sanctions and the NATO bombing the Anglican community had dwindled, had been without a priest, the tradition had fallen into disuse, we restored it last year. Furthermore, we were specifically asked to return this year, when once again His Holiness would be present.

It came therefore as something of a surprise when, walking towards the Patriarchal building with my vestments over one arm, and a bag of vessels and a thurible over the other, to see a group of 40 young men standing shoulder to shoulder on the steps of the front door. I dismissed the thought that they might be carol singers, although on seeing me they broke into a rather rough version of the Hymn of St Sava, an opinion which was reinforced when I approached them. One of them said to me ‘Father, we will not allow you to enter!’, and in case I had not got the message, another one added ‘Over my dead body.’ I explained to them that we were there by invitation of His Holiness and by long usage, but this seemed to cut little ice (it had started snowing by then). One shouted ‘We hate ecumenism; but we love you.’ (Isn’t it gratifying to know you are among friends in a situation like this?)

Who were they? Initially they claimed to be Orthodox believers, zealous for the purity of the Faith, who would not allow the Patriarch’s chapel to be sullied by heretical rites, but when I said again that we were there by the Patriarch’s invitation, they declared that he had no right to offer such an invitation. I tried to reason with them: ‘So you are faithful Orthodox, but you do not obey your Patriarch?’ The answer came back ‘We obey the canon of the Holy Fathers,' which can mean, as little or as much as you want it to. What is certain, their motives were ulterior, and they did not represent the Serbian Orthodox Church, from whose bishops, priests and people I have received nothing but respect and courtesy. Perhaps they were paid to stand there, employed by someone with a grudge against ‘the west’, which is the usual bugbear of ultra-nationalists.

By now my congregation was gathering (which included HM Ambassador), and some were understandably not only cold but nervous; this group certainly had the look of ‘rent-a-thug.’ At that moment, the Patriarch himself appeared through the main door. Hats were whipped off, heads were bowed, and ears were bent to hear his words, which were ‘Please now leave and do not interrupt this venerable custom.’ However, bodies remained and the door was blocked. On the Nativity of the Prince of Peace, I was going to take no action which might result in violence, into the situation looked to develop, so we gathered our number, said good night politely, and went around the corner to my flat. There, our manger took the form of my dining table, and we had our Eucharist, attended by representatives from the Patriarchal and Serbian Orthodox friends, who, I noticed, crossed themselves on entering my flat, as they would on entering a church.

This morning we had a good number for Mass of the Day celebrated by me in our habitual location. I preached on the rejection experienced by Mary & Joseph in Bethlehem, and that being an illustration of John 1:11 (He came to his own, and his own received him not). Half way through the liturgy a film crew turned up, and when I checked my mobile phone in the sacristy after mass I saw I had 11 missed calls, which is about as many as I receive per month. From then on the phone did not stop ringing; I had given two interviews before I got to the hall for coffee. Already I had arranged to go to the Patriarchal after mass to speak to His Holiness if at all possible, and this we managed to do. He apologized that the incident had arisen, but asked me to understand that this group did not represent their church, which held dear the links between our two churches. I replied that I understood this, but was sorry that he had to deal with such a contingent that clearly had no respect for his office, and that there was no ill feeling on our part. The Holy Synod had issued a press statement to this effect.

Telephone calls have been coming in all day from well-wishers, especially from members of the Serbian Orthodox Church who are shocked and appalled, embarrassed and hurt by this action, and if anything, it will have furthered relationships. Tonight the TV bulletins go out on air; after that, the airwave may really begin to buzz. Watch this space!

All good wishes

Philip