Maso Priest on 12-month good behaviour

[Vangelovski]

Thanks for stating the obvious. What may not be obvious to you, as a co-founder, is the experience you are offering to members. And if you feel a 'take it or leave it' approach towards members is acceptable, that's unfortunate.

/Sydney, if you're here to bitch and moan about your feelings and the "experience" your having, then you're barking up the wrong tree.

What "take it or leave it" attitude are you talking about? Do you expect a free ride or something? Do you expect to be able to post any old BS and just have everyone pat you on the back and tell you what a good job you've done regardless of how ridiculous, false or malicious it is? What exactly are you on about?

[sydney]

Members are here to engage and be engaged. In many cases they require guidance and leadership. Isn't MTO about that thought leadership? If you believe that to be the case, you may want to be less of a prick in the process - that's what I'm on about.

If you feel that inspiring leadership is unnecessary for the MTO, and only facts and evidence in topical debate is all that matters here at MTO, then it's unfortunate. I would think that growing membership is most important and would serve as a key indicator that the principles of the MTO, and the cause that it serves, are being spread far and wide.

[Risto the Great]

Bij, most people would assume statements like yours are inflammatory and completely related to which camp you might be part of in relation to church affairs as they pertain to Macedonians. I like a priest who feels compelled to bless people with a solid neck wringing.

[Risto the Great]

I no longer assume any agenda on your part by the way. I apologise.

[George S.]

On going feud .naum was the comunity priest in the rockdale church.
So much hatred still exists

[Bij]

Bij, most people would assume statements like yours are inflammatory and completely related to which camp you might be part of in relation to church affairs as they pertain to Macedonians. I like a priest who feels compelled to bless people with a solid neck wringing.

Haven't you ever learnt about assuming things? Ugh, Risto, I expected more from you, lol.

Besides, I have made my feeligns about Petar and the vladika well known earlier on in the Macedonian church dispute thread (I think!).

For the record, I am anti Petar and vladika and I feel Naum and the Macedonian Community churches are the lesser of two evils. BTW my husband is also related to Naum somehow.

[Bij]

Fair enough Bij, I just don't want rumours and lies to pose as truth.

Well thank you for clarifying.

[aleksandrov]

Rev Naum Despotoski

The thread-starting story a distorted and untruthful report, instigated by Petar Karevski's unscrupulous advocates in Sydney.

Rev Naum Despotoski was provoked into an incident by Zoran Bockaroski, a fanatical Petar Karevski (bishop) and Mitko Mitrev (priest) disciple, who is well known for harassing priests and community activists who resist Karevski's despotism. I have personally experienced a joint attempt by Bockaroski and Mitko Mitrev's son to provoke an incident with me in the courtyard of St. Petka church, by trying to form a 'human wall' in front of me, while I was walking through the courtyard, coordinating hired security guards to prevent incidents, when Karevski and Mitrev attended the church with a a busload of hostile supporters from all over Australia.

In this particular incident, Bockaroski provoked Rev Despotoski by taking close-up photos of his wife and family in front of the St. Petka church, in an intimidating manner, without permission. Rev Despotoski became protective of his family and asked Bockaroski for his phone, to delete the photos. Bockaroski used the opportunity to accuse Rev Despotoski of assault. He started walking backwards with Rev Despotoski pursuing him, until he held him against a fence.

Rev Despotoski is a fairly small 67yo man, who has never previously been charged with or convicted of any crime. He is a respected family man and priest of over 40 years. Bockaroski is a man in his 30s, of similar size, and appears fit. He is well known to the local community as a hateful provocateur, who constantly engages in harassment on behalf of Petar Karevski and Mitko Mitrev.

Bockaroski originally accused Rev Despotoski of trying to kill him by choking. In the original police statement, he even says that he thought he saw the devil before his eyes when he was being choked. He went to see a doctor a few days later, just to make the story more sensational.

However, there were multiple witnesses to the incident who dispute his story. When Bockaroski's version of events started falling apart, the police offered Rev Despotoski a plea bargain, in which he pleaded guilty to common assault, by admitting to having "pushed" Zoran for 15 meters and pinned him against a wall. There is nothing in the final police fact sheet about choking, grabbing by the throat or hitting. That's why the court decided not to record a conviction. The journalists reporting the case obviously didn't want to let the facts get in the way of a sensationalist story.

This is just another disgraceful and dishonest Petar Karevski scheme, designed to vilify dissenting priests. Malicious fabrications for that purpose are nothing new for Petar Karevski and his supporters.

Rev Despotoski's only real 'crime' in this situation is that he accepted a plea bargain in order to avoid the hassles and expense of defending himself in court, against all of the accusations, to the end. His other 'crime' is that he didn't sue those engaging in false reports for defamation. Unfortunately, it is quite common for people to let injustices pass in order to avoid further conflict. In Rev Despotoski's case, his decision to accept the plea bargain was motivated by his desire to spare his family the inevitable trauma of extended legal proceedings.

If Zoran Bockaroski, Mitko Mitrev or Petar Karevski that the above account of events is not substantially truthful, I challenge them to sue me for defamation, and give me the opportunity to put on court records evidence of what really happened.

If the moderators can help me post it directly on this thread, I can send them a PDF of the Police Fact Sheet.

The Macedonian Orthodox Community of Australia Ltd., which employs Rev Despotoski as its parish priest in the St. Kiril & Metodi parish, appreciates that he was maliciously provoked into an incident, by the use of purported threats to his wife and family. MOCA supported Rev Despotoski throughout the legal proceedings, which it considers to be an abuse of process, and will continue to support him and any other priests who are subjected to malicious persecution by Petar Karevski and his supporters, whether through his kangaroo "Diocesan" court or civil courts.

Igor A. Aleksandrov
CEO
Macedonian Orthodox Community of Australia Ltd

[aleksandrov]

P.S. There was and is no legal prohibition on Rev Naum Despotoski attending Rockdale church.

Based on current orders in the ongoing legal proceedings by Petar Karevski and Mitko Mitrev against the St. Petka Church Community, which are currently under appeal, no priest, including Rev Naum can hold services at the church without Petar Karevski's approval.

Petar Karevski and Mitko Mitrev have unsuccessfully tried to legally compel the St. Petka Association to ban Naum Despotoski and any other priests declared invalid by Petar from entering the St Petka premises. One of the purposes behind the false accusations by Zoran Bockaroski was to obtain an Apprehended Violence Order against Rev Naum, so that he could not enter the St. Petka grounds whenever Bockaroski is there. And Bockaroski follows Mitko Mitrev around as a personal assistant.

The level of dishonesty that Petar's supporters drop to in their malicious and deceptive fabrications is absolutely shocking. It is hard to believe that there are still people out there who view Petar and his disciples as true Christians.

At the time of the Bockaroski incident, Rev Naum was not at the church for the purpose of conducting any service. He was there to attend a theatre event in the hall next to the church. Bockaroski did tell him that he wasn't allowed to be there, but without any legal basis - only with the 'authority' of Petar Karevski and Mitko Mitrev, who currently have no effective legal rights over management of the property.

As far as the allegation that some police officer couldn't get Rev Despotoski off Bockaroski is concerned, I challenge those spinning that story to provide a copy of any affidavit by that police officer that has been tendered in Court. Perhaps the affidavit will tell us how long pop Naum managed to hold on to Bockaroski with so many people around, before the police allegedly arrived.

[George S.]

zoran it appears was upto no good.What right has he got to take photos without his approval.A normal person would ask questions like why is he taking my photos perhaps upto some no good reason.It figures as zoran happens to be a petar supporter.
One would ask why is the petar camp hell bent on causing mischief.Hasn't there been enough trouble over the years.Let Naum be ,he is a decent down to earth priest who wants to get on with his life.Zoran asked for it when he took naum's photos.The police should have known better that it was all a petar political stunt designed to hurt the community church priest.The cunstable sorry for the misspelling should have known better & dismiss the whole thing.