Church bell disappears from Kosovo village; Eparchy demands investigation

The Eparchy of Raška and Prizren has reported the disappearance of a church bell from the bell tower of the Church of St. Great Martyr Nedelja in Brnjača, a village near Orahovac in Kosovo. The Eparchy stated that the Kosovo Police were called to the scene, but all circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

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The church bell is not only part of church property but a consecrated liturgical object that calls the faithful to prayer and gathering.

The Eparchy emphasized that a church bell is not merely church property but a consecrated liturgical item that calls the faithful to prayer. Its disappearance on the day of the church's patronal feast has deeply disturbed the small remaining congregation. This is particularly concerning given that the church, located in an area with no resident Serbian population, was previously damaged during the March 2004 violence.

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Its disappearance precisely on the day of the patronal feast has deeply disturbed the few remaining faithful in this area, especially considering that this church, near which no Serbian population lives, already suffered during the March violence of 2004.

While refraining from premature conclusions about perpetrators or motives, the Eparchy urged the Kosovo Police to conduct a swift and thorough investigation. They called for the collection of all available evidence to determine what happened and to bring any perpetrators to justice if the bell was illegally removed. The Eparchy stressed the importance of examining whether the incident involves elements of religious or ethnic intolerance.

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We expect the Kosovo Police to immediately conduct a thorough investigation, secure all available evidence, determine what happened, and, if the bell was illegally removed, find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Given that many previous attacks, burglaries, and desecrations of Serbian Orthodox Church properties have not resulted in effective police or judicial outcomes, the Eparchy also called for international representatives to closely monitor the actions of the relevant institutions in this case.

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It is particularly important to examine whether this case contains elements of religious or ethnic intolerance.