New church for Serbs in Vienna

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch  met with the Austrian President Heinz Fischer and the Mayor of Vienna Michael Heupl. Patriarch received a promise that it a new church will be built in the part of Vienna, where live most of the Serbs.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej met with the highest officials of Austra, Vienna and Roman Catholic Church in this country, to whom he expressed his appreciacion because they enable the Serbs to enjoy religious freedom. The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church met with the President of Austria Heinz Fischer, Mayor of Vienna Michael Heupl and Archbishop  Christoph Count von Schoenborn.

Patriarch Irinej signed the "Golden book" of the City of Vienna, and he gave a book about Kosovo and Metohija and the coat of arms of the Serbian Orthodox Church to Mayor.

Vienna's Mayor said that the Austrian metropolis was a place of dialogue, and therefore he was very happy that  Patriarch came to a visit who was committed to a dialogue. He reminded that he roots of the Serbs in Austria were very long, since the 17th century, and that the visit of Patriarch Irinej followed by a significant occasion - 150 years of the Church municipality in Vienna.

Patriarch Irenej said that the biggest challenge for the Serbian people today is Kosovo and Metohija, expressing hope that a solution will be beneficial for both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians.

Relationship of help and respect

According to him, the Austrian state and the church help Serbian believers and that can be seen the best through a fact that we had two churches in Vienna ten years ago and now we have three. One of new signs of this relationship, Patriarch said, was a promise that in the 16th quarter a church would be donated, in the part of town inhabited by lots of our people.

Also Patriarch repeated the call to all Christians to be in good relations.

Source: RTS