Serbia’s Orthodox Church and Clergy Abuse: Jovana Trninic Speaks

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/10/26

Jovana Trninic is a Serbian interlocutor and advocate focusing on clergy-related abuse and institutional accountability within the Serbian Orthodox context. After reporting sexual misconduct by a priest and encountering evasion from church authorities, she turned to evidence-based healing, psychotherapy, and communities such as Prosopon Healing. Trninic emphasizes critical thinking over magical thinking, transparency through survivor databases, and legal literacy for victims. Her perspective integrates skepticism, human rights, and lived experience, arguing that reform must involve believers and secular allies to prevent recurring harm.

In this interview with Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Trninic discusses clergy-perpetrated abuse and the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church. She recounts reporting a priest Blasko Paraklis for sexual misconduct, facing institutional evasion, including a bishop Maxim office mediating by email but imposing no consequences. Trninic advocates for critical thinking, utilizing databases like Prosopon Healing, promoting legal literacy, and employing evidence-based therapy to enhance public transparency, prevention, and institutional reform.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today we’re here with Jovana Trninic from Serbia. We’ve known each other peripherally. Anyway, we’re talking about a topic I’ve been learning more about: clergy-perpetrated abuse, or clergy-related abuse more broadly. After speaking with institutional leaders, researchers, and survivors, I want to ask: What is the state of this in Serbia? And what is the role of the Orthodox Church?

Jovana Trninic: Orthodox Christianity is the main religion in Serbia and Serbian Orthodox Church plays the main part in the spiritual and cultural life of Serbians.

Jacobsen: How do people see their Orthodoxy?

Jovana: For Serbians Orthodoxy is closely tied with cultural, historical and national identity.

Jacobsen: When they think of their identity within Orthodoxy, what ideas and feelings come to mind? In America people say: “Jesus is my lord and saviour”. Is it similar here?

Jovana: Yes, it’s similar with more emphasis on the concept of “Svetoslavlje”. Svetosavlje encompassing the ideology, spiritual tradition and national character derived from the life and teachings of St. Sava the first Serbian Orthodox Archbishop.

Jacobsen: Are Serbians generally highly religious, or more like North Americans or Europeans, where religion is a part of life but not life itself?

Trninic: In general I would say Serbians are more traditional then religious.

Jacobsen: What do you mean?

Trninic: Some traditions are tied to the church. For example, we have Slava. Each family has their own patron saint. We celebrate Slava with a cake(bread) blessed by a priest, who comes to the house for the ceremony or parishioners bring cake(bread) to the church. It’s a tradition connected with religion, but for most people, it’s more about tradition. Only a minority strictly follow religious rules.

Jacobsen: That’s a fair point. In my experience interviewing many people, those who strongly claim a religious faith, and even those who claim to have rejected it, often haven’t read the holy text.

Trninic: It’s personal matter and free will whether someone will be a believer or not.

Jacobsen: When you went through Orthodoxy—community, maybe Sunday school—what lessons were emphasized? Not every Christian denomination emphasizes the same traditions. Sometimes they teach the same things, but rank them differently. What stories or ethics are highlighted? Beyond the core belief that Jesus rose from the dead, which is non-negotiable for Christianity, the same way the Quran is non-negotiable in Islam.

Trninic: Serbian Orthodox Christian Church utilizes both the Old Testament and the New Testament as Holy Scripture viewing the Old Testament as a preparation for Christ’s coming with emphasis on New Testament. Key practices include Divine Liturgy and the Seven Sacraments Mysteries (Holy Baptism, Holy Chrismation, Holy Communion, Holy Confession, Holy Matrimony, Holy Ordination and Holy Unction.)

Jacobsen: An essential point in all of this is community and hierarchy. Now, key to the issue of clergy-perpetrated abuse: if someone were to question these fundamental claims, or even say they no longer believe, how would the community respond? Would it be considered inappropriate? Would questioning be welcomed or rejected?

Trninic: Speaking from my own experience, and from what I see around me, questioning clergy authority is considered highly inappropriate and rejected. When I wanted to speak up about what had happened to me in Orthodox Christian community in terms of warning and preventing sexual misconduct from happening to other females, a female friend who introduced me to the faith was extremely against that action. I asked her: “Why should I stay silent? This is not my shame.” This is the shame of clergy man. He can harm another person if he is not held accountable for his wrongdoing. She told me this: “Yes, but you never know if he repented”. This statement led me to the conclusion that the Sacrament of confession in this case confession (repentance) can be misused in perpetuating the ongoing sexual misconduct cycle in silence. She also told me this: “We have to be silent, this is how we keep our faith to not crumble down”.

Another thing, she was the first person I came forward and told her in detail about everything that happened to me that night. Her first response was this: “If any other female told me the same thing the first thing I would ask her is what did you do to provoke him. But because I know you, I believe you”.

When I called another friend to raise a red flag on this incident and prevent it from potentially happening to her I got another bizarre response. “Because priests are by default close to God, they are also more attacked by demons”. So this is how she justified his wrongdoing. This phenomenon is called “clericalism” when people think priests/clergy are on a higher level of spirituality than others. I was also stuck in this trap for some period of time.

When I showed an inappropriate and disturbing text message I had received  from that priest to my other friend, her response was this: “This is why I always pay attention to how to communicate with the priest”. Speaking of that, I want to clarify some things here which I think many religious people do not understand. And that is: “It is not my responsibility to teach priests how to communicate”.

Jacobsen: When you come forward with a complaint, and you’re told it’s untrue without grounds, how does that feel?

Trninic: That leads to feelings of frustration, anger and invalidation, but it also leads to clarity of the reality taking the place of the truth. Actually, this experience helped me see things crystal clear and I will hold on to this truth no matter what.

Jacobsen: Are there biblical parables—or passages—you know of, as a Christian, that support women who have been mistreated?

Trninic: Yes. One example is rape of Tamar.

Jacobsen: Has this shaken your faith?

Trninic: To some degree yes. I still believe in God, but sometimes I have a feeling I have attacked God. This is the paradox. I have been pushed to that point to defend the truth and myself by speaking up against those who represent God on Earth.

Jacobsen: In your case, what was the individual failure—the crime? And what was the institutional failure of Serbian Orthodoxy? And, as an olive branch, what would have been a better response? Individually, the first failure is apparent: do not abuse. Institutionally, the reaction after the fact is more complicated.

Trninic: Well, according to the experts when it comes to clergy abuse and sexual misconduct Church is supposed to do few things.

1. Launch an external investigation
2. Remove the clergy who abused during investigation
3. Provide money for victim to get counseling
4. Provide mandatory counseling for clergy
5. Defrock

In my situation none of these steps were done.

Speaking of individual failure, when I called the bishop’s office a woman who claimed to be a psychologist told me that the bishop was going to call me. But he never called, which spiked my anxiety. When I asked her next time why the bishop did not call me. Her response was this: “The Bishop doesn’t talk with regular people. He only talks with people inside of his circle who are educated in theology.”

When I asked her if other people had complained about the same priest, she said she wasn’t allowed to give me that information. Based on that answer, is what concerns me—that I may not be the only one.

Jacobsen: Are you still part of the community?

Trninic: To be honest, from this point of view I do not wish to be part of that community.

Jacobsen: How long has it been since the original incident?

Trninic: It happened in 2022.

Jacobsen: Compared to your anxiety and stress then, how do you feel now?

Trninic: I still feel disoriented and unsafe and carry a high level of anxiety. There has been progress—I’ve improved with therapy and support from psychiatrist psychologists and psychotherapists.

Jacobsen: What advice has helped you that could also help others as they begin their own journey of healing after victimization?

Trninic: Oh my God, there is so much to say. Ok. First I want to tell this to every survivor: “If you have ever continuously felt neglected, criticized, rejected, abandoned, for speaking the truth, if your accomplishments were minimized, if you have been betrayed by those who were supposed to protect you and cherish you, if you have been blamed by those people that something was wrong with you, it’s time for you to wake up and claim your power. Book “It’s not you” by dr. Ramani Durvasula can be your starting point. Also the book “Blind to betrayal” by dr Jennifer Freyd is crucial for healing. For survivors who have been part of the cult, I highly recommend the book “Take back your life” by Janja Lalich. Finding the right trauma informed psychologist who understands relational trauma and Complex- PTSD is the most important part of your healing journey. For the Christian Orthodox Clergy abuse survivors The Prosopon Healing website is crucial. They help with education, including how to recognize abuse in early stages. Some of the books I have recommended are on their website as well.

The problem with some religious people in general is they often rely on magical thinking instead of critical reasoning.

Jacobsen: What is magical thinking in this context?

Trninic: Magical thinking can mean many things. For example, believing that just by touching the bishop’s robe can create some blessings or miracles in your life is magical thinking. People often think that if they perform certain practices, their problems will go away, and oftentimes they are led by Church authorities into that thinking.

Jacobsen: So, better education in critical thinking could help prevent abuse?

Trninic: I think critical thinking is important but can not prevent abuse itself. It is helpful in later stages after recognizing the abuse. It is important not to be obedient to authority which does not allow it to be questioned. We were abused because we trusted those people. What can prevent abuse in my opinion and which is the stand point from Prosopon Healing are these three things:

1. Education is important so people are aware of the abuse and they are not shocked when it happens
2. Hold perpetrators accountable
3. The most important thing is to hold enablers accountable. Enablers are individuals who allow perpetrators  to exist in the system and exploit the system.

Jacobsen: Do you know other women in Serbia who had similar experiences?

Trninic: I do not know anybody personally.

Jacobsen: Is there a perception that abuse is primarily a Catholic problem, not an Orthodox one?

Trninic: Yes. In our Orthodox community, people say, “That happens to Catholics, not us.” Or they claim that if it happens in Orthodoxy, it’s rare. They argue it happens in Catholicism because priests aren’t allowed to marry, which is false. Many abuse cases involve married clergy.

Jacobsen: What resources have helped you most?

Trninic: All books I have mentioned above. Also there are other books like:

“C-PTSD from Surviving to Thriving” by Pete Walker.

“Trauma and Recovery” by Judith Herman

“Believing Me” Dr. Ingrid Clayton

Jacobsen: Do you feel more secure in your sense of self now?

Trninic: Yes.

Jacobsen: Many abuse cases are by married men, including married clergy.

Trninic: I am aware of that now.

Jacobsen: In American evangelical circles, the argument is that prominent pastors are held to a higher standard. Yet in Serbian Orthodoxy, based on your case, an individual of higher stature is instead given a supernatural excuse—that demons attacked him, causing him to commit this crime. That lets him evade personal accountability, followed by an institutional cover-up, and then, in your case, betrayal by a close associate. You can see how these dynamics play out. They’re clearer to me now. They don’t surprise me, but they are deeply unethical and, in some cases, explicitly criminal, as shown in court cases. Do I have both the big picture and the details right?

Trninic: Yes.

Jacobsen: I don’t believe in the supernatural; I see no evidence for it. Many believers do, even victims. But regardless of whether it’s real, it’s used to shift accountability away from the clergy. So the supernatural is used as a shield to deflect responsibility.

Trninic: Yes, that’s how I see it as well.

Jacobsen: What has helped you feel safer—not entirely secure, but safer—compared to those moments of distress and anxiety?

Trninic: Speaking with dr. Hermina Nedelescu and my psychotherapists have helped me a lot, education and Prosopon healing website and their community.

Jacobsen: What do you think is the importance of the Orthodox abuse database?

Trninic: The database from Prosopon Healing is essential because it consolidates all information in one place—a clearinghouse where individuals can share notes and build an accurate picture of the extent of abuse. That way, the numbers aren’t underreported or exaggerated. You can’t just say there are 100,000 victims, but you can show a distinct number, plus estimates for unknown cases.

Jacobsen: Most clergy don’t abuse—that’s important to state explicitly.

Trninic: Really? I’m in shock. Now I think everyone is abusing.

Jacobsen: I mean, it’s like most crimes: a small number of people commit them repeatedly. In North America, there’s a term—recidivism. It describes people who commit the same crime over and over. Why does an arsonist commit arson? Because he’s an arsonist. Why does an abuser abuse? Because he’s an abuser. I don’t want to make an essentialist argument, but it’s a pattern of psychology and behaviour that repeats.

That’s why I’d argue it’s likely a minority of clergy who abuse, and we can’t paint all clergy with that brush. It’s essential to involve innocent clergy, regular believers, and the broader public in reform efforts. We see abuse in many domains—gymnastics, Hollywood, corporate settings, and academia. Men and women can be victims in different ways. The real issue is identifying effective reforms and implementing them.

Trninic: Yes, but I don’t agree with one point. If clergy or congregants see another clergy who is abusing others and they stay silent, they’re protecting the abuser. Silence in the face of evil is itself an abuse of power. My previous roommate and friend was the person who introduced me to that priest with the recommendation that he is the most spiritual among them. I feel betrayed by her as well. I had never imagined these things could have happened.

But from this point of view, I wish I had spoken more in public and been more vocal instead of remaining in silence. That is why I am speaking now and using truth and my story to empower other people first to wake up from cognitive dissonance, not to be blind and obedient to any authority, to recognize the abuse, return the shame to those that belong to and to speak up to prevent others from going through the same horror.

I want to share these statements from psychologist Beth Matenaer in the book “Take back you life” by Janja Lalich which helped me a lot and it might help other survivors:

A Survivor’s Promise

by Beth Matenaer

• No longer will I carry the shame that has enabled other people’s bad behavior. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I minimize the things I need to accommodate another person’s shortcomings. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I accept that I am responsible for any choices and actions other than my own. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I negotiate a version of the truth that denies my experiences to make others feel more comfortable. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I choose to value other people’s perception of me over my own knowledge of myself. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I allow fears of what I cannot control to hold me back from the things I know I can accomplish. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I compromise my own thoughts, feelings and ideas because they are different from yours. I decide. No more.

• No longer will I apologize for hoping, for loving, for believing, as they are my gift to this world.

I decide. No more. I promise.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Jovana.

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