Historical visit of Ecumenical Patriarch to Croatia

Symposium with the theme New Martyrs: PolyperspectiveII  held in the Orthodox Grammar School Katarina Kantakuzina Brankovic

The clergy of the Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana performed a solemn doxology rite in the chapel of Saint Sava, the church within the Orthodox Grammar School “Katarina Kantakuzina Brankovic” complex, which began at 10:30 a.m.

The church and the courtyard were small to receive numerous pious believers and students of this school, who arrived along with Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana and greeted the high guest. The joy because of the historical visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Serbian Patriarch Irinej was enhanced also by the presence of hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Amfilohije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, Irinej of Backa, Pahomije of Vranje, Fotije od Dalmatia, Gerasim of GornjiKarlovci, Jovan of Slavonia and retired Bishop Atanasije of Herzegovina. The gathering was enhanced by a high delegation from the Polish Orthodox Church as well.

The solemn rite of thanksgiving was attended by abbots and abbesses of many monasteries, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, religious communities, diplomatic corps, scientific and cultural institutions.

After the solemn doxology, under the auspices  of the Committee for Jasenovac of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Museum of the victims of the genocide, international symposium entitled New Martyrs: PolyperspectiveII was held in the Congress Hall of the Serbian Orthodox Grammar School Katarina Kantakuzina Brankovic.

The Symposium was opened by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who delivered an introductory lecture.

The first session was presided by His Grace Bishop Jovan of Slavonia, who reminded that Patriarch Bartholomew was in a right sense the angel of peace and a stimulus for building the bridges of peace.

Thereafter Mr. Ephraim Zurof, Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center from Jerusalem, spoke on the theme Significance of justice in the memory of the Holocaust.  Metropolitan Amfilohije and Mrs. RutaVanagaite delivered  lectures as well.

In the afternoon His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, accompanied by Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, paid a friendly visit to the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Tihomir Oreskovic.

photo: Nenad Stikovic