Serbian Patriarch: “We are waiting for help from the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian people”
At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Irinej noted that only Russia can find a solution to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.
Balkan media reported this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The day before, as part of his visit to Serbia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a meeting with the Primate of the SOC Irinej, during which the problem of Kosovo, attacks on the Orthodox Church in the region and the world, as well as the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill to Belgrade were discussed for the consecration of the Cathedral of St. Sava.
“Today in the Balkans and in other regions of the world the situation is not becoming calmer and there are many opportunities for aggravation,” Lavrov noted during the meeting. – This is happening in the Middle East, North Africa, and the echo of these events is increasingly felt on the European continent. During such conflicts, radical sentiments intensify, which, among other things, turn into extremist attacks against Christians. The situation is complicated by the aggressive promotion of neoliberal values by the West. In these conditions, our efforts are united with the efforts of other Orthodox churches, which have preserved their traditions for centuries, and continue to do so today.”
In turn, Patriarch Irinej noted that Russia has always helped the Serbian Church and the Serbian people in difficult periods of history.
“We expect full help [from Russia] not only now, this happened in the past, this is happening today, and we hope that we will be together until the end as long as we exist. We expect great help from the Russian people and the Russian Church to find a better solution and keep Kosovo and Metohija [within Serbia].”
Patriarch Irinej also added that the Serbian Orthodox Church is looking forward to October, when the Russian President and Patriarch Kirill will come to Belgrade to attend the consecration of the Church of St. Sava, which should become one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
In recent years, Russia has taken an active part in the work on the majestic cathedral, the construction of which began in 1935, but could not be completed for decades due to dramatic events in the history of Serbia.
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