Serbian Orthodox Church

The Holy Liturgy in the Church of St. Sava

On the occasion of the repose of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the memory church of St. Sava in Belgrade in Belgrade, while the body of Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory was laid in the centre of the large church.

PHОTO GALLERY 1          PHОTO GALLERY 2          PHОTO GALLERY 3
(photos by deacon Dragan S. Tanasijevic)

His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, presided over the Liturgy, with the concelebration of the Their Eminences Metropolitans Hilarion of Volokolamsk from the Moscow Patriarchate and Antony of Borispol and Brovary, from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate; His Beatitude Archbishop of Ohrid and the Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan; His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana; Their Graces Bishops: Jovan of Sumadija, Irinej of Backa, Pahomije of Vranje, Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, David of Krusevac, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Nis, Dimitrije of Zahumlye-Herzegovina, Antonije of Moravica, Isihije of Mohacs, Metodije of Dioclea, clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church and guests from other local Orthodox Churches, in the prayerful presence of His Grace Bishop Grigorije of Dusseldorf and Germany, Stefan of Remesiana and retired Bishop Atanasije of Zahumlye-Herzegovina. During the Holy Liturgy, His Grace Irinej, Bishop of Backa, held a sermon.

The highest representatives of the Serbian people from the homeland and all the regions where the Serbian people live attended the Funeral Rite of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej. The funeral Liturgy, Funeral Rite and Burial were attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister of the Serbian Government Ana Brnabic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Nebojsa Stefanovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovis, Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin and other members of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army General Milan Mojsilovic, Prime Minister-designate of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapic, leaders of the Democratic Front of Montenegro Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities Dr. Mileta Radojevic, members of the Crown Council, representatives of the highest cultural, scientific and public institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, Mufti of Belgrade Mustafa ef. Jusufspahic on behalf of the Islamic Community of Serbia, Apostolic Nuncio in Belgrade Archbishop Suriano Luciano, Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, representatives of traditional Churches and religious communities in Serbia.

The Holy Liturgy and the Funeral Rite for the late Patriarch Irinej

On the occasion of the repose of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory, the requiem Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday, November 22, 2020, in the church of Saint Sava in Vracar, starting at 9 am. His Eminence Hrizostom, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia, will preside over the service, with the concelebration of several hierarchs and clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church and guests from other local Orthodox Churches.

The First Belgrade Chanting Ensamble and the choir ‘Branko” from Nis will chant responses. During the Holy Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Irinej of Backa will deliver a sermon.

In the continuation of the Holy Liturgy, a Funeral Rite will be served, after which the principal of the Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade, Archpriest-Staurophore Petar Lukic, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia Hrizostom, President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Milorad Dodik, will  deliver speeches.

The Patriarch's body will be buried in the crypt of the Church of Saint Sava, Belgrade.

The body of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose transferred from the Patriarchal Palace to the Belgrade Cathedral

The body of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory was transferred from the Patriarchal Palace  to the Belgrade Cathedral (photo gallery)

Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, Bishop David of Krusevac and Bishop Arsenije of Nis, in a prayerful presence of Bishop Stefan of Remesiana,  Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch, performed panichida for the repose of the Patriarch’s soul  in the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, in Belgrade on November 21, 2020.  The HolyLiturgy was celebrated in that Cathedral church just adfter the panichida.

Telegram of condolences from the President of the Republic of Serbia

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, sent a telegram of condolences to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the repose of Serbian Patriarch Irinej:

On behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia, as well as on my own behalf, I express my sincere condolences on the occasion of the death of His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Today, Serbia and the whole of Serbia are mourning. Our Patriarch, a quiet and peaceful, noble and peace-loving man, our responsible spiritual shepherd, has passed away. The man we would all like to be and the way our faith teaches us to be has died. Only great peoples can produce great men. The great ones are born and live in their people, never higher than them and in everything submissive to their benefit and progress. Great people do not master, they serve. Their choice is not any side but the whole of people. They are patient with doubts, calm in tension and peaceful in every division and difference. Slow in words and quick in kindness. And when we do not see them, we know that they are there, we feel the power of their commitment to their family, homeland and their faith.

Memorial Service for Patriarch Irinej at Cathedral church in Belgrade

His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia celebrated the memorial service for newly-departed Serbian Patriarch and Our Father Irinej at the Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael on 20 November 2020.

Bishop Atanasije of Mileshevo released from hospital

After a negative test for COVID-19, His Grace Bishop Atanasije of Mileshevo was released on November 17, 2020from hospital treatment from the Clinical Hospital Center Dr. Dragisa Misovic  in Belgrade, where he had  been since November 8, 2020.

Bishop Atanasija expresses his gratitude first to God, the True Physician of our souls and bodies, and then to the entire health system of the State of Serbia, health institutions in Prijepolje, Uzice, the aforementioned CBC Dr. Dragisa Misovic, and all others who have been involved in the fight against evil virus implementing  their Christian care, nursing and prayer.

The Bishop prays to God for all those suffering from the new contagious disease, that the Lord may soon raise them from their beds, as well as for all those who care for the affected, that God will give them strength and courage in their sublime work of serving others to the glory of God and to the joy of the entire community they belong to.

From the office of Bishop of Milesheva