Bishop Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac enthroned
On the feast-day of the Synaxis of All Serbian Saints Bishop Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac was enthroned in the Cathedral church of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (photo gallery).
His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana officiated the solemn Hierarchal Liturgy with the concelebration of Their Graces Bishops: Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Sumadija, Fotije of Dalmatia and elected of Zvornik and Tuzla; Atanasije of Milesheva, Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic, Marko of Bregalnica, Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, Ilarion of Timok, retired Bishops Konstantin of Middle Europe and Georgije of Canada. The solemn rite of the enthronement was attended by Their Graces Bishops: Jefrem of Banja Luka, Vasilije of Srem, Mitrophan of Canada, retired Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla and Archimandrite Nikodim, elected Bishop of Dalmatia.
The Metropolitan was concelebrated also by Archimandrites Seraphim from the Rmanj monastery and Paul from Orahovica Monastery (Diocese of Slavonia-Pakrac); protopresbyter-staurophors: Miladin Tesanovic from the Diocese of Bihac-Petrovac and Ljubomir Djosic from the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla; protodeacons: Radojica Zagran (Diocese of Banjaluka), Nikola Perkovic (Diocese of Milesheva), Slobodan Vujasinovic (Diocese of Srem) and Ivan Gasic (Diocese of Sumadija), as well as by deacons Dragan Radic, PhD, assistant professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the Belgrade University (Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana).
The choir Unity (Jedinstvo) from Banjaluka sang responses.
Metropolitan Porfirije and Bishop Sergije blessed the slava cake, and in that way they also marked the Patron Saint-day of the Diocese.
Metropolitan Porfirije read the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the election of His Grace Bishop Sergije as Bishop of Bihac-Petrovac, and conveyed patriarchal greetings of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch to the enthroned Bishop Sergije and placed him on the throne of Bishops of Bihac-Petrovac.
The solemn rite of the enthronement was attended by representatives of the Islamic Community and the Roman Catholic Church, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Mladen Ivanic, Secretary General of the President of Serbia Mr. Nikola Selakovic, representatives of the Governments of the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Srpska, Republic of Croatia, representatives of the diplomatic corps, heads of munipicalities, representatives of the Armed Forces of BiH, monks, lots of clergy and hundreds of faithful of the Diocese of Bihac-Petrovac.