NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      MOSCOW (CWNews.com) - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church warned the international community on Wednesday that despite the end to NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and the exit of Yugoslav forces from Kosovo, the situation in the region could be worsening.

      Patriarch Aleksei II told reporters after a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson: "It is necessary to settle all issues related to the refugees before cold weather sets in: provide them with shelter and normal living conditions." He added that he is concerned at the safety of 1,887 Serbian Orthodox monasteries and shrines in Kosovo, which could be the object of revenge by ethnic Albanians.

      Robinson, in Moscow after visiting Macedonia and Montenegro last month, briefed the patriarch on the problems facing the Balkan region. It is important to ensure the rights of both the returning Albanians and the Serbs who have not left Kosovo, she said. The patriarch said he and Robinson had also discussed joint projects sponsored by the UN and the Moscow Patriarchate and aimed at providing help to Russia's poor, particularly children.

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