After warm meetings with Archbishop Justin of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace and Bishop Christopher at the Court Chapel of St. George the Great Martyr at Royal Windsor Castle, His Holiness Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia was most solemnly welcomed at St. Sava's Church in London, where an act of doxology was held on the occasion of the historic visit of the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Patriarch Porfiry was greeted by the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Roman Catholic Church.
Addressing the pious people of London and all corners of the newly created British-Irish diocese, His Holiness Patriarch Porphyrios said:
- If we were to turn every page of our nation's existence in all times and on every page we would find the name of Christ through which we recognize ourselves and through which we are. The name of Christ is our name and our family name is our family name-
the name of St. Sava. Our family and our family is our Orthodox Church. That is why, brothers and sisters, in Christ, in His Gospel, in the Church of Christ in the name of St. Sava, no matter where we are, no matter how far we are from each other, when we gather and when there is distance between us, we are always one and united. We are united in the Orthodox faith, united in Christ. I am sure that you feel it with all your being here in London.
- St. Sava has once and for all put an Orthodox seal on our souls, an Orthodox seal. Church. That is why, from his days until today, the Orthodox Church, the Gospel of Christ, the Orthodox faith, Christ Himself, is what has shaped our Serbian nation. Without Christ, without the Gospel of Christ, a Serb is not a Serb. Without the Gospel of Christ and without the Church of Christ, if a Serb is near it, he will be left out. Throughout history, when we had a state and when we did not have a state, we knew through St. Sava that we are Orthodox Christians - Patriarch Porfirije emphasized and reminded:
- Let us learn that there is no true and genuine unity if there is no spiritual unity. If we give ourselves to Christ with our heart, then we will believe His Word, and then we will have no fear, we will have no prejudice toward one another. Then we will bring the law of Christ, the gospel of Christ into our lives. We will bring the word of Christ into our daily life, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Then we will realize that we need each other, that no one is superfluous to anyone, that we may have occasional misunderstandings, different views and opinions about one phenomenon or the same thing, but we will know that it is more important to love each other than to say and show how right we are in one misunderstanding. If I prove myself right and lose my union with you, what do I gain from it! Well, I'd rather be silent and patient, even if I'm right, to take on judgment and injustice if my heart is in the embrace with you. This is a gospel spirit that, as important as it is to society at large, to all of us, is even more important to life in the family.
- I'm looking forward to being here today and even more so because it's the first time I've come to this church since I was 83. years old. Many times I have come here, to London, and to other parts of England, I have also been to the Essex Monastery, in the times when the great saint of the twentieth century, Starets Sophronius, lived there, and still today prayer lives there and the spirit of the saint is nurtured there," Patriarch Porfiry recalled and again and again repeated the father's message and lesson:
- You who live outside, as they say, of your homeland, outside of your homeland, you know best of all that where there is the Church of Christ, the Church of St. Sava and the Orthodox Church, there is a Serbian name, there is a Serbian identity. Those who gather in the temple of God, very much not only realize themselves, but also multiply what they are, develop their identity, are filled with security and thus, in the best possible way, remain who they are and can integrate without complexes, without fear and without disappointment in the space in which they are. I wish you all harmony, health, spiritual and bodily, and that tomorrow, God willing, with God's blessing, we will pray together, receive Holy Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ, and enthrone a new ruler. Long live many summers!
The Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Patriarch Porfiry was greeted by the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Roman Catholic Church.
Addressing the pious people of London and all corners of the newly created British-Irish diocese, His Holiness Patriarch Porphyrios said:
- If we were to turn every page of our nation's existence in all times and on every page we would find the name of Christ through which we recognize ourselves and through which we are. The name of Christ is our name and our family name is our family name-
the name of St. Sava. Our family and our family is our Orthodox Church. That is why, brothers and sisters, in Christ, in His Gospel, in the Church of Christ in the name of St. Sava, no matter where we are, no matter how far we are from each other, when we gather and when there is distance between us, we are always one and united. We are united in the Orthodox faith, united in Christ. I am sure that you feel it with all your being here in London.
- St. Sava has once and for all put an Orthodox seal on our souls, an Orthodox seal. Church. That is why, from his days until today, the Orthodox Church, the Gospel of Christ, the Orthodox faith, Christ Himself, is what has shaped our Serbian nation. Without Christ, without the Gospel of Christ, a Serb is not a Serb. Without the Gospel of Christ and without the Church of Christ, if a Serb is near it, he will be left out. Throughout history, when we had a state and when we did not have a state, we knew through St. Sava that we are Orthodox Christians - Patriarch Porfirije emphasized and reminded:
- Let us learn that there is no true and genuine unity if there is no spiritual unity. If we give ourselves to Christ with our heart, then we will believe His Word, and then we will have no fear, we will have no prejudice toward one another. Then we will bring the law of Christ, the gospel of Christ into our lives. We will bring the word of Christ into our daily life, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Then we will realize that we need each other, that no one is superfluous to anyone, that we may have occasional misunderstandings, different views and opinions about one phenomenon or the same thing, but we will know that it is more important to love each other than to say and show how right we are in one misunderstanding. If I prove myself right and lose my union with you, what do I gain from it! Well, I'd rather be silent and patient, even if I'm right, to take on judgment and injustice if my heart is in the embrace with you. This is a gospel spirit that, as important as it is to society at large, to all of us, is even more important to life in the family.
- I'm looking forward to being here today and even more so because it's the first time I've come to this church since I was 83. years old. Many times I have come here, to London, and to other parts of England, I have also been to the Essex Monastery, in the times when the great saint of the twentieth century, Starets Sophronius, lived there, and still today prayer lives there and the spirit of the saint is nurtured there," Patriarch Porfiry recalled and again and again repeated the father's message and lesson:
- You who live outside, as they say, of your homeland, outside of your homeland, you know best of all that where there is the Church of Christ, the Church of St. Sava and the Orthodox Church, there is a Serbian name, there is a Serbian identity. Those who gather in the temple of God, very much not only realize themselves, but also multiply what they are, develop their identity, are filled with security and thus, in the best possible way, remain who they are and can integrate without complexes, without fear and without disappointment in the space in which they are. I wish you all harmony, health, spiritual and bodily, and that tomorrow, God willing, with God's blessing, we will pray together, receive Holy Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ, and enthrone a new ruler. Long live many summers!
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