President of the country Aleksandar Vučić extends his hand, and the theologian Miloš Stojković accepts it and kisses it. In another shot, he drinks beer under a tent. These are recordings from TV Informer, signed with "Great national celebration in Požega" from the summer of 2025, when the tabloid celebrated its birthday.
Half a year later, in January 2026, by decision of the Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, Stojković was appointed director of the National Library in Jagodina. In the report from the local portal, he was signed as "scholar of the Hilandar monastery, who has been working there for many years on various obediences, and also performed the duties of a trustee".
Stojković was the only candidate for the director of the National Library, and it is added that he graduated from the Theological Faculty of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, and previously attended the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kilkis.
"We are the only library that had an evening dedicated to the suffering of the Serbs in the Storm," Stojković said at the time
"Million euros from Andrej and Andjelk Vučić"
After good relations with the state, the theologian Miloš Stojković caused a storm, but also a great indignation of the regime, because he went to Pink and declared that Andrej and Anđelko Vučić, brother and father of the President of Serbia, donated a million euros to the Vatoped monastery as a sign of gratitude for accepting that Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary arrived at the St. Sava Temple in Belgrade.
"Our country donated a million euros to the Vatoped monastery, for the reconstruction of the monastery, as a sign of gratitude because they agreed to bring us the Girdle of the Blessed Virgin," Stojković told TV Pink. "Through the actions of the Vučić family, specifically, brother Andrej and Mr. Anđelko Vučić, since they enjoy great respect in the Vatoped monastery itself and on the entire Mount Athos, that idea was born. And that idea was put into practice, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch and our archbishops, with the blessing of millions of families in Serbia."
Photo: Printscreen/TV PinkMiloš Stojković at Jovana Jeremić
Why does Hilandar distance himself from the unblessed theologian
On the same day, they also announced from Hilandar, and a denial came from the President of Serbia.
"Due to the frequent allegations that Mr. Miloš Stojković is a trustee of the Holy Monastery of Hilandara, we want to inform the public that there was cooperation with him on several occasions in charitable endeavors, especially when it came to helping vulnerable families from Kosovo and Metohija, since he himself is originally from the southern Serbian province," says the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Hilandara. "However, cooperation does not represent a blessing, nor does it have the designation and designation of officialdom in public affairs so that any person would officially act on behalf of the monastery as its trustee or representative."
It is added that "the ancient institutions of Svetogorje have an orderly and clear spiritual and organizational order" and that "the only official representative of the Holy Monastery of Hilandara in the homeland is the Endowment of the Holy Monastery of Hilandara, with headquarters in Belgrade".
"Mr. Miloš Stojković often appears in the media, where he once presented himself as a trustee of Hilandar, which caused confusion and was often understood to be speaking on behalf of the monastery," the statement continued. "Without entering into Mr. Stojković's personal rights to participate in media programs, the administration of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar strictly forbade him to present himself and legitimize himself in front of anyone as a representative or trustee of the monastery, which, as far as we know, he had respected until then. However, whether due to inertia or again wanting to attract attention through the name of Hilandar, they continued to present and announce him in such a way in many media."
Therefore, they added, they made the decision to publish a statement in order to avoid any connection between Miloš Stojković's public appearances and the presentation of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar in the future.
On the same day, he himself stated that Pink did not speak on television as a trustee of the Hilandar monastery.
"In all my public appearances, I speak exclusively as a theologian and express my views and opinions exclusively as a graduate theologian of the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, and not on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Hilandar Monastery or any other institution within them," he added.
Vučić: The shrine cannot be paid for
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, denied allegations that the state paid for the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be brought to Belgrade, stressing that it had nothing to do with his father and brother.
Vučić, in a guest appearance on Pink TV, said that "the shrine cannot be paid for" and that the entire story was taken out of context.
"That would be the same as saying that I am the owner of Hilandar, because I provided the most money to rebuild that monastery. All of that is true, but what does that have to do with the fact that we contributed to someone paying for the shrine," said Vučić.
He pointed out that the Belt is a great sanctuary and that he is proud of the million people who stood in line for days and hours in peace.
Speaking about the incidents in the line for kissing the Belt, Vučić said that there were few of them, but that there were "people filled with hatred" from certain media platforms, who targeted people in the line.
Later understanding of things
After the president's denial and the church's announcement, Miloš Stojković told Danas that his words were taken out of context, and that he only said that the state of Serbia helped the monasteries on Mount Athos.
"The President of the State, Aleksandar Vučić, made it clear himself. Do not interpret my words maliciously. I said that the Vučić family visits monasteries on Mount Athos, which is true, and that the family enjoys respect on Mount Athos, which is also true. I did not say that the Vučić family gave one million euros or any other amount from their private money," says Stojković.
He adds that he said that the state of Serbia, modeled on the time when we were a strong country and modeled on the glorious Serbian history, helped all the monasteries on Mount Athos.
"Just as Hilandar helps, the state of Serbia also helped other monasteries, including Vatoped. I did not say that the money was given by Andrej Vučić, Anđelko Vučić or anyone else from the Vučić family. I said that they visit monasteries and enjoy respect on Mount Athos. That is no lie. I also did not say that their personal money was used for anything. I was talking exclusively about the state of Serbia," Stojković states.
He emphasizes that there are people who, by their actions, want to harm both the Church and the state, but also the very idea of the unity of all Orthodox believers.
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