SERB ORTHODOX DIGNITARY: WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO CURRENT ZAGREB AUTHORITIES

ZAGREB, Aug 17 (Hina) - Milenko Popovic, a senior ranking priest of the Serb Orthodox Church (SPC) in Zagreb, said on Friday his "Church has no objections to the current Zagreb authorities," dismissing claims in the August issue of SPC's official bulletin 'Pravoslavlje', which is issued in Belgrade. "Although I have a lot of objections to the authorities' conduct since January 3, I never vilified them," said Popovic, commenting on claims from the bulletin that the current authorities of Zagreb are behind pressures on remaining Orthodox Serbs in Zagreb. Popovic said he had never made such a statement since 3 January 2000 and that he could have made it only in 1992 or 1993. The bulletin brings an eight-page feature with numerous personal impressions and stands of the author from a journey he entitled "Through Slavonia, Croatia, Dalmatia and Republic of Srpska." It is difficult to see from the article where the author relays the authentic statements of the persons interviewed and where he presents his personal observations. Popovic denies having said that "various events are frequently staged in (Zagreb's) Cvjetni Square, where the Serb Orthodox Church is located and the faithful cannot hear the church choir and service from loudspeakers... which is a form of political pressure on the Serbs who remained in Zagreb, behind which are the current city authorities." The religious dignitary also dismissed claims that Serbs are changing their names and converting to Catholicism. He recalled that the church had objections to "the intentional organising of concerts in Cvjetni Square (on the last Christmas Eve, January 1, 2001), but that after a dozen letters to the city authorities, such concerts were not held any more." (hina) rml