Šibenik, November 1, 1999 (IKA) — Fotije, the new Serbian Orthodox episcope (bishop) of the Dalmatian Eparchy (Diocese) and the administrator of the Upper Karlovac Eparchy, was formally invested on Sunday, October 31, at the Orthodox church in Šibenik by Metropolitan Jovan Pavlović of Zagreb-Ljubljana and all of Italy. Addressing the Serbian Orthodox faithful for the first time in his new capacity, Episcope Fotije stated that he would work toward the rebuilding of the spiritual and liturgical life in the eparchy, as well as the renewal of Orthodox monasteries and the religious education of the young. He also emphasized that in “the next, jubilee year of Christianity, as the Orthodox episcope and in the name of the Church, I shall particularly strive to cultivate Christian relations with all people, particularly with the hierarchy and faithful of the Roman Catholic Church and with the representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Croatia,” adding that “we are directed to do this by the spirit of the Gospels and love, which teaches us to be everything to all men, and to render unto Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
In addition to numerous Serbian Orthodox episcopes, the investiture was attended by the Roman Catholic bishop of Šibenik, Ante Ivas, and by the head of the local Jewish community, Leopold Gašpar, as well as representatives of the political life of the city of Šibenik.
On the occasion of the investiture of Episcope Fotije, Roman Catholic Bishop Ivas of Šibenik issued a statement to the press that he sincerely rejoices that Orthodox Christians will now receive pastoral care and that he anticipates that coexistence, which was interrupted by the war in this region, will continue in the Christian spirit. He reminisced that the late bishop of Šibenik, Srečko Badurina, consistently supported the return of Serbian Orthodox priests to Šibenik but that his attempts were only partially successful.
Episcope Fotije, (Radoslav Sladojević), until now a professor at the St. Arsenije of Srijem School of Theology in Sremski Karlovci, was appointed as the episcope of Dalmatia by Patriarch Pavle at a meeting of the Holy Assembly of Archpriests of the Serbian Orthodox Church, held in Belgrade from May 13 to 15 of this year. Episcope Fotije is replacing Episcope Longin, who has been appointed as the episcope of the eparchy for America and Canada.