Serbia's would-be king calls for restoration of monarchy

SIFY News ^ | Monday, 01 December

[yonif]

Belgrade: The head of Serbia's former royal family, Aleksandar Karadjordjevic, said on Monday the time was right for the restoration of the monarchy after he received the support of the powerful orthodox church. "The restoration of the kingdom of Serbia ... is in the interests of democracy and the people," Karadjordjevic was quoted as saying by the Beta news agency.

His close aide, Dragoljub Acovic of the so-called Royal Council, told a press conference that it was the "right time" to restore the monarchy after three presidential elections were invalidated due to insufficient turnout.

Serbia has failed to choose a president in three elections since September last year, amid widespread voter apathy and boycotts by rival reformist parties that helped topple former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

A radical nationalist party headed by a suspected war criminal is leading opinion polls ahead of a general election set for December 28. "I speak of the need to respect everybody, for that is what we lack the most. I speak to remind and to warn. That is the role and the duty of the crown in a constitutional parliamentary monarchy," Karadjordjevic said.

The monarchy was abolished by the communist Yugoslav regime of Josip Broz Tito at the end of World War II, and the royal family, which had fled the country at the beginning of the war, was forbidden to return.

Karadjordjevic, 58, is the son of Serbia's last reigning monarch Petar II. He was born in England and only became a citizen of Serbia in 2000 when he moved to Belgrade following Milosevic's ouster in a popular uprising.

He attends official ceremonies as the "crown prince" with his Greek wife, Katarina, but otherwise plays no part in politics. Karadjordjevic said he welcomed the patriarch's letter of support, which described the communists' decision to abolish the monarchy as illegal.

Pavle wrote that the move was "the result of tyranny and, as such, should be immediately abolished," adding that the church would "pray for and support" the return of the crown.

Of more than 200 political parties in Serbia, only two openly support the restoration of the monarchy.

[FormerLib]

I think I'll go find Patriarch Pavle's letter and read it for myself, thanks. Ok, ok, his letter translated into English. Sheesh.

Of course, the Patriarch has lived under monarchy, Nazi occupation, Communism, Milosevic, and the current situation. Why should it surprise anyone that he'd look at monarchy as the preferred option?

[WinOne4TheGipper]

The restoration of the kingdom of Serbia ... is in the interests of democracy and the people
Only because a monarchy would show that apathy leads to tyranny.

[FormerLib]

One additional note: Previously the Patriarch had written favorably concerning the Karadjordjevic family returning permanently to Belgrade (they had been banned by Tito) without mentioning the restoration of the monarchy itself. It is quite possible that Pavle is only condemning the action of the Communists as being illegal.

[Spartano]

I don't see any problem if the Christian nation of Serbia wants to have a king. That's an issue of the people of Serbia. Hope this time the democrats don't interfer with the internal affaits of that European country.

[Guelph4ever]

Time to move out of 1776 and join 2003 Will, monarchy and tyranny are not the same thing anymore. Look at the countries that are helping us shoulder the burden in Iraq: like Spain and Great Britain (both monarchies)-would you call them tyrannies? The only monarchies that are anything close to being tyrannies are all in the Muslim world--not what we're dealing with here, and certainly not what Crown Prince Alexander is suggesting.

I think a constitutional monarchy with the support of the Orthodox Church would be a great thing for Serbia, it may even be the only thing that can save them and save their ancient Christian traditions.

[Spartano]

I agree with you. I'm happy that Bush is going to get re-elected, because he is a friend of Christian nations. See, Clinton and his anti-christian administration bombed Serbia to steal part of its territory and gave it to some radical muslims in southern Europe. The world gets a dangerous place whenever the Democrats are in charge.

Clinton bombs Christian nations, Bush bombs radical muslim nations that are safe heaven for terrorists.

[royalcello]

As one of FR's few monarchists, I welcome this news. Monarchy is exactly what Eastern Europe needs to firmly repudiate its Communist past. I hope all friends of liberty and tradition will join me in wishing Crown Prince Alexander and his supporters all possible success in the movement towards restoration. A victory for the royalist cause in Serbia could be the catalyst for restorations in other countries. As the world eagerly awaits the release of Peter Jackson's The Return of the King, let's not forget the need for the return of real kings!

[B-Chan]

As a fellow monarchist, I am of course encouraged by this news. Monarchy is the natural and traditional form of Christian government, and I am confident that its time will come again. A monarch is neither a dictator nor a tyrant — and, in any case, could hardly be worse than the various presidents, führers, and Dear Leaders coughed up since 1848 by republics and other popular governments. Lord Acton's dictum that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” is nowhere shown to be more true than in those states with popular government: given absolute power, the people of a given state will slowly but surely become absolutely corrupt, leading to a bread-and-circuses bureaucracy, then to chaos as government collapses under the weight of competing interest groups, setting the stage for a Napoleon to arise and restore civil order. Then, with a whiff of grapeshot, the cycle begins again.

+

Christianity is a religion based on hierarchy, not popular rule — the Kingdom of God, not the Republic of Heaven. Our Lord is the King of Kings, not the President of Presidents. Following His divine example, Christian societies grew and thrived under the rule of Christian princes — men given authority by God to maintain order, establish justice, and protect their subjects. Then came the so-called enlightenment; Man refused to be subject to anything except his belly and his own will to power, and cast off God's appointed authorities in favor of the pagan practice of democracy. Man became the measure of all things; he became as a god, deciding for himself what is good and evil, right and wrong, legal and illegal, human being or life-unworthy-of-life. Thev West could afford to entertain itself with the folly of democracy as long as its moral capital — its Christian culture — remained to cover the cost. But today that cultural capital is almost all spent; without it, our civilization is morally bankrupt — and the receivers will not be gentle when they come into its possession.

So, Long Live the King! God save Crown Prince Alexander! And may the West profit from his example.

[royalcello]

Welcome to what was once called the "small but solid FR monarchist underground"! So glad you finally joined.

[royalcello]

Here's the old thread (one of my favorites) from which I quoted in my previous post:

The King and I (Bulgarian Monarchy!) (June 2001)

I thought this would be as good a time as any to revisit it, since anyone interested in Serbia might also enjoy this discussion of events in Bulgaria two and a half years ago. Unfortunately, "Zviadist" is no longer with us.

[yonif]

Would you like to see a Monarchy in the US? How will the ruling family be chosen?

[B-Chan]

I do not advocate monarchy for the United States of America. Please see my FR Profile page for more information.

[yonif]

Wouldn't a religious monarchy border on a theocratic form of government, such as the Pope in the Vatican City? It seems to me to be a sort of monarchy....

[B-Chan]

Wouldn't a religious monarchy border on a theocratic form of government, such as the Pope in the Vatican City? It seems to me to be a sort of monarchy...

The Pope is the temporal ruler of all the Papal States, lately reduced to Vatican City and a few bits and pieces across the world. He is indeed an absolute monarch in a political sense, and is in and of himself sovereign as the Holy See. He is in his own person both an individual human being, a sovereign state, and the Vicar of Christ. Ultimately, only the Pope can make a king: as the only person on Earth empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach infallibly the Truth of God, he has the sole authority to proclaim the anointing of God on a particular prince.

(It is worth mentioning that the current Supreme Pontiff refused coronation upon his election to the Papacy, choosing to wear a bishop's miter instead of the triple-crowned tiara of the Pope.)

A Christian monarchy is different from a religious theocracy. A theocracy is a state ruled in theory by the Deity, in practice by whatever demagogues control the most powerful religious body within that state. Oliver Cromwell, who overthrew and executed the King of England, ruled that land in the name of God as its Lord Protector ; the Ayatollah Khomeni overthrew the Shah of Iran and ruled that state in the name of Allah. Both were above all law: as self-styled direct representatives of the Almighty, they were a law unto themselves.

A Christian monarchy is different. The Christian monarch is not a law unto himself, a representative of God, or a god in his own right; he is a prince who rules by the Grace of God, not by his own authority. He is anointed by God as a man to rule men, not as a messenger or spokesman for God Himself. Far from being all-powerful, he is circumscribed in his actions by the Natural Law and the doctrines of the Church, both of which he swears to uphold in his coronation oath. Should he break that oath (by acting against the Natural Law or the teachings of the Church) he de facto abdicates his throne and is no longer king. A "king" who attempts to remain in power after doing so becomes fair game for those sworn to defend the nation against tyrants and usurpers (i.e. his former peers — the knights and the aristocracy) and to whatever man the Church deems to be the successor to the throne.

[Spartano]

America has no king but Jesus Christ.

God bless America
God bless Serbia
God bless all Christian nations.

[Guelph4ever]

Oh, how I love that quote. It is convenient for American republicans to hail a king who is in Heaven. If the King of Heaven tried to issue a royal decree to the USA we would probably try to depose Him at once. Given the attitudes of many Americans, it seems clear that, if our only king is Jesus, we are behaving in a downright treasonous manner.

Fear God my fellow Americans, and honour our Queen across the water...

[Guelph4ever]

What would I do if I could not lock horns with a few republicans calling themselves conservatives and work myself into a frenzy every now & then...

I may not persuade, but I can try. "Nemo surdior est quam is qui non audiet"