Victims of Operation Storm Commemorated in Belgrade

Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, auxiliary to the Serbian Orthodox patriarch, led a memorial today in Belgrade's Church of St. Mark in the presence of Serbian President Boris Tadic, other Serbian officials, and a large number of the city's faithful to commemorate the victims of Operation Storm, the offensive by Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina that killed over 3,000 Serbs in Slavonia and Bosnia and resulted in the expulsion of roughly 340,000 Serbs from Slavonia and Muslim-occupied Bosnia.

Although some of the operation's perpetrators have been sentenced by The Hague, the refugees have yet to be allowed to return to Slavonia or Bosnia to reclaim their properties. More here and (in Serbian) here.

Bosnian Serbs Commemorate 1992-1995 Victims

On yesterday's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Bosnia's Serbs, led by Bishop Vasilije (Kacavenda) of Zvornik, commemorated over 3,000 Serb civilians killed between 1992 and 1995 by Bosnian Muslim forces attempting to ethnically cleanse northeastern Bosnia of its Serb population. The leader of this campaign, Naser Oric, was given a 2-year jail term by the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, but was later acquitted. More here and (in Serbian) here.

Memorial Church for Utashe Victims Opened in Bosnia

The foundations of a chapel in Stari Brod, Bosnia, erected in memory of 6,000 Serbs killed there by the Ustashe in 1942 have been consecrated by a representative of Metropolitan Nokolaj of Sarajevo of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with a memorial also being served for the Ustashe victims. More (in Serbian) here.

Serb Referendum Canceled in Bosnia-Herzegovina

A referendum in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb Republic over the legitimacy of the country's federal courts, which have been accused of being biased against the country's Serb residents, has been canceled under pressure from the European Union. More here.

Patriarch Irinej Visits Bosnia

Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovich) of Pech has made a visit to a historic monastery of the Metropolitanate of Sarajevo and Dabar-Bosnia in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb Republic. More here.

St. Platon of Banja Luka

Christ is risen! Joyous feast! St. Platon was a clergyman and hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church who served in both pre-WWI Serbia and royal Yugoslavia, eventually being elected Bishop of Banja Luka in Bosnia.

When what today is Bosnia-Herzegovina was occupied by Ustashe Croatia during World War II St. Platon was ordered to leave his diocese. He refused, however, saying that he had bound himself "to take care of [his] spiritual flock permanently and firmly, regardless of any events." The day following St. Platon's reply he was arrested by the Ustashe, taken out of the city, tortured, and martyred, with his relics eventually being recovered from the Vrbanja River and being enshrined in Banja Luka's cathedral.

The Serbian Orthodox Church formally glorified St. Platon as a new hieromartyr in 1998. More on his life can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!

Serbian Outreach to Diaspora Not Interference in Neighbors' Internal Affairs

Responding to protests from Serbia's neighbors in the Balkans, Serbian President Boris Tadic has stated that his government's efforts to more closely connect the Serb Diaspora with Serbia is not intended to interfere in the internal issues of Serbia's neighbor states as Serbia does not consider the Serbs there as living in diaspora and leaves to them the workings of their local and national governments. More here.

Turkish Economic Influence Grows in the Balkans

Growing Turkish economic influence is becoming a growing cause for concern in the Balkans, one no doubt not helped by statements from the Turkish foreign minister that, "The Ottoman centuries of the Balkans were success stories. Now we have to reinvent this...Turkey is back!” Many in the Balkans remember the centuries of religious and ethnic persecution (see here, here, and here) that followed the Ottoman Turkish conquest in a somewhat dimmer light and are consequently wary of renewed Turkish influence. More here.

Diocese of Herzegovina Returns to Mostar

After nearly two decades in exile the Diocese of Zahumlje and Herzegovina has returned to its cathedra in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina. In announcing the return Bishop Grigorije (Durić) of Zahumlje encouraged the Serbs who had fled the city during the Bosnian Civil War to return to help rebuild the city's Serbian Orthodox population. More here.

EU Urges Census in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The European Union (EU) is pressuring Bosnia-Herzegovina to form a new coalition government and to prioritize the enactment of census legislation to speed the process of the country's entrance into the EU. Bosnia-Herzegovina's last census was in 1991, at which time 43% of the country was Bosnian Muslim, 31% Serbian Orthodox, and 17% Croatian Catholic. More here.

"Bosnia's 'Patient' Fight for Religious Tolerance"

An interesting survey of issues surrounding religious tolerance in modern-day Bosnia-Herzegovina by Rusmir Smajilhodzic can be found here.

Eve of the Nativity Around the World

Some beautiful pictures from around the Orthodox world from today, the eve of the Lord's Nativity, can be found here.