Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
January 10, 2005

PATRIARCH PAVLE RECEIVES MINISTER OF EDUCATION
AND RELIGION TEACHERS

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle received the Serbian Minister of Education and Sports Slobodan Vuksanovic and his associates today in the Belgrade Patriarchate.

The best religion teachers in Belgrade also attended the reception.

Addressing the minister and religion teachers, His Holiness said that he was happy to meet them “as among friends” and expressed the wish and hope that students will live and work in better conditions. Teachers and parents have a great responsibility because one cannot educate and rear children only with words but through deeds and works, which must serve as an example and a model.

Minister Vuksanovic expressed his satisfaction with cooperation between the Church and ministries to date, and expressed the conviction that this cooperation would continue to benefit all.

Minister Vuksanovic presented the religion teachers with sets of 13 videocassettes presenting religious themes in cartoon form. Religion instructor Zoran Devrnja thanked the Minister on behalf of the religion teachers.

CHRISTMAS FESTIVELY CELEBRATED
IN THE METROPOLITANATE OF ZAGREB AND LJUBLJANA

All churches and monasteries in the Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana in the Republic of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy festively celebrated the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In the church of the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord in Zagreb, the Christmas celebration began with Holy Liturgy on Christmas Eve, when a large number of Zagreb Serbs traditionally partake in the Eucharist.

His Eminence Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb, Ljubljana and All-Italy conducted the holiday vesper service and the blessing of the Yule log with the concelebration of Zagreb priests. Every year a large number of faithful visit their church on Zagreb’s Flower Market Square. This year an incredible, under local conditions, several thousand Serbian Orthodox souls gathered for the glory of the God-Child to celebrate Christmas Eve and the forthcoming Nativity of Our Lord in prayer. It was wonderful and touching to see all those who were unable to enter the church itself gathered in prayer one next to each other along Preobrazenjska Street and in the Square following the evening religious service. At the end of the service, Metropolitan Jovan blessed the Yule log and addressed his gathered faithful:

“Dear brothers and sisters, dear faithful Serbian people, again this year we welcome the opportunity to pray to God and to prayerfully announce on this Christmas Eve the birth of Him whom generations awaited, prophets prophesized, Him who will come to save the world. We welcome Christmas in our restored church where we have gathered in this great number. How we were unable to imagine just a few years ago that the time would come once again when we might so freely gather in our churches and celebrate our holidays. Not only can we access our churches without fear but we also received greetings from the highest positions and best wishes on the occasion of our celebration. If we look but a little into the past we will remember how it was. But just look at what God can do and accomplish. All of us gathered here on the night of the Nativity of Christ thank Him the Creator of all that is good for granting peace to the conflicting peoples. The blessing of God to all those responsible in the state structures that work toward peace and mutual respect. To all of us gathered here this evening, your families, those who are persecuted and suffering, those who are hungry and thirsty, to all people and peoples, a happy Christmas Eve and the blessing of God, and we greet you all with the joyous Christian greeting: PEACE OF GOD! CHRIST IS BORN!

His Eminence Metropolitan Jovan also served morning services and Holy Hierarchal Liturgy on the day of the Nativity of Christ with his Zagreb priests. Present at the Christmas Liturgy were many representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the Republic of Croatia. This year’s Christmas celebration in Zagreb unfolded without a single incident.

METROPOLITAN AMFILOHIJE SERVES IN DULJEVO MONASTERY

On January 9, 2005 His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral served in the church dedicated to the Holy First-Martyr and Archdeacon Stefan in Duljevo Monastery near Budva. Since today’s holiday is also the patronal feast of this church, Metropolitan Amfilohije also blessed and cut the slava cake. During Holy Liturgy the Metropolitan addressed the faithful in attendance with a homily in which he spoke about the death of the Holy First-Martyr and Archdeacon Stefan as follows:

“One of the persons present at the stoning of the Archdeacon Stefan was the Apostle Paul, then called Saul, a zealous young man who was guarding the capes of those who stoned Archdeacon Stefan. Obviously this calling, which God chose for him from his mother’s womb, first gave him zeal in fulfilling the Laws of God and then in persecuting those who converted to the faith of Christ. However, deeply moved by the stoning of the Archdeacon Stefan and praying to God that He might reveal a great and holy mystery onto him, God touched him on the road to Damascus, a fire descended and illuminated him. By this fire he came to see, he recognized Christ and became a vessel of Divine Blessing. Similarly, the Archdeacon Stefan, when he was stoned cried that he saw the open heavens and the Son of Man on the right side of the Divine power. Kneeling and praying before this sacred apparition which he saw and which called him into his arms, he said, ‘God, take my soul and hold not what they do as a sin against them.’ His faith and loyalty to Christ was deep. The Holy Spirit, which spoke through him, and his determination to his dying breath, made him a true and faithful witness of Christ. In those times as well as in the present day we celebrate the name of God and we celebrate him who by his life and suffering celebrates God, who witnessed his celebration by the martyr’s blood of the Archdeacon Stefan. So many churches have been built in his honor throughout the world and not only that but he was the protector of emperors and kings, as his very name suggests for Stefan means wedded to glory. Archdeacon Stefan is today the protector and feast of Republika Srpska, following the example of medieval times and of the Nemanjic dynasty, which built this holy church among others and who, like almost all our rulers, bore the name Stefan following the model and inspiration of the Holy Archdeacon Stefan. May God give us, too, the strength that the Lord may celebrate in us, and that we may be His witnesses,” said Metropolitan Amfilohije during his homily.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT IN PODGORICA

In the Serbia and Montenegro Army Hall in Podgorica on Sunday, January 9, 2005 a Christmas concert of Orthodox spiritual and secular music was held. His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral made the introductory remarks. Participants in the program included the choirs of the Serbian Singing Society, Jedinstvo from Kotor and St. Mark the Evangelist from Podgorica under the direction of Mihailo Lazarevic and Ljudmila Radovic.

M. R.

PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL-RUSSIA SERVES CHRISTMAS LITURGY IN MOSCOW’S CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR

Early on Friday, January 7, 2005 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All-Russia served holiday vespers, followed by morning services and then Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Concelebrants included Archbishop Arsenios of Istra and Bishop Alexander of Dimitrov. Holy Liturgy was attended by the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin; the chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, B. V. Gryzlov; the chairman of the Federation Council, S. M. Mironov; the chairman of Verkhovnaya Rada of Ukraine, V. M. Litvin, and many other eminent figures from the domains of culture and science.

In his Christmas message Patriarch Alexy emphasized our time needs peace and unity among all nations. The God-Child Christ brought peace into the world and we, as servants of the Lord, must preach and spread evangelical peace.

[Serbian Translation Services]