Good Friday at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade

Paschal Encyclical 2013

THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
TO HER SPIRITUAL CHILDREN
AT PASCHA, 2013

I R I N E J

BY THE GRACE OF GOD

ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP OF PEC, METROPOLITAN OF BELGRADE-KARLOVCI AND SERBIAN PATRIARCH, WITH ALL THE HIERARCHS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH - TO ALL CLERGY, MONASTICS, ADN ALL THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF OUR HOLY CHURCH: GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, WITH THE JOYOUS PASCHAL GREETING:

CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!

“For you will not leave my soul in Sheol,
nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”
 (Psalm 16:10)

True, indeed, is this word of God’s prophet by which he announces the radiant feast of Christ Resurrection, this feast of great Christian joy and spiritual celebration. If there is a day among all days for celebration, that is today — the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ our God. Thanks to this holy day, all the days of mankind — from the beginning to the end of the world — receive their true meaning, and all that has happened in those days and is happening receives its proper meaning. If there is an event to which Christianity can be narrowed down, then that event truly is the Resurrection of Christ. If there is a feast to which all feasts can be narrowed down, then again, that is the Resurrection of Christ. That is why the Church calls the feast day of Christ’s Resurrection the Feast of Feasts; and in the Church we sing: This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24).

Serbian Patriarch celebrated its Patron Saint-day

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, celebrated his Patron Saint-day – Saint Lazarus at the Cathedral church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Belgrade.

His Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy while Their Graces Bishop Dr Jovan of Nis and Vicar Bishop Atanasije with clergy concelebrated. Their Graces Bishops Lavrentije and Konstantin attended the Liturgy. The choir of the First Belgrade Chanting Ensamble sang responses.

Beloved Queen returns to Serbia

Her Majesty Queen Maria Remains were brought back today to her homeland of Serbia with the gracious permission of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Dean of Windsor, Anglican Church, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia

A memorial service for late HM Queen Mother Maria, who died on 22 June 1961 while in exile and was buried at The Royal Burial grounds in Frogmore near Windsor Castle, was officiated yesterday in London at The Serbian Orthodox Church St. Sava in London in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Peter, Prince Philip, Princess Katarina (daughter of Prince Tomislav); Prince Dimitri and Princess Lavinia (children of Prince Andrej), Mr. Nicholas Balfour (representing and son of HRH Princess Elisabeth), H. E. Dr. Dejan Popovic Ambassador or Serbia in United Kingdom and many devoted citizens members of Serbian and Yugoslav diaspora who paid their final respects to the late Queen Mother.

Danish church delegation visits Serbia

A high delegation, consisting of mainly church dignitaries, paid an official visit to Serbia from 2-28 April 2013. His Grace Peter Skov-Jakobsen, Bishop of Copenhagen and the president of the Council for interchurch relations of the Danish Church, led the delegation Among members of the delegation there were  Mr. Karsten Fledelius, professor of the University of Copenhagen, who is also a delegate of this Church at the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches for 2013; two parish priests from Copenhagen, one representative of the Ministry of Science, as well as one professor of the University in Bornholm.

The Church is building us!

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, attended yesterday on 25 April 2013 the session of  the Committee for completion of the construction and interior decoration of the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava on Vracar. Before the beginning of the session,  Patriarch Irinej accompanied by President of the Committee Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral and the members of the Committee visited the Cathedral Church and its crypt, where he was informed on the spot about the course of the construction.