The Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church and His Grace Bishop Irinej are pleased to announce that the Supreme Court of New South Wales has today, 24 December 2015, confirmed the orders made by the Court on 29 May 2015 and adopted the scheme put forward by His Grace Bishop Irinej for the future management of the St Sava Monastery under the auspices of the Metropolitanate and the authority of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
At the request of the Defendants, the Court granted a stay of those orders pending any appeal by the Defendants.
"With gratitude to our Lord, this is a very pleasing outcome that vindicates the stance we have taken in this lengthy and difficult litigation. It is our prayer and hope that common sense prevails and the Serbian people can move forward together as one community in the embrace of our Holy Serbian Orthodox Church", stated His Grace Bishop Irinej.
The Court's ruling brings to an end an action that was commenced by the Metropolitanate in 2011, with the consent of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which sought the return of the St Sava Monastery and its uses to the canonical order of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Metropolitanate is thankful to its multitude of faithful throughout Australia and New Zealand who gave their prayerful, moral and financial support for this landmark ruling.
A complete copy of the Decision can be found at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/nsw/NSWSC/2015/1976.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=Irinej%20Dobrijevic
Metropolitanate Executive Board
24 December 2015