New Serbian Church head enthroned in Belgrade

Tanjug/Rade Prelić

Serbian Orthodox Church elders took part in what the church calls the enthronement of the new Patriarch at a service in the Belgrade Cathedral church.

In his first speech as Patriarch, Porfirije called the public to support him with prayer in the responsible job placed before him. “I have been appointed to preserve and renew the memory of the efforts, sacrifice and martyrdom of the Church of God suffered by my holy predecesors…. I primarily want our holy Serbian Orthodox Church, wherever it is, to live life to the fullest and for every Christian to live in complete freedom,” he said. According to the Patriarch, the primary job of the church is not the creating of better living conditions or trying to resolve social, political, psychological and other problems.

“The solemn act of enthronement of the newly elected Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije began with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade on February 19, 2021. The Holy Liturgy is officiated by the newly elected first hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the concelebration of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful,” a press release said on the church web site.
Bishop Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana was elected head of the Serbian Orthodox Church by fellow bishops at a meeting of the Holy Synod in the St Sava Temple in Belgrade on Thursday. Porfirije is the 46th Patriarch and the 57th head of the Serbian church. The Serbian Orthodox Church was established in the 13th century and was headed by 11 Episcopes before getting its first patriarch in 1346. The patriarch is elected by the bishops and the oldest monk. The bishops cast votes and the names of the three with the most votes are placed in a book of scripture before the oldest monk draws the paper with the name of the new Patriarch. The system was put into place in the 1960s by then Patriarch German who wanted to keep the authorities from interfering in the election of a new church leader.

In his first address as Patriarch, Porfirije said that „the Church is called to bring people together and serve peace which is why my service will not be along the path of partial interests nor will it include elements of modern party-politics, nor partial politics,“ the new patriarch said.

Speaking about Kosovo, Patriarch Porfirije said that „We are in Kosovo and Kosovo is in us, in our holy sites, Cyrillic alphabet“. „Kosovo is the heart of Serbia and there is room for everyone in our Kosovo,“ he said.

The final enthronement ceremony will be held in the seat of the Patriarch in the Kosovo town of Pec which has been the home of the head of the church in the 13th century. The press release said that the date of that ceremony is to be announced.

The ceremony in Belgrade was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a number of cabinet ministers as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Milorad Dodik. The ceremony was also attended by Belgrade Mufti Muhamed Jusufspahic and Catholic Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar. An N1 reporter in the church said that most of the clergy and public, including state officials, did not wear masks in the crowded cathedral.