New patriarch announces meeting with president

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), Patriarch Irinej, has announced he would be meeting with President Boris Tadic. Speaking during a news conference in Belgrade on Thursday, Irinej emphasized that the state and the Church should “help one another”. New patriarch announces meeting with president “We are one whole and one organism, and we should help one another. The state is doing its job, while it’s known what the Church has as its field of activity,” he stated. The patriarch reiterated that the Church would help the state in preserving Kosovo and Metohija, and expressed hope that his April enthronement in the province, in the Patriarchate of Pec, would go without problems. Irinej answered a reporter’s question to say that before the country’s move to possibly join NATO, the people of Serbia should have their say. Speaking about EU integrations, the patriarch stressed that there was no reason to shy away from the organization, as long as Europe respected our identity, culture, and faith. Asked about the possibility that the head of the Roman Catholic Church might visit Serbia, Irinej said that the anniversary of the Edict of Milan would be a chance for representatives of the churches to meet and talk. Responding to a question about the SPC position toward the Islamic Community, the new leader of the Serb Orthodox Christians said that the Church always respected all religions and religious communities. The news conference at the Patriarchate today (Beta) Ancestral seat of patriarchs Patriarch Irinej stated on Thursday that the enthronement in the Pec Patriarchate should be viewed as the presence in the center of our church and the ancestral seat of the Serbian patriarchs. “I hope that our visit to the center of the Serbian church will be viewed in a proper manner, that our brothers in Kosovo will realize that this is no provocation and that this solemn act only continues the ancestral tradition of enthronement of Serbian patriarchs,” Patriarch Irinej told reporters during his first news conference since he was elected. According to him, the discussion on the enthronement in the Pec Patriarchate, scheduled for April 25, is still to be arranged with the authorities in Serbia and those in charge of security in Kosovo and Metohija.

New patriarch announces meeting with president

“We are one whole and one organism, and we should help one another. The state is doing its job, while it’s known what the Church has as its field of activity,” he stated.

The patriarch reiterated that the Church would help the state in preserving Kosovo and Metohija, and expressed hope that his April enthronement in the province, in the Patriarchate of Peć, would go without problems.

Irinej answered a reporter’s question to say that before the country’s move to possibly join NATO, the people of Serbia should have their say.

Speaking about EU integrations, the patriarch stressed that there was no reason to shy away from the organization, as long as Europe respected our identity, culture, and faith.

Asked about the possibility that the head of the Roman Catholic Church might visit Serbia, Irinej said that the anniversary of the Edict of Milan would be a chance for representatives of the churches to meet and talk.

Responding to a question about the SPC position toward the Islamic Community, the new leader of the Serb Orthodox Christians said that the Church always respected all religions and religious communities.

Ancestral seat of patriarchs

Patriarch Irinej stated on Thursday that the enthronement in the Peć Patriarchate should be viewed as the presence in the center of our church and the ancestral seat of the Serbian patriarchs.

“I hope that our visit to the center of the Serbian church will be viewed in a proper manner, that our brothers in Kosovo will realize that this is no provocation and that this solemn act only continues the ancestral tradition of enthronement of Serbian patriarchs,” Patriarch Irinej told reporters during his first news conference since he was elected.

According to him, the discussion on the enthronement in the Peć Patriarchate, scheduled for April 25, is still to be arranged with the authorities in Serbia and those in charge of security in Kosovo and Metohija.