Serbia gets patriarch: "We've done everything to prevent foreign factor interference"

Serbia gets patriarch: "We've done everything to prevent foreign factor interference"

The SPC Holy Synod will probably be held in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia and guardian of the patriarchal throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Chrysostom, told Tanjug.

However, he notes that the final decision on where Synod will be held will be made on February 10.

"We discussed this at the Synod session, because the epidemiological conditions are different than usual," explains Metropolitan Chrysostom, adding that three locations are possible for holding the assembly - two places in the patriarchate where the assembly has been held so far, or in the crypt, which would be the first way so far.

The Metropolitan believes that the new patriarch will be elected on the same day, and as he explains, the election comes three months after the death of Patriarch Irinej, as provided by the Constitution of the Church.

According to Chrysostom, the holding of the Assembly could be called into question only in the case of a worsened health situation, which would prevent a larger number of archbishops from coming.

He reminds that until 1968, the then Council, headed by Patriarch Herman, passed an amendment to the Constitution that the patriarch be elected only by diocesan archbishops and active vicar bishops.

When it comes to the procedure of electing a patriarch, he says that first the bishops choose three candidates from among themselves, and then the chosen names are placed on the gospel, and one of the three envelopes with the name of the elected patriarch is chosen by a monk from a monastery who is considered to be a great clergyman, and whose name will be known on the 10th of February.

Until now, those were the monk Antonija from the monastery of Tronoša and father Gavrilo from the monastery of Lepavina, when Patriarch Pavle and Patriarch Irinej were elected.

"The church did that in order to protect itself from possible influences of foreign factors and other non-church factors of the then regime in the election of the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church," he explains, emphasizing that the role of the patriarch in Serbian society is great.

"It has an ethnic dimension and all Serbs in the world belong to the Serbian patriarch, the Serbian patriarch is also a symbol of the unity of the Serbian church, which is why it is called the autocephalous church," says the metropolitan.

He reminded that the patriarch is enthroned in the Cathedral Church in Belgrade on the second or third day of his election, and that, as he says, is a functional enthronement, when he takes over all the competencies of the patriarch and the president of the Synod and the Parliament.

Enthronement in the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć

When asked whether the new patriarch will be enthroned in the Patriarchate of Pec, as was usual, the metropolitan said he would.

"The enthronement will follow in the Patriarchate of Pec, and the Synod will decide when - maybe in September, October..." he explains.

Asked to comment on speculations that there is "lobbying" among the bishops for the election of the patriarch, he said that he had heard about it.

"These are speculations, but it is certain that the archbishops are discussing the election of a new patriarch. I would not say that they belong to certain clans. There should be a discussion about who should be the patriarch. In our church, it is not a tradition for anyone to stand for candidacy. The hierarchs will give their proposals through their conversations, reflections, judgments," said Metropolitan Chrysostom.

It is interesting to note that Patriarch Pavle was shortlisted as the third candidate after the ninth vote.

"We express our will, and God will say who it will be," he states.

He explains that 30 archbishops of our church who have at least five years of diocesan service can enter the election for patriarch, adding that 39 of them have the right to vote, because nine do not meet the conditions for election.

When asked if he sees himself as a candidate for patriarch, he says:

"I leave that to the council and the judgement of God. I am currently acting as the patriarch of the patriarchal throne until the patriarch is elected," Metropolitan Chrysostom concluded. Више о овом изворном тексту За додатне информације о превођењу треба вам изворни текстБочне табле