PATRIARCH PAVLE'S VISIT WAS ECUMENICAL - SAYS METROPOLITAN JOVAN

ZAGREB, Mar 16 (Hina) - Zagreb-Ljubljana metropolitan Jovan Pavlovic on Tuesday assessed the character of the Serb Orthodox Church Patriarch's two-day visit to Croatia was first of all ecumenical. The visit's ecumenical character was especially evident during Patriarch Pavle's meetings with Archbishop of Zagreb and Croatian Bishops Conference president Josip Bozanic, Croatian cardinal Franjo Kuharic, and their associates, Pavlovic told reporters in Zagreb. At the end of his state and pastoral visit, the Patriarch was honoured with a meeting with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Pavlovic said, adding he hopes the meeting will contribute to better relations between Serbs and Croats, as well as to the return of Serbs who fled Croatia during the recent war. Pavlovic was satisfied the patriarch had also met the apostolic nuncio to Croatia Giulio Einaudi, as well as representatives of other religious communities. Asked by reporters whether during the Patriarch's visit there had been talk on the return of Orthodox priests and of the Serb Orthodox Church property, Pavlovic answered in the negative. It has been agreed however that property issues are to be settled by competent commissions, he said. Asked to what extent the visit would contribute to the development of ecumenism, the metropolitan said that ecumenism between the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Serb Orthodox Church existed even during the war years. Further responding to reporters, Pavlovic said he had no data on how many members of the Serb community live in Croatia, and that such data was unavailable in certain eparchies either. Reporters were also interested in the Serb Orthodox Church leadership's view of the situation in the south Yugoslav province of Kosovo. Bishop of Nis Irinej said the Serb Orthodox Church believes the problem should be resolved peacefully, with attention paid to the respect of human rights. Asked what the Serb Orthodox Church thinks of Kosovo's autonomy, bishop Irinej said the issue concerned politicians, but stressed that "Kosovo is the history of Serb spirituality, the Patriarch's seat," and that the Serb Orthodox Church cannot reconcile with having its headquarters - the Pec Patriarchy - in another state. "The Serb Orthodox Church's standpoint is that Kosovo can have cultural and language autonomy, but that its integrity and sovereignty should be within Serb borders," bishop Irinej concluded. (hina) ha jn