Podgorica, Montenegro, October 17, 2023
Photo: spc.rs
His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church received a very warm welcome upon his arrival to the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Podgorica, Montenegro, on Saturday evening.
Tens of thousands filled the cathedral and the square in front of it and the bells of the cathedral joyously rang out to greet the Serbian primate who had arrived to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the cathedral’s consecration.
The faithful were also blessed with the presence of the right hand of the great St. Spyridon, which was brought by His Eminence Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu specifically for the weekend’s events, reports the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Following opening words from His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije, the head of the Metropolis of Montenegro, and the Patriarch himself, a solemn doxology was served by Archimandrite Metodije, the abbot of Hilandar Monastery on Mt. Athos, with the prayerful participation of several hierarchs of the Serbian Church.
In his opening speech, Pat. Porfirije recalled the founder of the cathedral, His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of blessed memory, who, as His Holiness recalled, rose up in defense of the Church and its people.
He also emphasized that Podgorica is the place where St. Symeon the Myrrh-Streamer (Stefan Nemanja) and his son St. Sava, the first Serbian Archbishop, were born—“the holy father and the holy son, who determined our history once and for all.”
Photo: spc.rs
The next day, Sunday, October 15, His Holiness presided over the Liturgy in honor of the 10th anniversary of the consecration of Holy Resurrection Cathedral. He was joined by Met. Nektarios of Corfu and 11 hierarchs and a host of clerics of the Serbian Church.
Addressing the people, the Pat. Porfirije said:
We declare that we are a people of the Orthodox faith, Orthodox Christians, and we also confirm that the Orthodox faith is our context of life and existence, creativity, mutual relations, the building of spiritual culture, which is the space that has shaped our people throughout the centuries and led us throughout history. Our faith is faith in a living, personal God, One in the Trinity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our faith is faith in the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, the God-man, Who in his fullness reveals the measure of God to us men, and at the same time reveals with Himself the measure of human perfection, the measure of a perfect man. The characteristic and criterion of true faith, today’s Gospel reveals to us, is love. And the Gospel of Christ itself could be reduced to one word, and that word is love.
Photo: spc.rs
Following the service, Met. Joanikije thanked the Patriarch and all those who served and attended the Liturgy. He noted that it’s been 30 years since the laying of the foundation stone of the cathedral, and 10 years since its consecration, which was a strong sign “that Podgorica had returned to itself and that Montenegro was returning to itself,” leaving the communist past behind.
Met Joanikije then presented Pat. Porfirije with a Patriarchal scepter with the coat of arms of the Crnojević family, which founded Cetinje Monastery, which serves as the set of the Metropolitan of Montenegro.
He also heartily thanked Met. Nektarios of Corfu for his presence and for bringing the precious relic of St. Spyridon. The Greek hierarch, in turn, greeted the people with a joyous, “Christ is Risen!”
Watch the Liturgy:
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