|PIC2|A bishop in south-east Europe has described how his new cathedral promises “a new beginning” for religious harmony in a region scarred by conflict.

In an interview with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Dode Gjergji of Prizen and all Kosovo said the Co-Cathedral of Mother Teresa under construction in Kosovo represents “a practical contribution towards reconciliation” between Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims.

The cathedral in the capital, Pristina, will have a 6,200 square metre pastoral and cultural centre in the crypt area as well as a nearby multi-purpose complex for use by all religious groups.

Bishop Gjergji, whose diocese is Prizen and all Kosovo, said: “In future, there will be room for everyone, whether Christians or Muslims, whether Catholics or Orthodox.”

The bishop went on to thank ACN for its huge support for the cathedral. Recognising the significance of the project as an important step towards religious and cultural reconciliation, the charity is providing £358,000 for the new cathedral.

Bishop Gjergji said the cathedral plan builds on the success of the Church’s existing outreach – which includes food kitchens, development projects, and a vocational school – the Don Bosco Social and Educational Centre – run by the Salesians.

The bishop went on to say that the Church is now attracting more interest – especially from young people.

The Bishop continued: “Many people are coming to us, above all young Kosovans, both Muslims and Christians. We want to be able to help them and respond to them.

The bishop added that there was no contradiction about a Catholic church being built in the capital city of a country that is 95 percent Muslim and home to only 65,000 Catholics.

Bishop Gjergji said: “For many people it is a symbol of a new beginning and of new hope – both for Christians and Muslims.”

The project has had the backing of influential members of all faiths since it was first mooted.

The first president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, himself a Muslim, used his personal influence to ensure Catholics could build a church in a central position in Pristina.

The first phase of the construction, comprising the foundations and undercroft, has already been completed, and work is steadily progressing on the rest of the building.

Begun by Bishop Marco Sopi, Bishop Gjergji’s predecessor, the Co-Cathedral of Mother Teresa is expected to be finished by 2010 – in time for the hundredth anniversary of her birth.

The site of severe historic clashes between Muslim Ottoman Turks and Christian Serbs, Kosovo was headline news in the late 1990s when ethnic conflict broke out between the Serbs and the Albanians.

After intense peace negotiations, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia about a year ago.

A decade on from the war, infrastructure in Kosovo is still poor and 50 percent of people are out of work. More than half the population is aged under 25.

Bishop Gjergji said: “The people here have endured hard times. Now they are searching for God.”