Communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops

The communique of the Holy Assembly of Bishops

In the church of the Holy Prince Lazar, in the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, a regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church was held, from May 24 to 29, 2021, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, and with the participation of all diocesan hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, while Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac did not stay until the end of the session. The Assembly began its session with the service of the Holy Liturgy with the invocation of the Holy Spirit in the Cathedral of Saint Sava on the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, on May 24 this year.

Patriarch Porfirije: The Assembly, bishops, priests and monks serve the Mystery of Christ

Patriarch Porfirije: We do not serve and should not serve ourselves and implement our ideas, but we are in the place of Christ, so that He in us, with us and together with all of you, may serve His mystery, and that is the mystery of the Church, the mystery of love and the mystery of salvation.

His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch  officiated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Saint Sava Cathedral in the Vracar district. The Patriarch was concelebrated by Their Graces Bishops David of Krusevac, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Nis, Nikodim of Dalmatia, Heruvim of Osijek-Polje and Baranja, Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina, Isihije of Mohac, elected Bishop of Valjevo; Antonije of Moravica, Stefan of Remesiana, as well as elected Sava (Bundalo) of Marca and elected Justin (Jeremic) of Hvosno.

Elected Metropoltian Joanikije: The Assembly manifest and established the unity of the Serbian Orthodoxo Church

Bishop Joanikije: Our Holy Assembly of Bishops, which gathered in the name of God around Christ the Living God, manifested and established the unity of our holy Serbian Orthodox Church, Pray to God for the unity of the Church, pray for His Holiness Patriarch who is the head of our Church,  the greatest burden is on him, he needs the most help to navigate this ship when many waves hit and many boras that rise.

In a prayerful presence of His Grace Bishop of Budimlje Niksic, the elected Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Their Graces Bishops Atanasije of Milesevo and Kirilo of Buenos Aires and South-Central America celebrated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Monastery of Holy Archangels in Rakovica on Sundazy of Samaratan Woman, on 30 May 2021.

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije continues to fight for the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the faithful people in Montenegro

His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, received Mr. Zdravko Krivokapic, President of the Government of the Republic of Montenegro at the Serbian Patriarchate today, on 27 May 2021.

The meeting was attended by members of the Holy Synod of Bishops: Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, as well as Bishop Joanikije of Budva-Niksic.

In the morning of the same day, the representatives of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Government of the Republic of Montenegro fully harmonized the text of the Basic Agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the state of Montenegro. Representatives of the Government from Podgorica then confirmed that Mr. Krivokapic would come to Belgrade in the afternoon to meet with His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, and solemnly sign the Fundamental Agreement. The same intention of Mr. Krivokapic was verbally confirmed to His Holiness Patriarch from the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro.

The beginning of the work of the Holy Synod of Bishops

Under the arches of the magnificent Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in the Vracar district on May 25, 2021, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch,   and with the participation of Their Eminences and Graces diocesan bishops, the working part of the session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began.

The session is held in the crypt of the Holy Great Martyr Prince Lazar, equipped to facilitate the smooth and efficient work of the Assembly, at the same time adhering to the epidemiological measures prescribed by the competent state authorities.

Patriarch Porfirije: The essence of the Church as a Assembly is the Holy Liturgy in which we have shown unbreakable unity with Christ, but also unity among ourselves

Christ is Risen! Your Eminences and Graces brothers hierarchs, brothers and sisters, the grace of the Holy Spirit gathered us today at the regular Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Councils and assemblies are a right, but at the same time an obligation of us bishops. Of course, councils and councils are the right and obligation of all Christians, but at this moment, thanks to the Holy Spirit by which everything happens in the Church of Christ, the Church is constituted by the Holy Spirit. We gathered at the Assembly of Bishops to first of all manifest and show the unity of our local Church. At the same time, we have come together to - meeting in the Spirit of Love, in the Holy Spirit, meditating together on all the temptations facing our Church wherever it is - to bring together solutions that are not simply administrative, but solutions in the Spirit. Holy. Such solutions aim to bear witness to the body of Christ, the crucified and risen Christ, and to build up the body of Christ.