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6. Antisemitism as Prophecy: Social Construction of Velimirović’s Sanctity
- Central European University Press
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ChaPter six antisemitism as prophecy Social Construction of Velimirović’s Sanctity “When he prophesized—nikolaj roared, when he prayed—nikolaj healed, when he wrote—nikolaj prophesized.” (predrag Dragić-Kijuk, editor of the nationalist publication Književne Novine) on 19 may 2003, the assembly of Bishops of the serbian orthodox Church announced its “unanimous and undisputed decision” to “include the name of nikolaj (Velimirović), bishop of ohrid and Žiča, in the calendar of saints of the holy [serbian] orthodox Church.” the announcement stated that, in canonizing Bishop Velimirović, the assembly “solemnly confirmed the widespread belief in his sanctity , which exists not only within the serbian Church, but throughout the orthodox World” (information service of the serbian orthodox Church, 2003b). the magnitude of the importance attributed to st nikolaj of ohrid and Žiča (sometimes also referred to as st nikolaj of lelić or even st nikolaj of serbia) was reflected in the decision to allocate two days in the church calendar to his veneration: march 18, the day of Velimirović’s death in exile in the United states in 1956; and may 3, the day in 1991 when his remains were brought back to serbia, before being laid to rest in his native village of lelić. the formal canonization ceremony was held at the Cathedral of st sava in central Belgrade only five days after the initial announcement. the special liturgy was officiated by patriarch pavle of the serbian orthodox Church in the presence of twenty-eight serbian bishops and several thousand faithful. the sacred remains of the new saint were transported to Belgrade especially for this occasion and were displayed in an open casket to be worshipped by members of the public. although the inauguration of nikolaj Velimirović as serbia’s seventy -seventh national saint came as a surprise to many journalists and 0 Denial and Repression of antisemitism commentators, the decision appears to have been premeditated and carefully planned. several commemorative events were organized by the serbian Church to coincide with the announcement. on may 14, five days before the canonization was declared, a museum exhibition devoted to Velimirović’s life and work, which had toured serbia in the preceding months, opened in Belgrade in the presence of the serbian patriarch and numerous high-ranking bishops. the patriarch’s speech at the opening ceremony hinted at the impending decision by the assembly of Bishops in that the head of the serbian Church—who was until then probably the only senior church official who consistently refused to refer to Velimirović as a saint—referred to him as the “Holy Bishop.” also, the announcement concerning the canonization coincided with the publication of the much-publicized book Holy Bishop Nikolaj of Ohrid and Žiča (Jevtić, 2003a) and a luxury limited edition of Velimirović’s book Symbols of Faith. this chapter examines the campaign for Velimirović’s canonization which began in the 1980s and concluded in 2003. it will be suggested that while the cause for Velimirović’s canonization tended to overlook his antisemitism, certain constructions of the bishop’s holiness have been intrinsically tied to the controversy surrounding his earthly existence . this includes the claims that Velimirović had been graced with special mystical experiences and powers—those of epiphany, prophecy, and healing—which are regarded, within the Christian tradition, as important characteristics of saints. Building on the arguments developed in previous chapters, the analysis of Velimirović’s “path to sanctity” explores the ways in which the assertions about the “mystical” dimension of the bishop’s personal history endowed the antisemitic aspect of his ideology with almost divine significance and in doing so have helped to legitimize further the lamentable anti-Jewish invective found in Words to the Serbian People Through the Dungeon Window. The first stage of the campaign for canonization: The making of a religious “cult” in the orthodox Church, unlike in the Roman Catholic tradition, there are no formal procedures associated with canonization. proclamation of saints is not preceded by a formal diocesan inquiry, sessions by the Congregation for the Causes for Canonization, or well- [44.210.107.64] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 18:00 GMT) 0 Antisemitism as Prophecy defined courses of action regarding the verification of miracles. also, no distinction is made between “beatification” and “canonization.” the orthodox churches are believed to follow the tradition of early Christendom, when canonization was the means by which ecclesiastical authorities simply formalized the veneration of a martyr or a confessor already worshipped as such by the wider community...