The Holy Liturgy in the Church of St. Sava
On the occasion of the repose of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the memory church of St. Sava in Belgrade in Belgrade, while the body of Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory was laid in the centre of the large church.
PHОTO GALLERY 1 PHОTO GALLERY 2 PHОTO GALLERY 3
(photos by deacon Dragan S. Tanasijevic)
His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, presided over the Liturgy, with the concelebration of the Their Eminences Metropolitans Hilarion of Volokolamsk from the Moscow Patriarchate and Antony of Borispol and Brovary, from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate; His Beatitude Archbishop of Ohrid and the Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan; His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana; Their Graces Bishops: Jovan of Sumadija, Irinej of Backa, Pahomije of Vranje, Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, David of Krusevac, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Nis, Dimitrije of Zahumlye-Herzegovina, Antonije of Moravica, Isihije of Mohacs, Metodije of Dioclea, clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church and guests from other local Orthodox Churches, in the prayerful presence of His Grace Bishop Grigorije of Dusseldorf and Germany, Stefan of Remesiana and retired Bishop Atanasije of Zahumlye-Herzegovina. During the Holy Liturgy, His Grace Irinej, Bishop of Backa, held a sermon.
The highest representatives of the Serbian people from the homeland and all the regions where the Serbian people live attended the Funeral Rite of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej. The funeral Liturgy, Funeral Rite and Burial were attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister of the Serbian Government Ana Brnabic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Nebojsa Stefanovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovis, Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin and other members of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army General Milan Mojsilovic, Prime Minister-designate of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapic, leaders of the Democratic Front of Montenegro Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities Dr. Mileta Radojevic, members of the Crown Council, representatives of the highest cultural, scientific and public institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, Mufti of Belgrade Mustafa ef. Jusufspahic on behalf of the Islamic Community of Serbia, Apostolic Nuncio in Belgrade Archbishop Suriano Luciano, Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, representatives of traditional Churches and religious communities in Serbia.
Immediately after the Divine Liturgy, the Funeral rite was performed, when the chairman of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia; President of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk; principal of the Cathedral church of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade, archpriest-staurophor Petar Lukic; President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Milorad Dodik, delivered speeches.
The Patriarch's body was then buried in the crypt of the Cathedral church of Saint Sava.
Members of the Serbian Army and Police, together with their people, honored the late Serbian Patriarch Irinej in the most dignified manner, thus confirming their unity with the Serbian Orthodox Church and testifying that together they are centuries-old, lasting and strongest pillars of the Serbian state. The Serbian Army guards carried the coffin with the body of the Patriarch of blessed memory and formed honorary lines both in front of the Cathedral and the Church of St. Sava.
A team of artists from the Russian Federation, headed by the prominent people’s artist Nikolai Muhin, who for years under the watchful eye of the Patriarch performed works on the interior decoration of the church of St. Sava, honored the Serbian Patriarch by their presence.
