On November 16, 2024, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, who is in Serbia with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, took part in celebrations on the occasion of Novi Sad City Day and the feast day of the local cathedral in honor of the Great Martyr George the Victorious.
Holy Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia presided over the festive Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral Church of St. George.
The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church was served by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Metropolitan Irinej of Bacsk, Bishop Damaskin of Mohacs, members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Vice-Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikolay Vasin, Secretary to the Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as clerics of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Miloš Vesin, professor at the Faculty of Theology in Libertville (USA), Archpriest Djordje Stojsavljević, head of the Office of the Patriarch of Srpska, and Archpriest Vladan Simić, Secretary of the Diocese of Bacsk.
Milos Vucevic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, and Milan Djuric, Mayor of Novi Sad, were among those who prayed.
Milos Vucevic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, and Milan Djuric, Mayor of Novi Sad were among those who prayed.
After the Divine Liturgy, a requiem litany was celebrated for the newly deceased hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Central America, as well as for the victims of the recent tragedy at the Novi Sad train station.
After the service, His Holiness Patriarch Porfiry had fraternal communion with the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church and Serbian Prime Minister M. Vucevic.
Afterwards, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk met with His Holiness Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia in the building of the Metropolitanate of Bacsk. The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Irinej of Bacsk, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Advisor to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Vice-Chairman of the All-Russian Orthodox Church, who conveyed to the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church a fraternal greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. He also thanked His Holiness Patriarch Porfiry and in his person all the hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church for their unwavering firm support for the persecuted canonical Church in Ukraine.
A variety of issues concerning the development of bilateral relations between the two brotherly Orthodox Churches and general Orthodox issues were discussed.
Communication Service OCA/Patriarchy.ru
