True Orthodox nuns defend the moral principles of traditional Orthodox Serbia.
FIGHTING WITH THE NUDISTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL HIPPY, NEOPAGAN CAMP RAINBOW
On the northern Kucaj, about twenty kilometres from the village of Zlot, right from the beginning of July, the members of the international hippy movement RAINBOW began to arrive. The neohippies, more precisely neopagans, from all over the world, from all continents, covered the Nothern Kucaj with their tents. During the main celebration of the full moon (the 16th of August) about a thousand of them gathered together. The peace and stillness of the unspoiled nature of one of the less settled parts of Serbia was unexpectedly disturbed by hundreds of people: men, women and children who turned the area of about 5 square kilometres into their camp. Campfires, wigwams, the piercing voice of drums and shrieking forced all game, which is plentiful in these areas, to emigrate to more peaceful areas in the neighbourhood. In this area is located the Serbian zealot monastery - New Stienik. The nuns served all the campers who came to visit the monastery with kindness. They patiently answered the many questions about the Orthodox faith posed mainly by foreigners and members of different religions. Indeed, all the visitors from the camp respected the orders of the monastery while they are visiting. That meant wearing trousers and long sleeves, and for women skirts and headscarves. On entering the church they had to take off jewels from their noses, lips, eyebrows, etc. When the nuns were informed by the local residents that there were hundreds of nudists in the camp and that they were also walking nude outside the camp, they changed their earlier kindly attitude to the visitors from the camp. On all paths leading to the monastery they placed a poster written in English and entitled: "THIS IS SERBIA". The poster went on to say that nudism was strictly forbidden in these areas. They also invited the police to prevent the mass nudism. Unfortunately they did nothing, although from a legal point of view this should have been treated as a disturbance of public order and peace. The culmination of the unsettled relationship between the Orthodox nuns and the Rainbowers took place on Sunday, the 17th of August. That day, before noon, a middle-aged stranger dashed onto the monastery grounds completely naked and started to dance in front of a nun. The nun immediately informed the spiritual leader of the monastery, Hieromonk Acacius, who with another monk immediately reacted and began running after the nudist (who, most likely did not expect the presence of the men). When they caught him they explained to him that this was Serbia, an honourable Orthodox Christian country with many traditions, which would not accept such behaviour or other Western deviation from these traditions. After that, the monk following father Acacius hit the naked stranger several times to discipline him, which made him run away barefoot through the sharp stones, in panic and fear. Father Acacius then asked the organizer of the camp to stop the nudism, because if he did not, he would be forced to do so by the patriots and Orthodox believers, in order to bring this shame to an end by force. The organizers of the camp promised that they would do their best to make sure the campers were dressed. At the moment, the result of this quarrel is still uncertain. The camp officially lasts until the end of August, and the most persistent participants plan to stay during the whole of September. Father Acacius emphasises: "...Mass nudism is not only a problem because it disturbs the peace of the monastery and its environment, and disgusts local inhabitants: but there is also a moral principle of Serbia as a traditional country forbidding the removal of its traditional boundaries, which exist to prevent the entrance of open immorality. Just as the homosexual parade was stopped in Belgrade, in a similar way these aggressive nudists will be stopped, if, in spite of all kinds of pleading they still persist in open provocation."
The source of information:
the sisterhood of the New Stienik monastery,
Mikulj Stone, Northern Kucaj
I can confirm the report sent to you from the sisterhood of the New Stenik monastery concerning the provocations they have suffered from members of the "Rainbow Gathering". Some of those present at this event have visted the monastery in a respectful manner and have been open to learn about True Orthodox monasticism. The monastery is situated in the largest wilderness in the Balkans in which many Monarchist Christian patriots belonging to the Chetnik movement hid from the Communists after the Second World War for many years afterwards and also is home to one of the last infestations of authentic european paganism which is found among the Vlaise, a mountain people racially Romainian but speaking the Serbian language. Those gathered at the Rainbow festival seem unaware of the local occultism and the shamans and shamanesses from the area do not take the "Spirituality" of the western vistors seriously. There has been another incident involving an English man who started a group of fires on Mikual cliff just above the monastery which caused concern to the sisterhood given the remoteness of the area and the danger of fires spreading because of the lack of rain from some weeks now. He was found fully naked meditating in the middle of the fires by some Serbian guests of the monastery in some type of trance and did not notice their presence until they physically informed him of it. After he realised that he was no longer humanly alone he decided that it was best that he left the neighbourhood of the monastery. The fire continued to burn long into the night despite the efforts of the guests and neighbours of the convent and endanger the monastery due to the direction of the wind. The police and the fire services also arrived at the scene but by that time the fire had stopped. The local police due to this and other incidents with other residents of this area have informed the Rainbow festival members that it would be in their best interests to depart from Serbia. There has also been concern about drugs coming into the area. Two True Orthodox nuns who live together in a skete beside the garden of the monastery have been particurly troubled due to their nearness to the Rainbow camp and therefore hearing loud drumming often accompanied by screams long into the night without stop from July.
In Christ,
Theophan Costello.
(Irish guest of the Monastery).