The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church released Bishop Artemije from his duties

Belgrade, Feb. 15 2010 (Serbia Today) – The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided on Friday to release Bishop Artemije immediately from his duties as the Bishop of the Ras & Prizren Diocese. In their statement Synod makes clear that Bishop Artemije has not been suspended from his post, but only that he is prevented from doing his duties until the inquire into the financial and business transactions involving Bishop and his Diocese is not completed. . Retired Bishop of the Hercegovuna Diocese Atanasije will take temporarily over Bishop Artemije’s duties
Synod started its deliberations on Thursday after representatives of the Synod reported back their findings from the interview with Bishop Artemije and the review of the financial books and records of the Ras and Prizren Diocese. Further, Synod was not pleased with the attitude and responding of the Bishop Artemije towards Synod’s representatives during the interview. Also, they will ask for a criminal charges for embezzlement to be brought against some of the Bishop’s employees.
Some two hundred supporters of the Bishop Artemije including a number of monks from the Ras and Prizren Diocese gathered on Friiday in front Serbian Orthodox church Headquarter in downtown Belgrade in a show of support for the troubled Bishop Artemije. The heavy snow and winds didn’t prevent them to express their dissatisfaction with the decision of the Holy Synod. They claim that Bishop Artemije was unjustly accused and a victim of the media hunt and power struggle within a leadership of the Serbian Orthodox Church.