Officials, royal family attend Christmas liturgy

Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Patriarch Irinej on Saturday morning served Christmas day liturgy in Belgrade. In his Christmas message, the patriarch said that the spiritual peace was to a high degree disturbed by fears and worries about the events in the world, and especially the tragic events in Kosovo and Metohija, and told Serbs in that province to persevere and remain in their homes: Officials, royal family attend Christmas liturgy "To our dear believers, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, we are sending a message to persevere in their unjust suffering and remain in their homes with their Church and their holy places, in the land of their ancestors." The birth of Jesus Christ is today marked and celebrated according to the Julian calendar by Eastern Orthodox Serbs and Russians, and also by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Kopts in Egypt, the monasteries of Mt. Athos, and those believers who observe the old calendar in Greece. In Belgrade, officials, opposition and other public figures attended liturgy served by Patriarch Irinej in the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel. Patriarch Irinej (Tanjug) They included Deputy PM Ivica Dacic, Minister of Religion and Diaspora Srdjan Sreckovic, opposition SNS party leader Tomislav Nikolic, and Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic and his wife Katarina. The Roman Catholic archbishop of Belgrade, Stanislav Hocevar, was also present. On January 9, Patriarch Irinej will travel to the Serb Republic (RS) to take part in the entity's patron saint day, St. Stefan. Ivica Dacic, Aleksandar and Katarina Karadjordjevic (Tanjug) Beta Tanjug

Officials, royal family attend Christmas liturgy

"To our dear believers, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, we are sending a message to persevere in their unjust suffering and remain in their homes with their Church and their holy places, in the land of their ancestors."

The birth of Jesus Christ is today marked and celebrated according to the Julian calendar by Eastern Orthodox Serbs and Russians, and also by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Kopts in Egypt, the monasteries of Mt. Athos, and those believers who observe the old calendar in Greece.

In Belgrade, officials, opposition and other public figures attended liturgy served by Patriarch Irinej in the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel. They included Deputy PM Ivica Dačić, Minister of Religion and Diaspora Srđan Srećković, opposition SNS party leader Tomislav Nikolić, and Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević and his wife Katarina.

The Roman Catholic archbishop of Belgrade, Stanislav Hočevar, was also present.

On January 9, Patriarch Irinej will travel to the Serb Republic (RS) to take part in the entity's patron saint day, St. Stefan.