Priština media on Prizren ceremony, MUP in north

27 December 2010 | 11:59 | Source: Tanjug

PRIŠTINA -- Albanian language newspapers published in Priština are report about the ceremony that saw Bishop Teodosije become the head of the SPC Raška-Prizren Eparchy. Ethnic Albanians put up offensive banners near the place where the church ceremony took place (Beta) They describe the act as political, quoting Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Patriarch Irinej's address, and the fact that several government ministers attended the ceremony in the town of Prizren. Some of the headlines in Priština today read, "Irinej cursed human organ traffickers during church ceremony", "Politician Teodosije enthroned", "Enthroned with curses", "On enthronement day Serbian MUP paroled northern Kosovo". The daily Koha Ditore writes that the patriarch "used the religious ceremony" to curse all those causing the suffering of Serbs in Kosovo, particularly those who sold organs taken from kidnapped Serbs. The newspaper adds that Irinej mentioned burned Serb homes and churches, Serbs driven to exile and their disappearance, and that criminals extracted and sold their organs. The daily also writes that Serbian police (MUP) officers patrolled along the main road in northern Kosovo yesterday, "along with members of Kosovo police". The purpose of this exercise, said the article, "was to secure the passage of worshipers and Serb politicians" headed for Teodosije's ceremony. The daily Zeri writes today that a "religious ceremony was turned into politics", and that the bishop "even cursed former members of the KLA", who were named in Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty's report as responsible for kidnapping and killing Serbs for their organs. The paper also describes the CoE official and Swiss senator as "controversial". Teodosije was appointed the head of the SPC diocese after Bishop Artemije was removed from that position and defrocked, in the wake of corruption charges brought against one of his associates.