Centennial of the re-establishment of the Serbian Patriarchate

The celebration of the centenary of the re-establishment of the Serbian Patriarchate will be held on 14 and 15 May 2022 in Sremski Karlovci, one of the three sees of the Serbian patriarchs.

The celebration of the great church-historical jubilee will begin on Saturday, 14 May 2022, in the Cathedral church of the Holy Father Nicholas with the festive reception of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije and homeland Hierarchs, where a vespers with doxology to the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be served at 5 p.m.

His Holiness the Patriarch will then open a multimedia exhibition in the well-known Patriarchal Palace in Sremski Karlovci, entitled "One Century since the Re-establishment of the Serbian Patriarchate 1920-2020." According to the words of Deacon Vladimir Radovanović, Director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the most important insignia depicting the patriarchal dignity of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be exhibited: the 1923 Panagia of the Serbian Saints, with original designs by architect Pero J. Popović and Uroš Predić, the Miter of the twelve apostles, the hierarchical scepter with which Patriarch Dimitrije was enthroned, as well as his hierarchical vestments. The former patriarchal throne with a canopy was reconstructed, which was located in the throne hall of the Patriarchal Palace in Sremski Karlovci, where the ceremony of re-establishing the Patriarchate was conducted.

– On this exceptional occasion, there will be exhibited paintings of Uroš Predić – Patriarch Lukijan Bogdanović intercedes for the Serbian Church before Saint Nicholas (Turbulent Sea), Paja Jovanović – Saint Sava reconciles brothers and Saint Sava crowns Stefan the First-Crowned, a string of portraits of the first Serbian Patriarchs who came to the area of the future Metropolitanate of Karlovci and portraits of the Patriarchs of Karlovci: Josif Rajačić, Lukijan Bogdanović. Among them, the most representative are the portraits of Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević and Patriarch Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta, the painting of Jovo Vasilijevič from 1744, and Patriarch Georgije Branković, the painting of Uroš Predić from 1906. The exhibition will include the throne cross of Tsar Dušan from the treasury of the Monastery Visoki Dečani and the most important exhibits from the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade, several manuscripts and printed books, artefacts of church-artistic embroidery and textiles, miter and cross of Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević, small omophorion and pectoral cross of Patriarch Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta, and for the first time, the pectoral cross and panagia of Patriarch Georgije Branković will be displayed. The authors of the exhibition and the catalog are Deacon Vladimir Radovanović, Vladislav Kasalica and Dr Miljana Matić, and the assistants in the realization of the exhibition are Dr Gordana Petković, MA Biljana Cincar Kostić, Marija Jović and MA Natalija Stokanović, said the director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The next day, Sunday, 15 May 2022, at 8.30 a.m., His Holiness Patriarch kyr Porfirije will preside over the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy, as well as the act of invocation of the Holy Spirit in the Cathedral church of the Holy Father Nicholas of Myra, with the concelebration of Hierarchs, members of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who will hold the first celebratory session immediately after worship in the Patriarchal Palace.

At 12,00 a festive academy will be held on the city square in front of the Patriarchal Palace and the Cathedral church, which will be opened by reading the Epistle prepared by the Holy Assembly for the occasion of the great jubilee.

It is foreseen that eminent church choirs, the best Serbian actors, cultural-artistic associations and students of the Theological Seminary "Saint Arsenije" in Sremski Karlovci will perform on this occasion.