17.10.2014
Promotion of the book “Clergy in the history of the Serbian military" held
Today, at the Atrium of the Central Military Club, a promotion was held for the book “Clergy in the history of the Serbian military 1800-1920”, which is the result of ten years of comprehensive research of retired Major General Milisav Sekulic, MSc.
The book was presented by Prof. Veselin Djuretic, PhD, Colonel Borislav Grozdic, PhD, priest Milorad Sredojevic – the editor; Ljubomir Markovic – President of the Union of Serbian warrior's descendants 1912 – 1920 and the author.
Markovic said that the book is extraordinary valuable, because it creates conditions for the nation to be molded in spiritually healthy directions.
- At the height of his creative capabilities, Sekulic does not stop admiring us with his books. This book is a great contribution to our current jubilees – 100 years since the Balkan Wars and the Great War and 70 years since the liberation of Belgrade in the Second World War. I wish for you to read the book, but also to experience a spiritual achievement today - President of the Union of Serbian warrior's descendants 1912 – 1920 said.
Professor Djuretic stressed that the book is avant-garde, because it is the first one to focus on the topic of clergy in the history of the Serbian military.
- The book provides a general frame that speaks about the position of Serbian clergy in the long historical period. Serbian clergy stood both at the front of freedom and at the altar, holding sermons. Reading this book, you will realize that it is a constituent of spirituality, and our military has yet to balance spirituality and patriotism – the book’s reviewer said.
According to Colonel Grozdic, PhD, the book “has started living its life” after nine years of waiting.
- Publishing of this book is of manifold importance and it is difficult to select just several reasons. I would point out the author’s dedication not to allow the 580 priests from the Great War and 629 from the Second World War that had given their lives for our country to die the second time due to our national illness – collective amnesia. The book shows that a good Christian is also a good soldier. Moreover, I would stress the author’s effort to collect the experiences from the life of clergy during a longtime period, which are important and very useful for the recent introduction of religious service in the Armed Forces of Serbia. How much we are interested in the past is also shown by how responsibly we are interested in the future. Even if the author hadn’t done anything else in his life, but only published this book, it would have been enough to worthily pay his debt to both the Serbian military and the Serbian people – Colonel Grozdic said.
Priest Milorad Sredojevic said that the book is invaluable because it fills a void, vacuum, that has existed for years, which describes the spiritual history of our people that has been untold.
- The book reminds of those that created our newer history, who were always helped by faith. Without faith, there is no man, no life. Faith shapes the life of an individual and of every people. Without spiritual content, continuity, and thus identity are lost. Without spiritual history, there is no worldly history. The book is a beacon and a wake-up call for the people in these tough times. It should most certainly serve the next generations as the material for their future works – priest Sredojevic said.
The author presented the book and its chapters whose texts point to current issues of what soldiers and senior staff should know about the Church and clergy, and what the Church should know about the military and stressed that they can significantly contribute to bringing the two institutions closer.
- The book presents basic notions of religion, clerical profession, Orthodox Christian religion and religious life in the Serbian military from 1804 to 1919, military slavas, prayers and oaths, and data on 298 priests, gathered from military archives – the author said, and presented the audience in more detail with the main characters, priests in the history of the Serbian military 1800-1920.
