Protopresbyter-staurophor Velibor Dzomic: Election of the Patriarch and epidemics - church-legal analysis

The question * of the date of the election session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops at which the 46th Serbian Patriarch should be elected is primarily a church issue and primarily concerns the bishops, clergy, monastics and the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Having in mind the importance of the Saint Sava throne, as well as the dignity and role of the Serbian Patriarch on a wider level, the issue of electing the Serbian Patriarch, with which the issue of the date of the election session of the Holy Synod of Bishops is connected, has a wider, social significance, and exceeds the framework of Serbia.

Bishop Fotije: We all need to preserve the shrines

We are conveying an integral text of the interview of His Grace Bishop Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, published in the Večernji novosti on December 20, 2020.

Within this short period of time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Serbian Orthodox Church lost Patriarch Irinej, Metropolitan Amfilohije and several hierarchs, all at a time when relentless attacks on Orthodoxy in the world and (in media) on the Serbian Orthodox Church in the region have been underway, and in Serbia itself. How would you assess the current moment in which the Serbian Orthodox Church finds itself?

The Church lives in the space of the Cross and Resurrection, every day and every hour. Sometimes it seems to us that one dominates and sometimes another. The Church Fathers view the Cross and the Resurrection as a twofold Mystery - the mystery of faith. To be clearer, the Cross is in the fact that we have lost Patriarch Irinej and Metropolitan Amfilohije, but the Resurrection is also in the fact that we faithful know that they are now in the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, this crucifixion of Orthodoxy on the universal level awaits its resurrection by re-establishing unity, which is currently violated due to the so-called Ukrainian issue. Media struggles, on the other hand, have become a part of everyday life, but the only thing we can fight with is fasting and prayer. In all these mentioned conditions, the Church, according to the Holy Apostle Paul, should bear witness to the Word of God, which is needed even during this unprecedented pandemic, both for us Serbs and for the whole world.

Patron Saint-day of the Cathedral church in Sremski Karlovci

Bishop Vasilije of Srem ordained deacon Nikola Erceg to the rank of presbyter 

The feast day of Holy father Ncholas, Archbishop of Myra, was solemnly celebrated in Sremski Karlovci, where a magnificent Cathedral church is dedicated to this Saint.  His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Srem officated the solemn Liturgy with the concelebration of protopresbyter-staurophores: Dusan Petrovic, retired dean of the Karlovci Theological Seminary, Dragomir Sando and Branislav Popovic; dean of Karlovac Seminary archpriest Jovan Milanovic, presbyter Stanko Laketic and deacon Goran Vlasac and Djordje Milidrag. 

Feast days in Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand

On 28th Sunday after Pentecost, on Serbian Children's day (Detinjci), His Grace Bishop Siluan of Australia and New Zealand celebrated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of Saint Nicholas in Blacktown.

On this occasion, the Bishop blessed the cross which was raised and mounted on the restored dome of the church.The day before, on the feast day of Saint Nicholas, Bishop Siluan served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the church of Holy Prince Lazar in Alexandria. The Bishop ordained Goran Cibula a hypodeacon.

The Patron Saint-day of the monastery of Rmanj and of Bishop Sergije

Bogdan Reljic from Martin Brod awarded with the Order of the Holy New Martyrs of Bihac-Petrovac

On the day when the whole of Orthodoxy commemorates the great teacher, theologian and saint of the Church of Christ, Saint Nicholas of Myra, the Miracle Worker, on December 19, 2020, in Rmanj Monastery worshipers of that church gathered along with  a dear guest His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana and the host, His Grace Bishop Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac in order to liturgically celebrate the  Patron Saint-day of this monastery and the Bishop.

Bishop Stefan celebrated the Holy Liturgy and the memorial service for Patriarch Irinej in the crypt of the Saint Sava Cathedral

His Grace Bishop Stefan of Remesiana celebrated the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the crypt of the Saint Sava Cathedral in the Vracar district on 20 December 2020, on the feast day of Saint Ambrosius and Venerable Grigorije of Gornjak.

Mixed Saint Sava's choirs led by conducter Katarina Stankovic sang responses. At the end of the Holy Liturgy, Bishop Stefan served a memorial service for the Patriarch and our father Irinej of blessed repose.

Source: TV Hram