10.12.2010.
State Secretary Jovicic's interview to Politika
Men of cloth will soon wear the uniform of the Serbian armed forces. Preparations for the religious services are coming to a close, and according to Igor Jovicic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, it is expected that the Serbian government will adopt in the Regulations on the performance of religious services.
The Law on the Army guarantees freedom of religion and observance of religious services, and the details will be worked out in regulations. Furthermore, we will sign agreements with all the traditional churches and religious communities based which priests and religious officials can enter the system with officers' ranks - Jovicic said.They will, therefore, be admitted to the professional military service, and the opinion of the competent dignitaries of the church or religious community will have to meet the general and special conditions that apply to all officers.
- This means that they must have higher education, that they have completed military service, including psychological and physical aptitude tests. However what will distinguish them from other members of the SAF will be the fact that they will not carry weapons, but they will make good officers and fulfill the responsibilities of their military rank means. They will, for example, to participate in multinational operations and activities of international military cooperation - Jovicic said.
Chaplains shall be assigned to organizational posts in the General Staff of the Serbian Army, commands at the operational level, brigade and battalion levels, the Military Academy and military medical institutions. The number of military priests will depend on the number of members of the Serbian Army belonging to a particular religion. If there are 100 to 500 members of particular church or religious community, then one priest of that church will be assigned to them , whereas two will be assigned for 500 to 1,000 members of the military s. Their number will increase by one on every 1,000 people.
A chaplain will wear the uniform of the Serbian Armed Forces, as any officer of SAF , but also clothes for worship according to the regulations of his church or religious community. Thus, the Orthodox priest in order to indicate affiliation military forces will have with a trefoil cross on each arm, even the Catholic cross, a Protestant vicar will bear a Lutheran rose while a military rabbi will bear the Star of David, and the military imams will have a crescent as an emblem.
- In general service the shaving of military personnel was a regular and mandatory duty. It will now be allowed for chaplains to wear a beard in a manner that does not prevent placement of protective masks. They will also have an assistant designated by the army from the ranks of noncommissioned officers. Chaplain assistants are assigned, inter alia, for security reasons, because they can carry weapons. Also, soldiers will be addressing them as Respected chaplain Sir, Respected military rabbi ... Title is, therefore, by vocation, not by rank. He receives a salary by rank, wears the rank of the brace, but is addressed to by profession. The experience of other countries has shown that addressing by the title breaks the human barrier between high-ranking military officers and lower-ranking priests. The secrecy of confession is guaranteed and the chaplain is not required to say what they hear on confessions - highlights Jovicic.
An illustrative example of how tasks between the churches and religious communities will be divided and how the military will organize religious services is also seen in the provision of venues for religious ceremonies. The military will provide venues for worship in a military facility or other place where they perform tasks, as well as general movables such as furniture, while the provision of liturgical utensils will be the obligation of churches and religious communities. High church dignitaries, as determined by churches and religious communities, will ensure that the chaplains respect religious canons, but they are also subordinate to unit commanders and / or institution in which they are stationed.
- The commander cannot and must not suggest the chaplain how he should perform religious services, but if he says he needs to go with his unit for three weeks on Pasuljanskelivade training field for example, then the chaplain has to hold a service. The aim of religious services will be not be missionary, but will allow freedom of religion and meeting the spiritual needs of the members of SAF. In countries where there is already a religious service in the military the introducing of military priests has shown improvement in the psychological stability of the soldiers. This, however, should not be considered as a substitute for officers for the morale and political affairs, nor as an opportunity to spread any ideology. It is about enabling members of the military to perform complex tasks knowing they have moral and spiritual support, but also the opportunity to practice their religion- Jovicic said.
PORPHYRY the BISHOP OF MILITARY
We are going to hold talks with representatives of traditional churches and religious communities where a detailed model of the religious services would be presented and where we would agree on cooperation. In this work, the Ministry of Defence will cooperate with the Ministry of Religions, and is expected to present the project to the Council for Interreligious Cooperation. Some details, as far as the Serbian Orthodox Church, are already known.
- According to estimates, in the ranks of the army there around 30,000 members who are Orthodox Christians, and in collaboration with the Serbian Orthodox Church, will hire a proportionate number of Orthodox priests. To our knowledge, the SOC has designated a military bishop, a dignitary who will supervise all military priests, and it will be Bishop of Jegar Mr. Porphyry - Jovicic said.
