His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Mr. Porfirije, together with the metropolitans of Bačka, Mr. Irinej, Raska-Prizren Mr. Teodosijem, Bishop of Gornjo Karlovac, Mr. Gerasimos and Archpriest Đorđe Stojisavljević, head of the Cabinet of the Serbian Patriarch, received today in the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade the Exemplary Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Secretary of the Holy See, who was accompanied by Msgr. Santo Ganđemi, Apostolic Nuncio in Serbia; Msgr. Januš Vlahovljak, diplomatic advisor of the State Secretariat of the Holy See; as well as Msgr. Simon Bolivar Sánchez Carrión, Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Serbia.

In the conversation, which took place in the spirit of Christian understanding, the interlocutors concluded that the celebration of the centenary of the Archdiocese of Belgrade is a sign of good relations between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Serbia, but also emphasized the need for further improvement of cooperation between the two Churches both at the local and universal level.

His Holiness, expressing the gratitude of the Serbian Orthodox Church for the position of the Holy See on Kosovo and Metohija, informed the distinguished guest about the extremely unenviable and very worrying position of the Serbs and the threat of the Christian heritage in that Serbian historical area. They also discussed the possibilities of real support for peace and preserving the presence and evangelical service of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its head in Kosovo and Metohija for the benefit of both Orthodox Serbs and Albanians and everyone else.

There was also talk about the absurd law passed by the Parliament of Ukraine, which prohibits the mission of the only canonical Orthodox Church in that country.

All participants in the conversation agree that the imperative of Christian service to the world is in the angel's song to the newborn Christ: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men!" (Lk 2, 14).

Source: SPC