Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway visits Serbian Patriarch

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch received Mr. Arne Sanes Bjornstad, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Belgrade, at the Serbian Patriarchate on 27 May 2016.

Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops

Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held in Belgrade May 14-25, 2016

The regular meeting of the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began at the Patriarchate of Pec monastery with the joint serving of the holy hierarchical Divine Liturgy and the invocation of the Holy Spirit and continued in Prizren with the rite of consecration of the renovated Prizren Seminary. Afterward, all regular meetings, under the presidency of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, were held in Belgrade. Participating in the Assembly were all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the exception of Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac who, out of justifiable reasons, was not able to attend.

The most important theme of this year’s Assembly was preparation of the Serbian Orthodox Church to take part in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, to meet this June in Crete. Regarding this forthcoming pan Orthodox Council, the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, adopted a document expressing their principle position on all major issues to be discussed and decided upon at the Great Council.

Response of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej to the letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concerning the fire in the St. Sava Cathedral in New York

THE MOST HOLY PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE, IN CHRIST GOD BELOVED AND MOST DEAREST BROTHER AND CONCELEBRANT OF OUR HUMBLENESS KYR B A R T H O L O M E W, EMBRACING YOUR ESTEEMED HOLINESS BROTHERLY IN THE LORD, WE MOST CORDIALLY GREET YOU.

It is with gratitude that We received Your kind letter by which You express the sympathies of the Most Holy Ecumenical Patriarchate after fire that swept through the Saint Sava Church in New York on the very day when our Holy Church was celebrating the Feast of feasts – the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The faithful of this Parish, the Orthodox faithful in New York and the entire Serbian Orthodox Church, find, in Your concern and Your love, consolation upon the tragedy that has befallen this church with historical significance in the New World. Having compassion in this way with the local Serbian Church, Your Holiness shows fraternal care, and above all Christian love, because "if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it" (1 Cor. 12:26).

Liturgical gathering at the Patriarchate Chapel

On the feast day of the Midfeast of the Pentecost, with the blessing and in the presence of His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy at the Patriarchate Chapel of Saint Simeon the Myrrhgusher.

He was concelebrated by presbyters Vladimir Vranic and Arsenije Arsenijevic, protodeacon Stevan Rapajic and deacon Aleksandar Sekulic. Students of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Belgrade sang responses. The hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, gathered at the regular session of the Assembly, were prayerfully present, as well as pilgrims from Belarus.

Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic funeral and burial in Oplenac

His Royal Highness Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic, the eldest son of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Paul and Princess Olga was buried today in the Saint George Church yard in Oplenac. Their Graces Bishop Jovan of Sumadija and Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand officiated the funeral service at 10:30 am.

The solemn funeral was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine and Hereditary Prince Peter who was Prince Alexander’s Karadjordjevic’s godson and HE Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, President of Republic of Serbia.

Order of Saint Sava to the Sretenje Monastery from Moscow

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, awarded the Sretensky Stauropegic monastery from Moscow with the Order of Saint Sava of the Second Degree on 18 May 2016.

The high award of the Serbian Orthodox Church from the hands of His Holiness was received by hieromonk Ignatiy Shestakov, co-brother of the Sretensky monastery (Meeting of Jesus in the Temple). Namely, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, upon the suggestion of His Grace Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, awarded the Sretensky Monastery from Moscow with the order of Saint Sava for the love towards the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people expressed in granting unselfish aid during the restoration of the Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prizren. The ceremony at the Patriarchate Court in Belgrade was attended by Hierarchs summoned at the regular convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.