Solemn welcome of Serbian Patriarch Porfirije in Nis
His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch arrived in the first official visit to the Diocese of Nis since his election as the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in the afternoon on 23 April 2021.
A great spiritual joy in the God-saved Diocese of Nis was announced by the bells from the Cathedral church when His Holiness Patriarch was greeted by His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Nis, together with His Grace Bishop Ilarion of Timok, the clergy and the pious faithful people of the Diocese of Nis.
Then, in the honour of the Patriarch, a solemn act of doxology was served, which was officiated over by protosynchellos Nektarije (Djuric), with the concelebration of protopresbyter-staurophor Milutin Timotijevic, Rector of the Theological Seminary "Saints Cyril and Methodius" in Nis; protopresbyter-staurophor Branislav Cincarevic, head of the Cathedral church in Nis; archpriest Miodrag Pavlovic, Diocesan Deputy of Nis I; archpriest Zlatko Vasilic, Diocesan Deputy of Nis II; archpriest Predrag Radosavljevic, head of the Church of the Holy Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen in Nis; protodeacon Stevan Kricka and deacon Djordje Filipovic.
The beauty of the prayer act was contributed by the responses of the excellent chanters of the Diocese of Nis: archpriest Zoran Filipovic, archpriest Dejan Krstic, archpriest Vladica Savic and priest Stefan Cincarevic, as well as the singing of the Nis Church Choir "Branko".
His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije was greeted with an inspired speech by His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Nis, who thanked the Patriarch for the fact that the Diocese of Nis is one of the first that he blessed with his visit. In his greeting address, the Bishop especially pointed out that the Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana, where His Holiness sat before the election as the Primate of the Serbian Church, and the Diocese of Nis are connected by the Holy Confessor Dositej (Vasic), Metropolitan of Zagreb-Ljubljana and Bishop of Nis.
His Holiness then greeted His Grace Bishop Arsnije and the spiritual children entrusted to him, over whom he has been watching prayerfully since coming to the throne of the Bishops of Nis in 2017. The Patriarch expressed his gratitude for the invitation and taught the faithful with an inspired sermon. The Patriarch expressed his joy that he will serve the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on Lazarus' Saturday, the Patron Saint-day of Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose, the former Bishop of Nis. The Patriarch said that from now on, the personal belongings of the Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose will occupy a special place in the Museum of Church Antiquities of the Diocese of Nis.
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, representatives of the institutions of the City of Nis, prominent individuals from the public life of Nis and priests of the Diocese of Nis also attended the solemn reception and doxology.
Source: Radio Voice of the Diocese of Nis
