SOC grateful to ROC for efforts to get archbishop released

BELGRADE - The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) on Wednesday expressed deep gratitude to the sisterly Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for its great efforts to secure the release of Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski of Ohrid.

In a staged, political trial, Archbishop Jovan has received a severe, arbitrary prison sentence and has been subjected to brutal imprisonment despite his seriously declining health, the SOC said.

Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of the Russian Orthodox Church has urged the non-canonical Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) and the Macedonian state leadership that Archbishop Jovan be released, the SOC said in a statement.

Macedonian media have reported that Metropolitan Hilarion, who is one of the most influential metropolitans in the ROC and
also in charge of foreign policy at the Moscow Patriarchate, requested on December 21 - while on a visit to Macedonia - that Archbishop Jovan be pardoned.

According to the reports, Metropolitan Hilarion made the request during meetings with the head of the MOC - the
Archbishopric of Ohrid, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and President Gjorge Ivanov - who has the constitutional
power of pardon - also meeting with Vraniskovski himself at the Mother Teresa Clinical Centre in Skopje.

The SOC said that Archbishop Jovan had been temporarily transferred to the centre from the Idrizovo prison for the meeting with Metropolitan Hilarion, and that he was subsequently returned to prison.

Metropolitan Hilarion's meetings in Skopje were governed by a concern for the unity of the church, also touching upon prospects of regulating the canonical status of the church in the area, as well as granting Archbishop Jovan, who is also the metropolitan...