Medna Monastery: "The Road of Mother Serbia" officially opened

His Grace Bishop Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac,  and Secretary-General of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Novak Nedic, ceremoniously opened the newly built road leading to the monastery of the Holy Venerable Martyrs Serafim, Avakum and Mardarije of Medna on September 21, 2021, on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God.

After blessing the section symbolically called "The Road of Mother Serbia", Bishop Sergije said that the Government of the Republic of Serbia, at his suggestion, recognized the need and gave the Serbian people and the great shrine of Medna the new road that will facilitate arrivals and visits to that sacred monastery.

Serbian Patriarch received Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Serbia

His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch received the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Serbia, Mr. Isaac Asiel, in the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade,on September 20, 2021.

The Serbian Patriarch and Chief Rabbi discussed the role, responsibilities and common challenges facing the Churches and religious communities in the modern world. The audience was attended by the elected Bishop of Marca, Archimandrite Sava, head of the Cabinet of the Serbian Patriarch.

Consecration of Archimandrite Damaskin for Bishop of Mohacs

His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, officiated the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy and the solemn rite of the consecration of the elected and proclaimed Very Archimandrite Damaskin (Grabez) into the rank of Bishop of Mohacs, Vicar of Bishop of Backa in the Cathedral church of Saint Sava in the Vracar district on 19 September 2021.

• The consecration of Bishop Damaskin of Mohacs, Vicar Bishop of Backa (photo gallery 1)
• The consecration of Bishop Damaskin of Mohacs, Vicar Bishop of Backa (photo gallery 2)
• The consecration of Bishop Damaskin of Mohacs, Vicar Bishop of Backa (photo gallery 3)
• Biography of Bishop Damaskin (Grabez) of Mohacs

The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church was concelebrated by His Beatitude Jovan, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje; Their Graces Bishops Lukijan of Buda, Irinej of Backa, Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia, Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Sumadija, Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, Atanasije of Mileseva, Grigorije of Dusseldorf and Germany, Marko of Bregalnica, Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, David of Krusevac, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Arsenije of Nis, Nikodim of Dalmatia, Heruvim of Osek-Polje and Baranjam, Isihije of Valjevo, Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina, Antonije of Moravica, Stefan of Remesiana, Metodije of Dioclea and elected Bishop of Budimlje-Niksic, Jerotej of Toplica, Justin of Hvosno, retired Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla, retired Georgije of Canada and retired Konstantin of Middle Europe.

Besides the family and friends of Bishop Damaskin, numerous priests and monks from several dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the solemn act of consecration was attended by the President of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina, Mr. Igor Mirovic; Minister of Innovation and Technological Development Dr. Nenad Popovic, Director of the Office for Cooperation with Traditional Churches and Religious Communities of the Republic of Serbia Dr. Vladimir Roganovic, representatives of traditional churches and religious communities, representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces, members of the diplomatic corps and prominent cultural and public figures of life in Serbia.

Proclamation of Archimandrite Damaskin for Bishop of Mohacs

His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch officiated the solemn rite of the proclamation of High Venerable Archimandrite Damaskin (Grabez) for Bishop of Mohacs, Vicar of Bishop of Backa in the old Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade on 18 September 2021 (photo gallery).

Besides the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in the rite of the proclamation also participated: His Beatitude Jovan, Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje; and Their Graces Bishops: Lukijan of Buda, Nikanor of Banat, Irinej of Backa, Dositej of Britain-Scandinavia, Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Sumadija, Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, Atanasije of Mileseva, Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, David of Krusevac, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Arsenije of Nis, Heruvim of Osek-Polje and Baranja, Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina, Isihije of Valjevo, Marko of Bregalnica, Antonije of Moravica, Stefan of Remesiana, Jerotej of Toplica, Justin of Toplica, Justin of Hvosno, retired Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla and retired Georgije of Canada.

After accepting the will and decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops before the present assembly of the Holy Church, which elected him Bishop of Mohács, vicar of the Bishop of Backa at this year's session, the proclaimed Bishop Damaskin officiated the Vesper service.

Primacy and Conciliarity in the Light of Orthodox Teaching

On September 16, 2021, His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa participated in the work of the conference organized by the Synodal Biblical-Theological Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church on the topic "World Orthodoxy: Primacy and Conciliarity in the Light of Orthodox Teaching".

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia opened the conference, while Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, delivered the key plenary report.

Day of Serbian unity, freedom and national flag

On September 15, Serbia and Republika Srpska mark a joint holiday - the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and the National Flag. At the central manifestation at Sava Square in Belgrade, near the monument of Stefan Nemanja, His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Milorad Dodik.

- I pray to God that we will never be moved by petty and selfish passions, against each other, but that we will be one in ourselves, one among ourselves, and that we will build unity with everyone, said the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, whose sermon we transmit in its entirety:

May we have a happy and blessed holiday of national unity, freedom and the flag!

God created every man and all mankind, in his image and likeness, and God is perfect unity and perfect communion in the love of three Persons: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The fact that he created man in his own image and likeness, in fact, means that he called him to live, to the extent possible, the divine way of existence, unity and community of different persons, and to make such a way of life his own reality in time and eternity. .