Together in diversity

The next EU enlargements will pass by the Balkans. Not only Croatia and Macedonia – respectively due to enter the EU in 2012 and 2014 – also other Countries have strong Europeanist intentions. These include also Serbia. To this regard, SIR Europe met Msgr. Stanislav Hocevar, archbishop of Belgrade and president of the international Bishops’ Conference “Saints Cyril and Methodius”, encompassing Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia. SIR Europe interviewed the archbishop at a moment when Serbia is mourning the death of the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Pavle, passed away on November 15 as a result of a long illness at the age of 95. Msgr. Hocevar remembers him as “a man of unity, a man who bore profound Christian witness”. The archbishop recalled that in the hospital the patriarch “reiterated the urgent need for Christian unity and prayed God that it would come true”. Your Excellency, what do you think of the possibility of Serbia’s EU adhesion? “First of all I wish to reaffirm that Serbia ought to be integrated within the European Union. This is an important process: it must be accurately prepared, recalling that Europe cannot live organically in a varied communion without the Balkans, nor can the latter exist without Europe. The Balkans’ history is long and complex, marked by traumatic experiences. However this could help the EU perform its mission in a more integral manner with a more differentiated sensitivity as relates to its historical and cultural centrality. On the religious plane, Serbia, with its Orthodox majority, is marked by a specific spirituality that can help Europe breathe with ‘two lungs””.How heavily do past shadows weigh?“All the truth regarding our past must come to the fore, the good and the bad. To this regard, cooperation with The Hague Tribunal must continue, in order to ‘put the past into order’ while promoting the redistribution process of ex-Yugoslavian property (embassies, archives and so on). However, ascertaining the truth is not enough. Reconciliation is necessary, in order to envisage the future. This region is crucial to the establishment of Europe’s integrality. Moreover, these countries can’t play a major role independently from one another. It is therefore necessary to develop a new and free cooperation among the different Balkan States, notwithstanding their various identities”.“Nationalist” fringes oppose Europeanist sentiments… “We’re a Country in transition. It takes time to bring about social groups’ integral transformation, especially when for decades these had different visions of reality, responding to specific ideologies. Also the economy needs to adapt to the change. Some groups tend to resist since they would loose past privileges”.How ought the question of Kosovo be viewed in this framework? “The origin of the problem lies in the lack of the will to seek the integral and organic development of the region. Dialogue between the stakeholders was the only true possibility. But conflict was given priority, thus Albanians and Serbs, as well as Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics were isolated from one another, and ghettos were created. International forces intervened with their positions. Kosovo is the result of external planning”.Do you think that Serbia will recognize Kosovo as an independent State? “The solution will be found only when all those engaged in dialogue will fully understand each other. My wish is that dialogue be promoted in this region. To this regard, the plenary meeting of the Bishops’ Conference held in Pristine, November 5-7, was intended as a sign of closeness with the local Catholic Church”. What are the relations between the Serbian minority and the Albanian majority in Serbia? “Many problems of coexistence do still remain, precisely because there has never been a maturation process. In the past there were opposing views on the opportunity to participate in the various electoral consultations, and since the Serbs in Kosovo abstained, their voice was not heard in administrative bodies. On the other hand, on many occasions the government of Belgrade didn’t respect the will of the local population, given the Eastern tradition to solve issues at central level. On the contrary, today it is necessary to underline the dimension of subsidiarity, giving the utmost responsibilities to local bodies. However, this passage mustn’t take place all of a sudden. A transition period is needed so that local bodies may acquire preparation and experience”.In a reality such as that of Serbia, where the Catholic Church is a minority, how is the ecumenical dimension developing? “Catholic and Orthodox faithful experience concrete dialogue on a daily basis. This is the case of religious teaching in school, during seminars and on occasions for joint studies, along with legislative initiatives regarding religious confessions”.