When it's Metropolitan Justin of Zica?
An official biography exists, of course. But there is also what is said about him: he is not greedy or greedy, the years of episcopal service have not changed him and he is not hungry for power - on the contrary. He likes to fish and make woodcarvings, he does not seek public attention or conflicts. He is not driven by ambition.
What did he need?
So why did he need to sign the letter, as one of the six archbishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church who - as a kind of response to the already famous text of Metropolitan David of Kruševac, in which the Serbian Ustaše and Lubjanka are mentioned - stood up for the students? Namely, Metropolitan Justin is the only one of the signatories whose diocese is located in Serbia.
Why should he then write another letter - which, in terms of tone and content, could serve as an example of public communication, of authentic concern for people and the community - in which he calls on the government to protect the people, reminding them "that power is not given for the sake of violence, but for the sake of service, that the abuse of force cannot bring peace - it can only deepen wounds and leave a scar that does not heal for a long time".
And so that there is no confusion and loading, at the end he added: "We remind you that the recent arrests and beatings are the wounds we are talking about. And we offer prayer support to all those who suffer innocents to survive and persevere on the path of truth."
By the way, it was with these addresses that Metropolitan Justin showed that the episcopal power was also given for the sake of service.
"The church is not just a building"
Finally, what did he need to - by all accounts - give a blessing to the priest Milić Dragović to speak at the protest rally in Užice, where he addressed the crowd with the following words: "For a just struggle, everyone is needed - everyone who thinks justly and wants good for this city and Serbia. (...) As a priest, I believe that the Church should have a clearer voice, but I want to assure you, to be sure that the Church is not only a building, but also the body of Christ. In the Church, we often say that heavenly justice will be such that everyone will receive according to their deeds. God was never against earthly justice - if someone is guilty, he should receive punishment. Not because we do not love him, but to improve and be better."
For a long time, thanks to the poisoning of the public sphere by the regime of Aleksandar Vučić, anyone who raised their voice against injustice or advocated for change was somewhat suspect. His personal interest, hidden intention, or at least an answer to the well-known question: whose, why now, why exactly, was sought.
There is only one explanation why a man like Metropolitan Justin was almost forced to act. It's simple - his conscience tells him. Or, if we were to go further, the God in Whom they believe and the faith they live by.
How to live with yourself
Because it may be comfortable to be on the side of the most powerful, but you also have to live with yourself.
Hannah Arendt writes that every person conducts an internal dialogue within himself. Imagine: you steal, cheat, kill innocents with your decisions. This means that your interlocutor - all his life - is a murderer and a thief. Imagine one more thing: you support such, either by word or by silence. You become a bully yourself. And while you are there, you talk to the bully.
Who else would want that?
