The Orthodox and the entire Christian world and people of good will congratulated Patriarch Porfirije on his election

In the past few days, hundreds and hundreds of letters of congratulations have arrived at the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade addressed to the Serbian Patriarchate, the Holy Assembly and the Synod, all Serbian Orthodox race, and of course the newly elected first hierarch of the holiest Serbian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

Leaders and dignitaries of the Orthodox Churches, the highest representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Islamic Religious Community and the Jewish Religious Community, some Protestant Churches and denominations, the highest representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Serbia, statesmen and important political figures wished the head of the Serbian Patriarchate good luck on the throne of Saint Sava. His Holiness Porfirije read the congratulations of our Orthodox people from Serbia, Republika Srpska, Montenegro, Croatia, Northern Macedonia, but also from Europe, North and South America and Australia with the greatest love and attention.

On this occasion, we will list only the most important heads of the Orthodox Autocephalous and Autonomous Churches, religious dignitaries and representatives of states and important institutions. Congratulations were sent by the patriarchs: Bartholomew of Constantinople, Theodore of Alexandria and all Africa, John of Antioch and all East, Kirill of Moscow and all Russia, Neophyte of Bulgaria, Daniel of Romania; then archbishops: Chrysostom of Cyprus, Ieronymos of Athens and all Greece, Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, Metropolitans: Savva of Warsaw and all Poland, Rastislav and the Czech lands and Slovakia, Onufry of Kiev and all Ukraine, Tikhon of America and Canada, Hilarion of America and New York, head of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad; Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and all Finland.

In addition to the above-mentioned primates of the Orthodox Churches, Metropolitan Porfirije was congratulated on his election and enthronement by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and President of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Sotirius of Canada, Archbishop Tikhon of Podolsk and Berlin-Germany of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Gregory of Cameroon, Metropolitan Porphyry of Naples, representative of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus in European institutions; Metropolitan Ieronimos of Larissa and Tyrnavos, Metropolitan Nectarios of Corfu, Metropolitan Anthony of Austria, Metropolitan Joseph of Buenos Aires and South America, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, the head of affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgit.

Congratulations from the abbots and abbots of Orthodox monasteries from the Holy Mount Athos and the whole of Orthodoxy also arrived; deans and rectors of Serbian Orthodox educational institutions, but also of Orthodox faculties and seminaries throughout the Orthodox universe; presidents and officers of Serbian church and church-school municipalities from the homeland and the diaspora.

Congratulations to His Holiness Porfirije was addressed by Pope Francis and other most important dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church, among them Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Archbishop Vicenza Paglia, President of the Community "St. Egidio"; Archbishops: Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Stanislav Hocevar of Belgrade, Marin Barisic of Split-Makarska, Zelimir Puljic of Zadar, Mate Uzinic of Rijeka, then bishops: Antun Skvorcevic of Pozega, Stanislav Zore of Ljubljana, President of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, and many Protestant bishops and prominent leaders of the Christian world in Europe and the world.

The newly-enthroned primate was also congratulated by the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakelaropoulou, the highest representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Serbia, Republika Srpska, members of the governments and national assemblies: President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ana Brnabic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik , President of the Republic of Srpska Zeljka Cvijanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro Dr. Zdravko Krivokapic, President of the Parliament of Montenegro Aleksa Becic, President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Nedeljko Cubrilovic, Chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Nikola Spiric, President of the Assembly of AP Vojvodina Istvan Pastor, the head of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilovic; Commander of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces, Major General Milomir Todorovic; Crown Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic. Congratulations from the governments of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska were sent by: Vice President and Minister of Mining and Energy Prof. Dr. Zorana Mihajlovic; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojkovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Branislav Nedimovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic, Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Justice Maja Popovic, Minister of Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popovic, Minister of Care about the village Milan Krkobabic, Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska Dragan Lukac, MA; as well as the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Petar Petkovic and Dr. Vladimir Roganovic, Acting Director of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Republic of Serbia; Director of the Republic Secretariat for Religions of Republika Srpska Dragan Davidovic. Among others, congratulations were sent by numerous MPs from Serbia, Republika Srpska and Montenegro, mayors of Belgrade, Zagreb, Novi Sad, Nis and officials of other cities in the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska, President of the Serbian National Council in Croatia Dr. Milorad Pupovac, as well as leaders of the Serbian people in Montenegro: President of the New Serbian Democracy Andrija Mandic and President of the Democratic People's Party of Montenegro Milan Knezevic.

Among the members of the diplomatic corps, the newly elected Serbian Patriarch was congratulated by: Apostolic Nuncio Luciano Suriani; Ambassadors: Russian Federation Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Federal Republic of Germany Thomas Schieb, Democratic People's Republic of Algeria Abdelhamid Chebchoub, Islamic Republic of Iran Rashid Hassanpor Baei, Hellenic Republic Georgios Diakofotakis, Palestine Mohammed Nabhan, Thurain Thant Zin, Cyprus Demetrios A. Theophylactou; as well as UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Serbia Dejan Kostadinov, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Serbia Sem Fabrizi, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Montenegro Dr. Vladimir Bozovic and Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Russian Federation Miroslav Lazanski.

Hundreds of congratulations to his patriarch and father, His Holiness Porfirije, they came from the pious Serbian people from all over the world.