Belgrade, Serbia - The new patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is set to replace a controversial and dogmatic bishop, Artemije, as head of the church in Kosovo, the daily Politika said Thursday. Quoting sources from the SPC, the report said that Patriarch Irinej, elected last month, has ordered a panel of to probe alleged abuses in the Kosovo eparchy.
The move is seen as pressure on Artemije, a traditionalist hardliner who has been implicated in a series of corruption scandals, to step down, the source told Politika.
Artemije reportedly refused to cooperate with the panel, which includes influential bishops, and has shut himself in his cell in the Gracanica monastery, his seat on the outskirts of Kosovo's capital, Pristina.