Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia has sent a letter to several international leaders urging them to use their authority to stop the implementation of what he described as an extremely discriminatory law on foreigners introduced by the authorities in Pristina.
The letter was addressed to Pope Leo XIV; the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin; the President of the United States, Donald Trump; and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. It was also sent to several European leaders, including the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni; the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer; and the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz. Additionally, the message was addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El Enany.
In his letter, Patriarch Porfirije warned that the enforcement of the law could have serious consequences for the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. According to the Patriarch, the law would jeopardize not only the functioning of the University of Kosovska Mitrovica and the primary and secondary schools attended by Serbian students under the educational programs of their state, but also the entire healthcare system that provides medical care to Serbs living in the region.
The Patriarch stressed that the implementation of the law could threaten the very survival of the Serbian people and the protection of Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija. He noted that if the law were enforced, Serbs could lose access to education and healthcare, while many employees in the educational and medical sectors could lose their jobs. Such developments, he warned, might lead to an even larger exodus of Orthodox Serbs from what he described as an ancient Christian land.
Patriarch Porfirije also reminded world leaders that Kosovo and Metohija contain around 1,300 Orthodox churches, monasteries, and other Christian holy sites, many of which have suffered destruction in the past. He pointed out that nowhere else in Europe is there such a concentration of Christian heritage in one place, including four sites that are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage in Danger.
At the same time, the Patriarch emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church remains committed to seeking a peaceful solution. He expressed hope that the Serbian authorities would do everything possible to find a compromise.
“Human lives are the greatest sacred value, and we are obliged to protect them,” the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Serbs concluded.
Source: Patriarchate of Serbia