Hundreds of Bosnian Orthodox led by a priest at a special prayer service for Kosovian Serbs, after Kosovo's declaration of independence, in church "St.Trojice" in Bosnian Serb capital Banja Luka February 20, 2008.
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Pope urges Serbia toward reconciliation on Kosovo
Posted on Thu Feb 21 2008
Vatican, Feb. 21, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI called for "prudence and moderation" regarding the independence of Kosovo, and "mutual reconciliation" among the peoples of the Balkans, during a February 21 meeting with a new ambassador from Serbian to the Holy See.
The Serbian envoy, Vladeta Jankovic, had pressed his country's case against an independent Kosovo. He told the Pope: "Your Holiness knows, better than anyone, that injustice-- which is called justice in only a single unique case-- always remains an injustice." The Serbian government has consistently argued that an acknowledgment of Kosovo's independence is a breach of international law, since Serbia still claims hegemony over the disputed territory.
"All that Serbia expects from that process is to be granted the same treatment as that accorded to any other free, independent, and democratic Christian country," Jankovic said. That treatment, he added, would imply recognition of the country's territorial claim in Kosovo.
Pope Benedict sidestepped the Serbian claim, however. Instead he remarked that Christians and Christian nations should "discovere the courage to forgive and accept forgiveness, to be reconciled with our neighbors, and to build together a civilization of love."
The Holy Father went on to say that the conflicts in the Balkan region have been fueled by "the tragic loss of Christian unity over the past thousand years," which has heightened tensions between the Catholic and Orthodox faithful. Pope Benedict said that he was pleased to note the improved relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Serbia-- a predominantly Orthodox country.
Turning to relations with Islam-- a crucial factor in the case of Kosovo, where the population is heavily Muslim-- the Pope said that Serbia's geographical placement on the boundary between the Christian and Islamic worlds "opens up rich possibilities for progress in inter-religious dialogue."
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