Serbia is currently experiencing widespread student protests across almost all university faculties. Thousands of young people studying in Serbia filled the streets of Belgrade last night, demanding action on critical issues.
Their main demands are straightforward: the opening of classified documents regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station and the criminal prosecution of an organized group responsible for attacking students and professors during a meeting related to sending condolences for the 15 victims who died in the collapse of a tent at the railway station.
However, there is one faculty that has not joined these mass protests: the Orthodox Theological Faculty. This faculty is under the direct influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with significant pressure being exerted on the students.
According to the Serbian media outlet Nova.rs, students at the Orthodox Theological Faculty are being blackmailed by the faculty administration. They have been warned that if they join the protests or blockades, they will lose the Church’s blessing to continue their studies.
The media report indicates that while most of the students at the faculty support the protests and actions of their peers, they are powerless to show it publicly. As one anonymous student revealed, they are threatened with losing their blessing to study if they participate in the protests.
“It hurts us deeply that our faculty refuses to publicly support the student movement, especially since the vast majority of students are in favor of the protests. However, a small minority of two or three individuals within the faculty is blocking our actions, and we are completely powerless. We risk losing our blessing to study,” said a student from the Orthodox Theological Faculty, who asked to remain anonymous.
The individuals preventing students from joining the protests are reportedly from the Faculty’s administration, the student added.
The influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and the Church hierarchy on the faculty and its students is confirmed by theologian Vukashin Milicevic.
Milicevic, a former professor at the Orthodox Theological Faculty, explained to our portal that if the faculty were to join the protests, it would have a significant impact.
“Unfortunately, it seems that someone has convinced the current students and their professors that they need a kind of blessing, not only to act but also to think and feel freely,” Milicevic said.
He also criticized the management of the faculty, stating that for a long time, it has not been run by the Faculty’s Teaching and Research Council, but by individuals from the Church hierarchy. According to Milicevic, this severely undermines the autonomy of the institution.
“For a long time, especially since 2019, the Orthodox Theological Faculty has not been managed by the Teaching and Research Council, but by individuals from the Church hierarchy who disguise themselves as church institutions. Unfortunately, they have been successful in controlling the KOS (Serbian Orthodox Church) as well,” Milicevic emphasized.
This growing tension highlights the complex intersection of politics, religion, and education in Serbia, as students continue to challenge the system while facing pressures from powerful institutions.
