His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Irinej officiated Holy Liturgy and performed the rite of cheirotonia (consecration) of the Archimandrite Metodije (Ostojic) as Bishop of Dioclea, elected as Vicar Bishop of His Eminence Amfilohije, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands.
The ceremony took place in the Cathedral of Christ’s Resurrection in Podgorica, Montenegro, on July 22, 2018, reports Serbian Patriarchate’s official website.
The concelebrating hierarchs to the Patriarch were: Amfilohije Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands; Porfirije, Metropolitan of Zagreb-Ljubljana; Bishops; Lukijan of Budapest, Dositej of Britain-Scandinavia, Jovan of Sumadija, Atanasije of Mileseva, Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic, Grigorije of Zaholm-Herzegovina, Teodosije of Rascia-Prizren, Jovan of Slavonia, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Arsenije of Nis, Nikodim of Dalmatia, Heruvim of Osijek-Polje, Antonije of Moravica, Stefan of Remesiana, Ishije of Mohacs, Atanasije Bishop emeritus oof Zaholm-Herzegovina, Bishop-elect of Zaholm-Herzegovina – Archimandrite Dimitrije as well as numerous clerics and monastics.
The Podgorica Church choir “Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark” under the direction of Ljudmila Radovic sang responses. The Liturgy was attended by many abbots of the most important Serbian monasteries and quite a number of clergymen and monks and nuns of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The worship was attended by Ambassador of Serbia Zoran Bingulac, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Vinko Radovanovic, representatives of the Embassies of Russia and Greece, Director of the Office for Churches and Religious Communities of the Government of Serbia Dr. Mileta Radojevic, representatives of political parties, parents of Bishop Metodija, Milinko and Dragica Ostojic, as well as by many relatives and friends.
The Serbian Patriarch Irinej said at the end of the Liturgy that the episcopal dignity was the greatest spiritual honor in the Church of God.
“You have been for a relatively long time a member of the brotherhood of the Cetinje Monastery and have lived in this environment. You have had a plenty of opportunities to meet these noble people and circumstances of life in Montenegro. That is why our Church has elected you to this highest dignity, with the desire that, as you have wisely managed the monastery you might manage so wisely as Bishop in the diocese, as Vicar Bishop of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands”.
Patriarch Irinej reminded that Bishop Metodije had been assisting the sick Patriarch Pavle in hospital for a rather long period of time whereby he had deserved general respect from us in the Church.
The Patriarch added that Bishop Methodije had been elected as Vicar Bishop of the famous Diocese that was a cradle of Montenegro.
“It has given great personalities in our Church history. We cannot enumerate all of them; just to mention St. Basil of Ostrog and St. Peter of Cetinje and Peter the Second Njegos, who radiated with their minds and their lives amongst their congregations. They have left a brilliant example to follow them,” the Patriarch pointed out and emphasized that Bishop Metodije had nowadays a great duty and responsibility to protect his people in Orthodox faith.
Photo courtesy of Serbian Patriarchate
