Australian Court Finds in Favor of Serbian Patriarchate Against Free Serbs in St Sava Monastery New Kalenich Case
June 03, 2015 (Source: http://www.soc.org.au/en/news)
[Originally reported on May 30]
The Supreme Court of New South Wales handed down its judgment today in legal proceedings commenced, with the knowledge and consent of the Holy Assembly of Bishops and the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, by His Grace Bishop Irinej and the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand against the Free Serbian Orthodox Diocese for Australia and New Zealand Property Trust Limited and its directors for breaches of a charitable trust relating to the St Sava Monastery New Kalenich located in Wallaroo, New South Wales.
By way of summary, the Court found as follows:
1. The Property Trust’s rejection of Bishop Irinej’s authority to supervise the Monastery, its exclusion of him and of persons authorised by him to conduct services and the allowing of Dragan Saracevic to conduct services were breaches of the trust upon which the Monastery is held;
2. The Free ANZ Diocese’s affiliation with the Greek Old Calendarists, and the appointment of Bishop Ambrose as ‘bishop’ of the Free ANZ Diocese, was not consistent with the spirit of that trust;
