His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Mr.. Porfirije and the Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Ministry of Justice of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Mr.. Vladimir Roganović signed on April 16, 2024, at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, agreements on scholarships for students of theological faculties and academies.
Before signing the agreement, those present were informed about the results of this year's competition, as well as the fact that this year 67 students, masters and doctoral students will become scholarship holders of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities. Dr. Vladimir Roganovic, as the host and patron of the meeting, addressed the audience and in his welcoming speech emphasized the general importance of knowledge and education both for the individual personally and for society as a whole. He emphasized the multiple importance of theological education in all areas of human life. This is why religious education is an integral part of science and human self-understanding.
- The Directorate for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities remains committed to the intention that the field of theological education should be followed and assisted by useful and strong stimuli, because in this way we all together open up an immeasurable field of future and improving spiritual and theological education. culture. Traditionally, the administration has allocated significant funds for scholarships for students in the higher theological schools, as well as for numerous projects of secondary religious schools and theological faculties. This is our way of saying that we remain committed to developing the best possible relationships with all our traditional churches and religious communities, that we extend a hand of cooperation and support, and that there is no better and more Godly way on this path than to invest in the education and upbringing of our children, who are our future and our hope," Dr. Roganovic emphasized.
After the welcoming speech, Director Roganović and representatives of traditional churches and religious communities in Serbia proceeded to the signing of the contract. On behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the contract was signed by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Mr. Sr. Porfirije, who on this occasion noted:
- Eminence Archbishops, Highly Reverend Hierarchs, Highly Reverend Hierarchs, Highly Reverend Muftis, Honorable Directors, representatives of the Ministry of Education, brothers and sisters! All that the Director of Administration has said fully expresses, I am sure, all of us and encompasses all that we could say in a nutshell about the importance of today, and, more importantly, about the meaning and importance of education. It is for all the reasons outlined by Director Roganovich that education is one of the most important tasks for our Church, and, I am sure, for all other churches and religious communities, precisely because theology - theology is not only one of the sciences that provides opportunities. for the individual and society to acquire knowledge in a field related to faith, precisely because theology is not only the collection of certain information about God and knowledge concerning religious life, but theology is above all the expression of the experience of encountering God and God. In this sense, theology is something that concerns our whole being and life; it includes everything we think, what we say, what we do, and what we are. This is why theology has both an outward expression and an inward dimension. What we experience as an encounter with God becomes our life, becomes our testimony. This is why we say that theology is concerned with values, i.e. ethos, i.e. the way we exist. What we believe, we not only preach in words, but we live and witness. Hence, theology as a whole of our life is not something that changes from epoch to epoch and that inherently depends from epoch to epoch on external circumstances, i.e., ethos. theology does not seek to harmonize with the spirit of the age, to conform to the spirit of the age, but seeks to transform the spirit of the age and make the spirit of the age a foretaste of eternity, a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven. God. Theology in this sense and for these reasons is one of the most important concerns of the Church and of all religious communities.
- Knowledge and education are equally important for society and for the State, but since both society and the State constitute a whole and since the Church cannot be separated from society, there is no strict boundary separating these two realities. Namely, when we speak of society and the Church, we are speaking of one and the same thing. These two realities not only overlap but also coincide. And as important as it is to acquire practical knowledge from all other possible sciences, religious education and training is important for society and for the country because it is about, to use the word in the best sense, identity, that is, about what a person is and should be. The importance of theology for the state and society is expressed precisely in the fact that theology bears witness, points the way and enables man to be what he is, to live, think and act in accordance with the meaning of his existence and in accordance with the purpose of his existence. It is precisely Therefore, we consider cooperation between the state and the Church in all its segments very important, and, of course, especially in the segment of education," Patriarch Porfiry said and concluded:
- So, we not only support this project and this idea, but we wait for it and participate in it with our whole being, feeling, of course, gratitude to the State for this fact, but especially feeling gratitude and expressing it publicly towards the Administration for cooperation with the churches and religious communities, I must end by saying: Thank you Director! May the Lord bless us all and that this path we are on only grows and multiplies, so that we can truly be united in the most important thing, and that is not only in faith, but in a deep, inner knowledge and realization that God is our Creator, but that He is also the Thinker, the One who cares for us; that He is beyond all love, and that we are created in His image and likeness, which means that we are not only created as biological beings with a beginning and an end within this transitory world, but as beings created for eternity. Thank you again and may God bless you all!
After the speech of His Holiness the Patriarch, the contracts were also signed by the Mufti of the Islamic Community of Serbia, Mr.. Mevlud Dudic, as well as Mr. Ivan Polet, Envoy of the Archbishop of Belgrade and Metropolitan of Belgrade Ladislav Nemeth. They also addressed the audience. A joint photo session and a short break followed, after which the attendees moved to the "Serbia" hall, where they participated in a roundtable discussion on "Theological Education in the 21st Century - Perspective and Compatibility with Education in Public Schools of the Republic". Serbia .
Dr. Vladimir Roganovic opened the round table with an appropriate address, emphasizing the concern of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the improvement of religious and higher theological education and inviting the attendees to a discussion to this end. Director Roganović highlighted several topics important for churches and religious communities, as well as for religious education. These are: the question of the possibility of harmonizing religious and popular education in accordance with the existing norms in the field of education and upbringing, i.e. what conditions must be fulfilled for this purpose; questions concerning the project concerning the completion of high school, the conditions, procedures and opportunities that religious high school students can benefit from after completing secondary education; the question of the possibility of religious high school students continuing their studies in one of the local colleges; the inspection of high schools and the accreditation of religious high schools; and the question of the possibility of religious high school students continuing their studies in one of the local colleges. establishments.
At the round table, among others, speakers included: His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia Mr. Porphyry; His Eminence Bishop Bačkin. Irinej; Archpriest-Stavrophor Zoran Krstic, professor at the Orthodox Theological Faculty of the University of Belgrade and rector of the Kragujevac Seminary; Prof. Dr. Ph. Ivica Radović, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education; Mufti of Mevlud Dudić; Mr.. Aleksandar Jovic, Assistant Minister of Education for Higher Education; Dr. Ana Šijački of the National Accreditation Body.
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