Massive crowd gathers for patriarch's funeral

More than 600,000 people gathered in Belgrade this Thursday for the funeral ceremonies of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, police said. The spiritual leader of the Serb Orthodox Christians was laid to rest this afternoon at the Monastery of the Holy Archangels in Rakovica, near Belgrade, next to Patriarch Dimitrije, who headed the Serb Church from 1920 until 1930. Massive crowd gathers for patriarch's funeral The funeral service at the grave was served by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the keeper of the throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) until a new patriarch has been elected, Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and Littoral. A message from Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill was also read. The entire Orthodox world feels with the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Russian patriarch wrote, referring to Patriarch Pavle as a brave protector of the holy faith and heritage of the Serb people. Kirill wrote that Pavle's path in life was the personification of light, and that as a man who had embodied the best qualities of monastic life enjoyed the deepest and sincerest respect of the Russian Orthodox Church. The leader of the Russian Church pointed out that Pavle was elected patriarch during the most difficult time for the people of the former Yugoslavia, a country that had a great need a patriarch like Pavle. "Pavle was appointed Bishop of Kosovo and Metohija, a holy land, half a century ago, and he carried the troubles of that land within his heart throughout his life," wrote Patriarch Kirill. Thousands of people gathered outside, but most could not enter the crowded monastery grounds to join the ceremony conducted without the presence of reporters and photographers, and attended by top state and Church officials. The ceremonies started this morning when Holy Liturgy was served by Patriarch Bartholomew at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belgrade, where the body of the patriarch had been lying in repose since Sunday. The liturgy was also served by all the archpriests of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in the country and the diaspora. The open casket was carried out of the church by the highest Church dignitaries, while the patriarch's great-grandson, Mihailo Dusan Vukoicic, carried the wooden cross at the helm of the procession. The mass of people that moved through the streets of Belgrade toward St. Sava's Temple grew all the time, and included state and city officials, representatives of several Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic Church, other religious communities of the country, top state officials, and delegations from abroad. The guard of honor was formed by MUP Zandarmerija (Gendarmerie) officers and VS Guards, while MUP firefighters, students and young women and men in traditional folk costumes from all over Serbia also joined the procession. Many Orthodox Serbs traveled from Montenegro, the Republic of Srpska and Croatia in order to be able to attend today. They all reached St. Sava's Temple where the funeral service began shortly before 11:00 CET. Metropolitan Amfilohije, who served along with Patriarch Bartholomew, said during the ceremony that Patriarch Pavle, "the holy old man", awoke hidden goodness, love of fellow men and God in people, who during the past days recognized him in his death as their closest of kin. "When a man is born, the whole world is rejoicing, and only he is crying, but one must live in such a way that when one passes away, the whole world cries, while only he rejoinces," the metropolitan reminded of the patriarch's words. "Patriarch Pavle judged no one, he only reasoned, respecting the freedom of everyone, and without yielding to his own, or other people's passions and self-will. He was a burden to no one and all that he had, he gave away in a natural, modest manner, without asking for anything in return," Amfilohije said. The funeral procession in Belgrade today (Beta) Patriarch Pavle was a theologian with a wide knowledge, a compassionate, conciliatory man of open horizons, who felt in touch with contemporary reality, Patriarch Bartholomew said after the funeral service in front of the temple. "Serb people, start crying, star bitterly lamenting and expressing your sorrow, as he deserves," the archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and ecumenical patriarch said. Even those outside the Church, he continued, realized that they were dealing with a person "of a different quality" and respected him, even if their opinions differed. "Patriarch Pavle was a worthy successor of Saint Sava, able to cope with the complex and painful circumstances of his time, and we could witness the great worry he had about his people, homeland, Church and problems of the whole humanity – poverty, injustice, cruelty of the powerful toward the weak," said Patriarch Bartholomew. Serbian President Boris Tadic reminded in his farewell speech of the patriarch's own words, "that we should be human and never answer the evil of others with the evil with ourselves". He also thanked all those who attended the funeral service today. His Holiness Patriarch Pavle passed away at the age of 95 in Belgrade on Nov. 15. His secular name was Gojko Stojcevic, born in 1914 in what is today Slavonia, Croatia. In December 1990, Pavle was chosen as the 44th patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). The media reported that some 150,000 people had paid their respects at the Cathedral Church in the past four days. The church was open last night, despite previous announcements that it would be closed, in order to allow those who waited in lines up to eight hours to pay their tribute. The funeral ceremonies in Belgrade today were broadcast live on Serbia's public radio and television RTS. The ceremonies were attended by President Boris Tadic, PM Mirko Cvetkovic and his cabinet ministers, the Karadjordjevic royal family, Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas, Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, and representatives of all MP groups. Republic of Srpska (RS) PM Milorad Dodik and Bosnian Council of Ministers Presidnet Nikola Spric were also in attendance, as was Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic and his Macedonian counterpart Gjorgje Ivanov. Greek Acting FM Dimitris Droutsas and Bulgarian Deputy PM Cvetan Cvetanov, representatives of the Cypriot foreign ministry were also taking part in the ceremonies, as were numerous religious and diplomatic representatives. Beta news agency reported that Serbian police (MUP) announced that the gathering today of more than 600,000 people went in a dignified manner, and without a single incident. See more photos (Tanjug)

Massive crowd gathers for patriarch's funeral

The funeral service at the grave was served by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the keeper of the throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) until a new patriarch has been elected, Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and Littoral.

A message from Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill was also read.

The entire Orthodox world feels with the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Russian patriarch wrote, referring to Patriarch Pavle as a brave protector of the holy faith and heritage of the Serb people.

Kirill wrote that Pavle's path in life was the personification of light, and that as a man who had embodied the best qualities of monastic life enjoyed the deepest and sincerest respect of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The leader of the Russian Church pointed out that Pavle was elected patriarch during the most difficult time for the people of the former Yugoslavia, a country that had a great need a patriarch like Pavle.

"Pavle was appointed Bishop of Kosovo and Metohija, a holy land, half a century ago, and he carried the troubles of that land within his heart throughout his life," wrote Patriarch Kirill.

Thousands of people gathered outside, but most could not enter the crowded monastery grounds to join the ceremony conducted without the presence of reporters and photographers, and attended by top state and Church officials.

The ceremonies started this morning when Holy Liturgy was served by Patriarch Bartholomew at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belgrade, where the body of the patriarch had been lying in repose since Sunday.

The liturgy was also served by all the archpriests of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in the country and the diaspora.

The open casket was carried out of the church by the highest Church dignitaries, while the patriarch's great-grandson, Mihailo Dušan Vukoičić, carried the wooden cross at the helm of the procession.

The mass of people that moved through the streets of Belgrade toward St. Sava's Temple grew all the time, and included state and city officials, representatives of several Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic Church, other religious communities of the country, top state officials, and delegations from abroad.

The guard of honor was formed by MUP Žandarmerija (Gendarmerie) officers and VS Guards, while MUP firefighters, students and young women and men in traditional folk costumes from all over Serbia also joined the procession.

Many Orthodox Serbs traveled from Montenegro, the Republic of Srpska and Croatia in order to be able to attend today.

They all reached St. Sava's Temple where the funeral service began shortly before 11:00 CET.

Metropolitan Amfilohije, who served along with Patriarch Bartholomew, said during the ceremony that Patriarch Pavle, "the holy old man", awoke hidden goodness, love of fellow men and God in people, who during the past days recognized him in his death as their closest of kin.

"When a man is born, the whole world is rejoicing, and only he is crying, but one must live in such a way that when one passes away, the whole world cries, while only he rejoinces," the metropolitan reminded of the patriarch's words.

"Patriarch Pavle judged no one, he only reasoned, respecting the freedom of everyone, and without yielding to his own, or other people's passions and self-will. He was a burden to no one and all that he had, he gave away in a natural, modest manner, without asking for anything in return," Amfilohije said. Patriarch Pavle was a theologian with a wide knowledge, a compassionate, conciliatory man of open horizons, who felt in touch with contemporary reality, Patriarch Bartholomew said after the funeral service in front of the temple.

"Serb people, start crying, star bitterly lamenting and expressing your sorrow, as he deserves," the archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and ecumenical patriarch said.

Even those outside the Church, he continued, realized that they were dealing with a person "of a different quality" and respected him, even if their opinions differed.

"Patriarch Pavle was a worthy successor of Saint Sava, able to cope with the complex and painful circumstances of his time, and we could witness the great worry he had about his people, homeland, Church and problems of the whole humanity – poverty, injustice, cruelty of the powerful toward the weak," said Patriarch Bartholomew.

Serbian President Boris Tadić reminded in his farewell speech of the patriarch's own words, "that we should be human and never answer the evil of others with the evil with ourselves".

He also thanked all those who attended the funeral service today.

His Holiness Patriarch Pavle passed away at the age of 95 in Belgrade on Nov. 15. His secular name was Gojko Stojčević, born in 1914 in what is today Slavonia, Croatia.

In December 1990, Pavle was chosen as the 44th patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC).

The media reported that some 150,000 people had paid their respects at the Cathedral Church in the past four days. The church was open last night, despite previous announcements that it would be closed, in order to allow those who waited in lines up to eight hours to pay their tribute.

The funeral ceremonies in Belgrade today were broadcast live on Serbia's public radio and television RTS.

The ceremonies were attended by President Boris Tadić, PM Mirko Cvetković and his cabinet ministers, the Karađorđević royal family, Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas, Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, and representatives of all MP groups.

Republic of Srpska (RS) PM Milorad Dodik and Bosnian Council of Ministers Presidnet Nikola Šprić were also in attendance, as was Montenegrin President Filip Vujanović and his Macedonian counterpart Gjorgje Ivanov.

Greek Acting FM Dimitris Droutsas and Bulgarian Deputy PM Cvetan Cvetanov, representatives of the Cypriot foreign ministry were also taking part in the ceremonies, as were numerous religious and diplomatic representatives.

Beta news agency reported that Serbian police (MUP) announced that the gathering today of more than 600,000 people went in a dignified manner, and without a single incident.

See more photos