Metropolitan Porfirije Perić officially became the 46th Patriarch on the Throne of St. Sava, after his enthronement as the new Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac and Patriarch of Serbia

Hundreds gathered on Friday at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade to attend the enthronement ceremony of His Beatitude Porfirije, the new Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, a day after his election.

Patriarch Porfirije received the staff and the white kamilavka as a symbol of his patriarchal ministry.

” I confess that I have nothing to boast about but my weaknesses,” Patriarch Porfirije said after praising the wisdom of Patriarch German, Patriarch Pavle and Patriarch Irinej.

Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia during the enthronement ceremony in Belgrade. Photo: spc.rs

“This does not fill me with hopelessness, but with calm and hope” that the prayers of all and of his spiritual father, Bishop Irinej of Backa, will help.

“I want our Serbian Orthodox Church to live its life to the fullest, for every Orthodox Christian to live true freedom, the freedom in Jesus Christ.”

”The mission of the Church is to build peace

The new Serbian Patriarch stressed that “the mission of the Church is to build peace. If we have the peace of God in us, we will be reconciled with our human beings and we will be reconciled with ourselves.”

His Beatitude declared that the program of his patriarchal ministry “will not contain elements of modern alienation and partial involvement in politics.”

At his first Patriarchial homily, he mentioned Kosovo and Metohija: “In my prayers, the Serbs in the affected Kosovo and Metohija will be in the first place. Kosovo is a covenant for us, and that covenant is related to the New Testament, the foundations of which are Holiness.”

He recalled that “in July 2014, I said in Zagreb and I do not give up that I will work on connecting people, on building bridges, on establishing a dialogue with everyone. And through that dialogue, I made friends, and I am convinced that both the Serbian Church and the Serbian people gained them.”

Photography courtesy of the Serbian Patriarchate