Ordination of Deacon Zoran Aleksic to the Holy Priesthood

Axios and many years to Deacon Zoran Aleksic, who was ordained to the holy priesthood on June 6th, 2016 by His Grace Bishop Maxim during the Heirarchical Divine Liturgy held at Saint Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra, California.

Also concelebrating the Liturgy were Very Rev. Nicholas Ceko, Dean of the Cathedral, Rev. Norman Kosanovich, Assistant Priest, Rev. Milan Unkovic, parish priest at the Saint Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, and Deacon Paul Germain from the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in San Diego.

The Serbian Patriarch sends condolences concerning the tragic events in Istanbul

On the occasion of the tragic events in Istanbul, during which dozens of innocent victims suffered, His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, sent sincere condolences to His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey.

Telegram of condolences to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew:

Your All-Holiness,

On the occasion of the tragedy at the airport in Istanbul, that took many lives, please accept Our sincere condolences.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej

***

Saint Vitus Day solemnly celebrated at Lazarica Church in the Zvezdara district

The church patron-day of Great Martyr Prince Lazar of Serbia was celebrated solemnly inthe church of St. Greatmartyr Prince Lazar in the Zvezdara district of Belgrade.

On Monday, June 27^th, 2016 at 5 p.m.  the Vesper service was performed by presbyter Srecko Bogicevic, parish priest of Lazarica. At 8 p.m. the All-night Vigil service was celebrated by protopresbyter-staurophor Dragoslav Stikic, principal of the Lazarica church, in the presence of His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch. At midnight presbyter Srecko Bogicevic officiated the Holy Liturgy.

Delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrives to Crete

Headed by His Holiness Irinej, the Serbian Patriarch, the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrived to Crete today, on 16 June 2016, where the session of the Holy and Great Council is to be held during the forthcoming days. His Holiness is accompanied by Their Eminences and Their Graces hierarchs: Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid, Metropolitan Dr. Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, Bishop Dr. Irinej of Backa, Bishop Dr. Ignjatije of Branicevo, Bishop Lukijan of  Budim and Bishop Jeronim of Jegar.

Along with the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, hierarchs, professors and students arrived in Chania, as part of the Serbian Church delegation.

Communiqué

THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Syn. No. 840

15th June 2016

C O M M U N I Q U E

In brotherly love, while with responsibility and hopes preparing for the participation in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which, God willing, is to be held at the Orthodox Academy at Crete around the Pentecost, from 17 until 26 June 2016, the Holy Synod of Bishops in its broader composition at its session held at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, on June 15, 2016, regarding the situation created after the ordinary  convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church,  passes the following decision:

First of all, having in mind the importance and significance of the Council, our Church wants, in a spirit of ecclesial upbuilding, to contribute in the way that also this Holy and Great Council fulfills criteria and the measure of true Councils in the history of the Orthodox Church and justifies its title.

On the other hand, our Church requests that problems and matters not only of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but also of the other most Holy Churches that cancelled their participation in the Council, be considered at that Council.

With this aim in mind, the Holy and Great Council should last as long as these questions have not been considered, and it cannot be a hostage of in advance layed out and accepted rules. Exclusively with the full consensus the Council can be considered as Holy and Great Council.

At last, our Church insists that the gathering on the island of Crete be a beginning of a Conciliar process, that the matters in question should be solved during its working process, but in the spirit of synodic tradition of the Church of Christ.

In case that the Churches present at the Council, with the Ecumenical Patriarchate at head, persist in the position that the absent Churches without a real reason boycott the work of the Council, and in case that the already present Churches reject to take into consideration all the matters in question, problems and disagreements, the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Council will be, regretfully, forced to leave the sessions of that Council and in that way join the Churches that are already absent.

This is by no means a threat or ransom, but a consequent implementation of the position and decisions of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held in May 2016.

In the spirit of our ecclesial and pastoral responsibility, we present these positions hoping in the illuminating action of the All-Holy Spirit.

Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade - Karlovci
and Serbian Patriarch
President of the Holy Assembly of Bishops
sign.   I R I N E J

Statement of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

On the situation caused by the refusal of several Local Orthodox Churches to participate in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

For many decades the Russian Orthodox Church took and continues to take an active part in the preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. Since the First Pan-Orthodox Conference in 1961 on Rhodes, the outstanding hierarchs and the best theologians of our Church have made their contribution to the work on a great number of the Council’s topics, including those which were not to be included later in the agenda of the Holy and Great Council. For the sake of the earliest convocation of the Council, the Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly re-affirmed her readiness to accept decisions mutually acceptable for all the participants in the pre-Council process, even if such decisions diverted from the already agreed rules of the Council’s preparation.