BISHOP JOVAN: DIOCESE AND CATHEDRAL ARE TESTAMENTS TO CONTINUITY OF SERB PRESENCE

PAKRAC, SEPTEMBER 28 /SRNA/ – His Grace Bishop Jovan of the Pakrac-Slavonia Diocese emphasized to SRNA that the restoration of the Cathedral Church, the Diocesan Library, and the Episcopal Residence in Pakrac means a great deal for the fullness of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and Orthodoxy in general, as they testify to the continuity of Serb presence in the region.

Bishop Jovan noted that the Pakrac Library, located in the Episcopal Residence, and the Diocese of Pakrac – which has existed since the restoration of the Patriarchate of Peć in the 16th century – play one of the most valuable roles for the Serb people. "That role is to bear witness to the continuity of ecclesiastical, spiritual, intellectual, and national presence. Its greatest value is in connecting us vertically through time, and horizontally across borders," said Bishop Jovan. The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity was consecrated at the beginning of September, with the liturgy served by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, attended by bishops from across the world — a sign of the significance of this holy site. "There were envoys from the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as bishops from the Czech and Slovak churches — all of which shows that our cathedral holds far greater than just local significance. And for the Serb people who remain in Pakrac, its importance is immeasurable," Bishop Jovan underlined. He noted that this was also evident in the large number of people who gathered at the cathedral that day — dancing, singing, socializing, and feasting, as is tradition. EVERY SERB SHOULD HELP RESTORE THE CHURCH IN JASENOVAC Bishop Jovan pointed out that the Diocese of Pakrac-Slavonia has 50 destroyed churches — some demolished during World War II, and others during the 1990s. "We had to start the restoration with the most important one — the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. But the real work is still ahead," said Bishop Jovan. He revealed that plans are in place to restore the church dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen in Uštica, a part of Jasenovac, which was destroyed during World War II. "Construction of the new church began only in 1991, designed by Peđa Ristić — one of the greatest Orthodox architects of the 20th century. The foundations were consecrated by the now-late Serbian Patriarch Pavle, and that was the first time he consecrated any foundations as Patriarch. The church was built up to a height of three or four meters before the war started," he explained. Bishop Jovan expressed great joy over the renovation of the Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the village of Mlaka, near Jasenovac. "We are now beginning the painting and interior work, and I invite everyone to participate. When the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built in Moscow, marking victory over Napoleon, there was a limit on how much any individual could donate so that all the Russian people could feel ownership of the church. We want the same — for our entire nation to adorn, paint, and furnish the church in Jasenovac. We talk a lot about Jasenovac — now let our words be followed by even small deeds," Bishop Jovan urged. DIOCESAN LIBRARY — DESTROYED AND RESTORED OVER 250 YEARS Despite suffering greatly during wartime, the Diocesan Library in Pakrac has existed for 250 years. "During World War II, the NDH authorities made extensive use of its books. There is no record of what is missing, as no proper inventory was made before the war. If we searched the private libraries of Serbian political figures from Croatia, we would surely find many books from our library — because they’ve turned up in such places," Bishop Jovan said. A large portion of the library’s treasures was returned in 1985, thanks to the efforts of the late Metropolitan Jovan Pavlović of Zagreb and Ljubljana, a Slavonian by birth. "Unfortunately, the books were returned to inadequate conditions, because the Episcopal Residence was in very poor shape before the war due to state neglect. On top of that, the state had confiscated church property, leaving the Church with no means to restore it," Jovan explained. He pointed out that Croatia’s attitude toward cultural heritage is best illustrated by an event in the 1960s, when academic Dejan Medaković came on behalf of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts to help restore the Pakrac Monastery — but socialist Croatia denied him permission. In the early 1990s, the situation again worsened for books and the library in Pakrac. "The books were removed from the room in the northern wing where they had been kept and thrown into the courtyard. Many were stolen. We lost four manuscripts, including the Oktoih Prvoglasnik by Đurđe Crnojević — the first book printed in the Serbian language — which shows that whoever stole it knew exactly what they were taking," said Bishop Jovan. Portraits of bishops and the iconostasis of the Cathedral were also lost during this time. By 1995, only ruins remained of the Library and the Church — just four walls. The Cathedral was roofed in 2007, and the Episcopal Residence in 2010. Major restoration began only in 2013–2014. "The church restoration was completed and consecrated earlier this September, with a liturgy served by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije. On that occasion, we also reopened the Diocesan Library within the Episcopal Residence," said Bishop Jovan. He emphasized the critical role played by Croatian officer Ivan Hiti during the 1990s in protecting the library. Hiti prevented the planned destruction of the books by the Croatian army, collected them, and took them to the National and University Library in Zagreb. "In 2007, the books were returned to the Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana, complete with an inventory, and they were well cared for. Ten years later, in 2017, Patriarch Porfirije (then Metropolitan) handed the collection over to us. We placed it in a secure archive, created from an old clergy house. Today, that facility houses manuscripts and books that require climate control, as well as icons from damaged churches that are under state protection. A vault also holds the most valuable and significant items," said Bishop Jovan. You can watch the full report on SRNA’s official YouTube channel.