The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren has expressed deep concern over the disappearance of the church bell from the bell tower of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Nedelja in the village of Brnjača, near Orahovac, calling for a thorough investigation by the Kosovo Police.
In a statement issued on July 20, the Diocese said that believers from Orahovac and the surrounding area, who had gathered for the Divine Liturgy to celebrate the parish feast day, discovered upon their arrival that the church bell was missing. The Kosovo Police were immediately notified and responded to the scene, while the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
The Diocese stressed that the bell is not merely an item of church property but a consecrated liturgical object that calls the faithful to prayer and worship. Its disappearance on the very day of the parish feast, the statement said, has deeply disturbed the small remaining Orthodox community in the area.
The Diocese also noted that the church, located in an area where no Serbian population now resides, had previously suffered damage during the anti-Serb violence of March 2004.
While refraining from drawing premature conclusions regarding those responsible or their motives, the Diocese said it expects the Kosovo Police to conduct a prompt and comprehensive investigation, secure all available evidence, determine exactly what occurred, and, if the bell was unlawfully removed, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The statement further emphasized that investigators should examine whether the incident contains elements of religious or ethnic intolerance.
Recalling that many previous attacks, burglaries, and acts of vandalism against Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have not resulted in effective police investigations or judicial outcomes, the Diocese also called on international representatives to closely monitor how the competent authorities handle the case.
According to the Diocese, only a swift, professional, and impartial investigation can demonstrate that the holy sites and the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church are genuinely protected in practice, rather than merely through official declarations.
Source and photo: eparhija-prizren.com
