Joanikije also signed a statement: The Serbian Orthodox Church does not think that "our students are Serbian Ustashas"

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) does not think that "our students are Serbian Ustashas", announced today the priests of the SPC, the metropolitans - Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral, Grigorije of Germany, Justin of Žič and Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and the Littoral, as well as Archbishop Maksim of West America and Bishop Irinej of East America.

Their statement was published on its website by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (MCP).

"Since various accusations against students have appeared in public in recent days, and some of them were made by church dignitaries and conveyed through official SPC publications, we feel the need and duty to express our position and call for respect for students and their just and dignified struggle, as well as for responsible expression and reporting," the statement signed by Joanikije, Grigorije, Justin, Dimitrije, Maksim and Irinej states.

A call for respect for students, responsible expression and reporting

Six priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church say that as bishops of that church, they feel a duty to publicly express disagreement and distance themselves from any speech that dehumanizes another person, and especially from speech that belittles young people, students, as a factor in building society, a factor that contributes to its future, or humiliates them as those who are called to think and seek the truth.

"The Church of Christ, as the chosen people and the home of the Living God, exists in every time to bring all people to salvation through love. History teaches us that any speech that nullifies the dignity of another leads to great social tragedies, and we as pastors must not allow such rhetoric to take hold in our people and the Church. The word serves for communication. It is the force and foundation of change, and it must be authentic in order to be true to itself. And we as Christians live by bearing witness to the Word, which is God himself," the statement reads.

The priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church also state that in the days of preparation for Lent, Metropolitan David of Kruševac, in his latest text, which was also published on the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church, places students in the context of a "colored revolution", labeling them in such a way that they are perceived as "Serbian Ustashas", which is both offensive and unacceptable.

"We believe that today it is not justified to be a bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church and remain silent about such words - words that show insensitivity and disregard for the Body of the Church. Their dehumanizing nature demands that we no longer remain silent. The Serbian people, who survived the ordeal of Ustasha terror, are aware that this identification of anyone with such a monstrous movement must never be carried out again, primarily out of piety and respect for the victims. But, at the same time - defining our youth with such words is more than a disgrace - it is a shameful mark on the Body of the Church. Students are our future, and our duty is to guide them towards the Truth with love and understanding, even if they make mistakes somewhere, and not to reject and belittle them. Only with such an approach can we preserve the unity, freedom and dignity of every human being, which is the essence of the Orthodox faith and the ethos of our Church and the axiology of St. Sava," said Joanikije, Grigorije, Justin, Dimitrije, Maksim and Irinej.

They added that because of all this, they can no longer stand idly by, but after statements like these, which were also found on the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church, they want to clearly and unequivocally state that "our Church does not think that our students are 'Serbian Ustashas'".

"Because it is precisely this kind of vocabulary, by abolishing the freedom to hear different voices from the official mouthpiece of the Serbian Orthodox Church, that has led to the tyranny of arrogant and offensive words, spoken without responsibility. Every free man fights for what he believes to be true, fights as if his actions can influence the course of events, even if it may not be so, but always guided by the rule of not publishing or saying anything that could incite hatred. This is the lesson that students are teaching us these days. We can no longer be indifferent or not notice the suffering of others, like Job's friends, living in ideas and rhetoric about cosmic justice, but we must be the initiators and companions of goodness and justice for every individual, especially for our youth," said Joanikije, Grigorije, Justin, Dimitrije, Maksim and Irinej.

They also said that they are appealing to the bishops not to allow this kind of language to become something normal and established.

"We also pray that the editorial policy of the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church will finally be reviewed, because it is necessary that it expresses the catholicity of our Church, its voice and its maternal care. Finally, it is necessary to remember Christ's words that man does not live by bread alone, 'but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God', that is: the mouth of Christ, who is pure love and mercy. We enter Great Lent in the hope that this unwanted event will awaken us to together preserve the Church as the Body of Christ - not for tyranny, but for the salvation of all of us," Joanikije, Grigorije, Justin, Dimitrije, Maksim and Irinej stated in a statement.