James Jatras launches petition against decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church

We have learned from sources in the United States that James George Jatras has launched a U.S.-based online petition against the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the request that the decision on suspending His Grace Bishop Artemije be annulled. It is important to mention that this is the same man who, as director of the lobbying firm Venable, according to data available on the website of the U.S. Department f Justice, in 2006 signed a contract with the Diocese according to which he was to be paid $600,000 for political lobbying purposes without, of course, the consent of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Since it is apparent from available documentation that a part of the money for "lobbying" came from humanitarian funds and the funds for the restoration of churches in the Diocese, Mr. Jatras’ petition is extremely hypocritical, to say the least, because the same man cost the Diocese and the hungry Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija hundreds of thousands of dollars, regularly receiving payment for even the most bizarre costs of his "lobbying".

This petition brings further confusion to the many honorable Orthodox Christians in the U.S. who empathize with the struggles and sufferings of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as to spreading various other misinformation regarding the current situation in the Diocese.