Bishop Irinej of Nis elected new Serbian Patriarch

Belgrade, January 22, Interfax - Bishop Irinej of Nis, 79, has been elected new Patriarch of Serbia, the source in the Assembly of Bishops told an Interfax-Religion correspondent on Friday.

The Patriarch was elected by lot out of three candidates. The others two were patriarchal Locum Tenants Metropolitan Amfilohije of Monte Negro and Bishop Irinej of Backa.

The elections took place today at a session of the Assembly of Bishops in Belgrade. To be included in the list, each of three candidates had to collect over 50 percent of all votes with 44 hierarchs voting.

Previous Patriarch of Serbia Pavle died at the age of 96 in the morning on November 15 in Belgrade. He was hospitalized to the Belgrade military hospital two years ago as he had numerous heart and lungs problems.

Is pola eti, Despota!

Many years!

Many years, our Lord!

Interesting news:

Patriarch Irinej said yesterday that the Serbian Orthodox Church would welcome the visit of the Pope in 2013 to mark the 1,700 anniversary of the Edict of Milan.

The edict recognized Christianity as a religion in the Roman Empire and ended prosecution of Christians.

Roman Emperor Constantine, who passed the edict, was born in Nis, new Patriarch Metropolitan city.

Patriarch Irinej said that Pope Benedict expressed a wish to come to Serbia for this event.

“That would be a chance, not only for the Ecumenical meeting, but also for the dialogue,” said Patriarch Irinej several days ago while in the capacity of a Bishop.

“That could also be a chance to put forth the question of renewed unification [of Catholic and Orthodox churches]… That is one long road and process, because so many centuries have passed since the division, but without the first step there will never be the last one,” said Patriarch Irinej.

http://serbianna.com/news/?p=3863

Good to hear. May God grant Patriarch Irinej many years!

Axios, Axios, Axios

Eis polla aeti, Despota!

22 January 2010, 18:35
Russian Church welcomes newly elected Patriarch Irinej, he is to be enthroned in Kosovo this spring

Moscow, January 22, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church points out to the newly elected Patriarch Irinej’s expertise and authority among clerics and laymen.

“Newly elected Patriarch Irinej belongs to the eldest hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he is notable for balanced sobriety and enjoys authority among Serbian episcopate, where he has belonged for 35 years, and among believers,” deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Nikolay Balashov told Interfax-Religion on Friday.

“He is an experienced pastor, he’s been a monk for half a century, he is vigorous and active in spite of his honorable age of 79,” thus Fr. Nikolay, who has long been in charge for inter-Orthodox relations in the Moscow Patriarchate, characterized the new Serbian Primate.

The priest reminded that Bishop Irinej visited Russia more than once (last time in January 2009) and “always has friendly feelings to the Russian Orthodox Church.”

The interviewee of the agency further said that ceremonious enthronement of the newly elected Patriarch Irinej to the ancient patriarchal See of Pec located in the Kosovo District would allegedly take place this spring. The first patriarchal liturgy will be celebrated in the Belgrade cathedral this Sunday without representation of the local Orthodox Churches.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=6847

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8476717.stm

"The new patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been enthroned at a ceremony in Belgrade, pledging to back Serbia's claims to Kosovo.

Patriarch Irinej said the Church's first duty was to help recover the breakaway province.

The 80-year-old is considered a moderate who is open to modernisation.

He has said he would not be opposed to Pope Benedict XVI visiting Serbia, suggesting a possible rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church.

The service in Belgrade was the first part of a two-stage induction process, with a second ceremony due at Pec in western Kosovo.

"Our first duty as a Church is to safeguard our Kosovo, a holy and martyred land, to help our state to defend it from those who wish to seize it," Patriarch Irinej said in a speech after his enthronement on Saturday.

"Kosovo is our holy land, our Jerusalem," he added. "We must go to Pec to complete this ceremony, but can we visit our relics?

"Without them, Serbia is not Serbia, without Kosovo it is deprived of its heart and soul."

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.

The Serbian Orthodox Church has about 11 million members worldwide.

Most of Serbia's seven million people are Orthodox Christians."

The second part of the enthronment process is going to be interesting. Italian troops were guarding the Patriarchate buildings at Pec and it's small community of monks and Nuns.

I am sympathetic to and supportive of Serbia's claim to Kosovo. But can recovering Kosovo really be the Church's first duty? Surely the Gospel sets some higher priorities than territorial claims.

Fr. Serge

On a practical level, it seems like not such a great idea to set as your first priority something that seems sure to fail.

Alexis