Today, on this Easter Monday, we are consigning to eternity a priest, as well as a figure who, during the most difficult moments of our history, became a protective wall to human life and dignity.
His activity is evidence of a complete dedication to man, to faith and to the homeland.
For 33 years of priesthood, Don Kelmendi served as a guide in times of uncertainty, support in times of fear and a steadfast voice of truth.
He lived with the deep conviction that religion and homeland do not exclude each other, and he even witnessed how these two strengthen man’s resolve to serve the other. In this sense, his motto “for Faith, Homeland and Freedom” was also a way of life.
In the darkest days of our history, when violence and insecurity aimed to destroy not only life, but also trust in each other, Don Kelmendi stood with the people.
In Gllogjan, Pejë, in the spring of 1999, he opened the doors of the “Shna Ndou” church, or as it is popularly known, the Church of Hope, where he sheltered hundreds of citizens who were forcibly expelled by Serbian paramilitary and military forces. There, Don Kelmendi, with the help of the nuns, treated wounded people and assisted young mothers in caring for their babies. On April 4th, 1999, Serbian paramilitary and police forces interrupted his mass, and at gunpoint, asked him to separate the Catholic community from the Muslim one. And he replied that there are neither Catholics or Muslims here, but only defenseless civilians. Dom Kelmendi courageously articulated a fundamental truth: that prior to being different, we are human and we belong to the same country.
This stance was not a spontaneous act. It was the result of a character molded by national values, built on faith and ethics that do not negotiate with fear. He came from a family that had known persecution. But this did not make him retreat. On the contrary, it made him clearer in his attitudes and more steadfast in his actions.
Equally significant was the way in which himself and the nuns in his parish put coexistence into practice, using the church bells to announce iftar and suhoor for Muslim believers, at war time.
In this spirit, he gave the clear message that human dignity and interfaith respect are stronger than any attempt at division. And division was precisely the goal of the Milosevic regime.
Don Kelmendi was a simple man in behavior, but great in his acts. Close to people, attentive to their needs, always ready to give, without asking for anything in return.
His departure from this life, precisely on Holy Thursday, on the day of the establishment of the priesthood, gives a special symbolism to this departure. His life ended exactly where the call had begun: in service.
Today we are consigning to eternity a priest and patriot who put his life in the service of others, a man who left behind a brilliant example, which will not fade with time.
On behalf of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, I express the highest institutional gratitude for his life and work.
Don Kelmendi left us this legacy to which we owe a responsibility: to preserve and pass on the values that he embodied because such figures are honored only by passing on the values they leave behind.
My deepest condolences to the Spaqi family, to the Catholic Church and to all those who knew and loved him.
May the memory of Don Kelmend Spaqi be eternal.
