DECORATION TO HILANDAR - GRATITUDE FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO PRESERVING ORTHODOX FAITH

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 10 /SRNA/ – President Milorad Dodik has said tonight that Republika Srpska is proud of its spiritual ties with Hilandar Monastery, which it will continue to nurture and strengthen.

Dodik stressed that the highest decoration, the Order of Republika Srpska on a Necklace, awarded to Hilandar Monastery, is an expression of gratitude for its invaluable contribution to preserving the spiritual, cultural and historical heritage of the Orthodox faith and the unity of the Serb people. "Christianity is facing serious threats today, confronted with the fact that many Christian nations are gradually losing, or no longer wish to maintain, their strong commitment to the Christian faith," Dodik said, addressing those gathered at the Days of Hilandar in Republika Srpska event, where he presented Archimandrite Metodije with the decoration on behalf of the monastery. He added that the Orthodox world was preserving its traditions and faith, particularly Republika Srpska, which, alongside its efforts to secure its survival and development, as well as its struggle for peace and economic prosperity, is also committed to preserving its spirituality, Church, faith, patron-saint day celebrations, alphabet and language. "I am always delighted to meet and see the Abbot of Hilandar Monastery. He is an inspiration for us to keep moving forward, and I am pleased that, hopefully at the end of January, we will visit Mount Athos to begin work on the restoration of the Tower of King Milutin," Dodik said. He added that this would be a gift from Republika Srpska to the brotherhood and monastery of Hilandar, and a lasting expression of love. "Someone else will have to restore that tower again at some point in the future, but we are part of that continuity. We have secured and allocated the funds," Dodik stressed. He added that Republika Srpska was deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this undertaking, while he personally was grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. Dodik stressed that the commitment was to gather around the Christian faith, noting that many civilisations today were losing the family, without which communities, states and nations were also lost. He said he agreed with US President Donald Trump's position that Christian values must be respected, as well as with what Russia was demonstrating through its efforts to protect its national Russian Orthodox identity. "Today, the global world is witnessing a clash of civilisations and a struggle for the redistribution of resources and power. Under such circumstances, a small Serb people, by the standards of global relations, must seek its strength exclusively in prayer, in Christ and in Orthodoxy," Dodik emphasised. He stressed that Republika Srpska will not abandon its support for the Serbian Orthodox Church and that it also supports other religious communities, with the aim of maintaining peaceful coexistence. Dodik said that, in Europe, a certain group of people sharing the same religious identity was changing the very fabric of European civilisation and the social order that had existed on the continent for centuries in pursuit of profit. "We must be aware that this is happening and that we must preserve our way of life and our faith here. We will not accept migrants into our community, not because we lack humanity, but because we are defending our way of life," Dodik concluded.