Statements

The Nativity Encyclical of the Serbian Orthodox Church 2020

The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Christmas, 2020

The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church

With all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to all the clergy, monastics, and 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 Christmas greeting:

Peace from God! Christ is Born!

Christ is born, glorify Him!
Christ is come from Heaven, welcome Him!
Christ is on earth, be lifted up!
Sing unto the Lord all the earth!

With these words Saint Gregory the Theologian begins his Nativity sermon, and these same words we, sixteen centuries later, sing in our services. Sing to the Lord, all the earth, for the joy prophesied by the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 2:2-3; 9, 6; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23; Micah 5:2) and the righteous (Genesis 12:3; 18:15) has been fulfilled. The most difficult task of man’s life is to comprehend how that announced and then fulfilled joy is not like any earthly joy; rather it represents the very essence of life and our faith. Every earthly joy and celebration is limited by time and space, but the joy of Christmas is an event which lasts, giving meaning to all of our relationships and our whole life here and now. This joy has manifested itself, it has begun, it is already given to us according to Christ’s words: “Your joy no one will take from you.” (St. John 16:22)

Press Release of the Holy Synod of BIshops

Press Release of the Holy Synod of BIshops

The Holy Synod of Bishops, on its session on 24 December 2020 brought a decision to summon the Holy Assembly of Bishops for the election of a new Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which will be held on 18 February 2021. 

From the Office of the Holy Synod of Bishops 

Press release of the Holy Synod of Bishops

Press release of the Holy Synod of Bishops

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at its session on December 24, 2020, made a decision that the Conciliar Holy Liturgy for the dead and a forty-day memorial service for Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed repose to be served on December 29, 2020 in the Cathedral church of Saint Sava in Vracar. The Holy Liturgy will begin at 9 a.m., and the memorial service will be served after the Holy Liturgy, around 11 a.m.

From the Office of the Holy Synod of Bishops

Press Release

Press Release

His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, the Locum Tenens of the Serbian Church Patriarchal Throne, left the Clinical Hospital Center "Dr, Dragisa Misovic" in Belgrade. His Eminence Metropolitan has no symptoms and is in good general condition.

From the Metropolitan's Office

Press communication

On the occasion of the repose of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church held a meeting at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade on November 20, 2020 and made some decisions provided by the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in such situations.

A decision was made that the Holy Synod of Bishops should take over the patriarchal responsibilities in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and that the Holy Synod should be chaired by the Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia Hrisostom until the election of a new Serbian Patriarch.

The Holy Synod of Bishops appointed His Grace Jovan, Bishop of Sumadija, as administrator of the vacant Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci,  in accordance with Article 70 of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The body of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej of blessed memory will be exhibited in the Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade during the Holy Liturgy on the feast day of the Cathedral, November 21, 2020, and then transferred to the Church of Saint Sava in Vracar district, Belgrade, where the faithful may have opportunity to make a homage to the blessed Patriarch.

The Holy Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday, November 22, 2020, in the church of Saint Sava in Vracar, starting at 9 am. Immediately after the Holy Liturgy, the Funeral Rite will be served and the body of the Patriarch will be buried in the crypt of the church of Saint Sava.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej reposed in the Lord

The Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (Gavrilovic) reposed in the Lord in the Military Covid Hospital "Karaburma" in Belgrade, on Friday, November 20, 2020, at 7:07 AM.

All other details regarding the funeral of His Holiness the Patriarch will be announced soon. Eternal memory and the Kingdom of Heaven!

His pious parents Zdravko and MilijanaGavrilovic from the village of Vidova near Cacak - and with them the entire Serbian family - were blessed the by the Lord, on August 27, 1930, with the birth of a male child whose baptismal name was Miroslav. He finished elementary school in his native village and high school in Cacak and the Theological School in Prizren, Kosovo and Metohia. Thereupon he graduated from the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade. 

After completing his military service, he was appointed professor of the Prizren Theological School, but before accepting the appointment he received monastic tonsure in the monastery of Rakovica, n. Rakovica, by the Serbian Patriarch German, receiving the monastic name Irinej, inOctober 1959. On the Holy and Great Friday of the same year, he was ordained a hieromonk in the church of Ruzica, Belgrade. As professor at the Prizren Theological School, he spent some years at postgraduate studies in Athens. He was appointed principal of the Monastic School in the Ostrog monastery in 1969, from where he returned to Prizren to the position of Principal of that famous Theological School.

It was in 1974 that he was elected Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarch with the title of Bishop of Moravica. He was elected Bishop of Nis in 1975.