A Historical Visit: His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch and All East in Belgrade

Church of Serbia – 13/10/18

His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch and All East arrived in Serbia to pay an official (irenic) visit to His Holiness Patriarch Irinej and the Serbian Orthodox Church (photo gallery ) on 11 October 2018.

His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All East will be in the official (irenic) visit to His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, and to the Serbian Orthodox Church from 11-19^th October 2018. Residents of Belgrade had an opportunity to welcome His Beatitude Patriarch John and his entourage right after his arrival on Thursday of 11^thOctober 2018, at 12,00 o’ clock, when the doxology in honour of the high guest was officiated in the Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael.

A central event of the visit will be the conciliar Holy Liturgy which will be presided over by the Patriarchs with Hierarchs of both Churches in the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava on Sunday of 14^th October 2018.

Along with the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, bishops, clergy and monks, the Serbian faithful will also show hospitality to the beloved Guest in the most significant Serbian holy shrines, monasteries: Zicha, Studenica, Ostrog, Patriarchate of Pec, Dechani as well as in Podgorica (Montenegro) and Nis. The Primates of both Churches will also meet with the leading Serbian state and political representatives.

Primates of the two Churches will have official talks regarding the current issues and problems that have been facing both Churches and the local Orthodox Churches and Christianity on the whole as well, such as causes and consequences of the terrible civil conflict of Syria and the great exodus of people from the Middle East.

The citizens of Belgrade and from other cities, who will be visited by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, will have a rare opportunity to witness with their prayerful presence co-sacrificing love and Christian solidarity of the Serbian Orthodox people with Christians of Antioch and Syria, who, at the sight of all the peoples of the world, testify to the one truth and the one faith, the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the faith in His Resurrection.

The official or irenic visits, that ancient and unbroken practice of the Orthodox Church, present an opportunity to reaffirm the unity of the Orthodox Church realized in the Head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God the Father, i.e. that the unity once again is witnessed by the common celebration of the Holy Liturgy. At the same time, irenic visits are a confirmation of a living and real community of Orthodox peoples. Brotherly cooperation, mutual support and the love of the two sisterly Churches, of their Primates and Orthodox peoples are certainly an integral part and a fruit of this visit.

Blessed be who comes in the name of the Lord!

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