Press release of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from its regular session held in the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade from 13 to 17 May 2025

This year's regular session of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began with the Holy Council of Bishops and the invocation of the Holy Spirit in the Memorial Temple of Saint Sava in Vračar on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, presided over by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia and concelebrated by the present bishops from the homeland and the diaspora.

The next day, May 14, in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava in Vračar, the Holy Council of Bishops, under the presidency of His Holiness and with the participation of all the Most Reverend and Most Reverend Lords of the diocesan bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, began the working part of the session. At the beginning of the first working session, according to established practice, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch, Mr. Porphyry in his welcoming address, in which, analyzing the role of the Council in the life of the Church and pointing to the importance of conciliar decision-making, he said, among other things:

“…When we gather in the Council, we do not represent individual dioceses as isolated administrative units of church governance. On the contrary, we gather as bearers of the one and indivisible episcopate of Christ, testifying to the conciliar fullness of the Church that is manifested in every place. Our conciliarity is not a pragmatic mechanism of governance taken from secular models of organization, but an essential expression of the very divine-human nature of the Church as a community of love in the Holy Spirit. This holy assembly of bishops stands as a living icon of our common conciliar experience and our unity – each of us deeply feels that he is not an isolated jurisdictional authority over the diocese entrusted to him, but an organic member of the same Body of Christ, a branch of the same heavenly vine, a humble servant in the same house God. We do not meet, therefore, only to discuss administrative issues of church life, but primarily for the sake of a common spiritual reflection on the life of the Church of Christ in our historical time and space… We find ourselves in turbulent times. The current turmoil in the world, as well as in our homeland, demands our unwavering unity. Now more than ever, we must bear witness that the Church is a council. She, therefore, gathers, does not divide, does not identify with any fragment; she is the whole of the faithful people, she bridges differences and reconciles. In other words, we must bear witness that the unity of the Church transcends all earthly divisions. This unity is preserved – not by increased preoccupation with or identification with worldly questions and dilemmas, but by prophetic distance from all earthly ‘sotiriologies’. Unity is preserved by fraternal counseling, respect for our church Tradition and the apostolic faith and prayers that constitute us as the Church of Christ.”

This year’s session of the Holy Council of Bishops took place in an atmosphere of commemoration of two great anniversaries – 1,700 years since the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea and 850 years since the birth of Saint Sava, the first Serbian Archbishop and Enlightener. Both anniversaries, of exceptional importance both for our local Church and for universal Orthodoxy, will be celebrated this year with liturgical gatherings, as well as scientific gatherings, special academies, conferences, round tables and exhibitions in Belgrade and in the dioceses of our holy Church.

Having considered the reports of the hierarchs on the holy and virtuous lives of individual Orthodox Christians in our nation, confirmed by the feat of confession or the blood of martyrdom, the Commission of the Holy Council of Bishops for the preparation of proposals for the proclamation of saints of the Serbian Orthodox Church recommended to the Council that the names of several holy hierarchs, priests, monks and faithful sons and daughters of the Church of St. Sava be included in the Diptychs of Saints, which the Council, after consideration, joyfully accepted, and that the names of these saints be announced to its spiritual children for the sake of imitation in virtue and firmness of faith. The following persons were included in the list of saints: Nicodemus (Milas), Bishop of Dalmatia, with the date of celebration of October 4/September 21; Archpriest Kiril (Cvjetković), confessor of Bezdin and Dalmatia-Bokej, with a feast day of October 12/September 29; priest Mihailo Barbić, parish priest of Krtolj, with a feast day of January 22/9; priest Ilija Rodić, with a feast day of May 9/April 26; venerable martyr Jovan Stjenički, with a feast day of August 10/July 28 of each year; holy and blessed Anna, mother of Saint Basil of Ostrog, with a feast day of May 13/April 30; martyrs of Reškovac who suffered at the hands of the Turks in 1688, with a feast day of May 4/April 21; the venerable martyrs and martyrs of Rmanj, with the date of celebration on September 10/August 28, and the martyrs of Garačka and Bihać-Petrovica, with the date of celebration on July 27/14 of each year.

The date of celebration of the children of the martyrs of Jasterbar and Sisak has been changed: instead of the previous date (August 26/13), their memory will in future be celebrated on July 13/June 30 of each year.

A common, unique memorial of the Council of the Holy Fathers who taught and were taught the word of God and prayer at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade has been established – February 6/January 24, when they will be celebrated together regardless of their individual commemorations. The date of celebration of the Finding of the relics of the venerable Jacob of Tuman has also been established, which will be celebrated on August 21. October of each year.

At this year's session of the Holy Council of Bishops, special attention is paid to the position and problems of the Church both in Serbia and the Republika Srpska, as well as in neighboring countries and in the diaspora. As in previous years, special attention is paid to the report on the situation in our southern province - Kosovo and Metohija. Building on this topic, and confirming the indissoluble connection with the source of our spiritual and national identity, embodied in the personalities of our holy rulers, the Council also established a new decoration - the Order of Saint Prince Lazar - which will be awarded to members of the Church for general merit.

The Council also showed concern for the improvement of the spiritual life and organization of our Church in the Diaspora. In this spirit, the Council paid special attention to the reports on the archpastoral work of the hierarchs in the diaspora, as well as on the completion of legal and ecclesiastical-legal processes in the United States of America and Great Britain. In the same way, the Council noted the necessity to continue the process of ecclesiastical-legal unification in the legal systems of other countries throughout the diaspora in which our Church has its jurisdiction.

The reports on the work of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the diocesan hierarchs were heard and analyzed, as well as reports on the work of the Patriarchal Board of Directors, the Patriarchal Library, the Museum and Archives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as the charitable foundation “Čovekoljublje” and other foundations, institutions and services of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the past period. In this regard, the Council considered with due attention and care the possibilities of improving the work of church institutes and units.

The Council also analyzed the current state and problems of church education. On the same occasion, reports were heard on the work of all educational institutions of the Serbian Church, as well as the report of the Council Commission entrusted with preparing proposals for the reform of the curriculum and program of secondary education in theological schools of the Serbian Orthodox Church. After the hearing, the Council took note with approval of the conclusions of the work of the relevant Commission and made a decision to introduce a system of four-year secondary education in Serbian Orthodox theological schools, which will begin to be implemented as early as September 1, 2025/26.

The Council also paid attention to the issue of amendments to Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which concern the names of dioceses and the titles of bishops.

The Council, once again this year, addressed the spiritual consequences of war conflicts around the world. On this occasion, the Council once again reminds relevant international institutions of the suffering of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, Syria, Palestine and here, in Kosovo and Metohija, appealing to all who have the power to prevent further bloodshed, hatred, intolerance, injustice and lawlessness.

During the Council, a session of the Central Body for the Completion of the Memorial Temple of Saint Sava in Vračar was also held, at which time a report of this body was received on all the work carried out to date with contributions from the pious people and with the help of the state, as well as on the remaining work necessary to be carried out in the year ahead.

During its session, the Council, in accordance with the established tradition, visited the Royal House of Karađorđević, at the invitation of Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, on whose behalf His Holiness the Patriarch and Father of the Council was welcomed as host by Crown Prince Filip Karađorđević.

The mandate of His Eminence Metropolitan Ignjatij of Braničevo and His Eminence Archbishop Gerasim of Gornja Karlovac has ended, and they will become alternate members in the coming period. His Eminence Metropolitan Fotijje of Zvornik-Tuzla and His Eminence Metropolitan Raška-Prizren remain as members of the Synod in their current mandate. Theodosius, and His Eminence Metropolitan of Bačka, Mr. Irinej, and His Eminence Bishop of Budimlje-Nikšić, Mr. Methodius, were elected as new members for the upcoming two-year mandate.

Source: Serbian Orthodox Church