Today His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije, together with His Eminence Metropolitan of Braničevo kyr Ignatije, a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops, received Reverend Dr. Jerry Pillay, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, who was accompanied by Dr. Andrej Jeftić, Director of the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches, at the See of the Patriarchate in Belgrade.

The interlocutors engaged in an open and constructive discussion on various aspects of inter-Church relations and current challenges faced by Churches globally. Patriarch Porfirije expressed gratitude to the World Council of Churches for everything they do toward peace and inter-Christian cooperation for the benefit of all peoples. The General Secretary assured the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church of the continuous support and solidarity of the World Council of Churches. The meeting affirmed the need to further develop mutual ties, which date back to the time of Saint Nikolaj Velimirović, Bishop of Žiča and Ohrid, with the aim of strengthening inter-Christian solidarity, the spirit of fellowship, and continued cooperation in addressing various societal challenges of our time.

The General Secretary particularly addressed the difficult situation in Kosovo and Metohija, expressing solidarity over all the hardships and adversities recently experienced by the Serbian people and their Church. He noted that in 2023, the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches decided to visit the Serbian Orthodox Church as part of the “Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace” initiative, in the context of the difficult situation in which the Serbian Orthodox Church finds herself in Kosovo and Metohija. In this regard, Patriarch Porfirije reminded that he has been banned from entering the territory of the southern Serbian province twice so far, even though he is not involved in the political dialogue and prays equally to the Savior for all peoples in Kosovo and Metohija.

In response to Pastor Pillay’s question about how the World Council of Churches can help the Serbian Orthodox Church in overcoming her problems, Patriarch Porfirije said that any form of support is welcome because solving these issues requires support from the international community, which is sometimes lacking. He particularly emphasized the importance of the World Council of Churches’ efforts to provide an international platform for dialogue.

The meeting was also attended by His Grace Bishop of Novo Brdo kyr Ilarion, Archimandrite Nektarije, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops; Protopresbyter Đorđe Stojisavljević, Head of the Office of the Serbian Patriarch; Mr. Nikola Mutavdžić, Coordinator of Inter-Church Affairs of the Holy Synod of Bishops, and Mrs. Olivera Jovanović, Editor-in-Chief of “Orthodoxy,” the newspaper of the Serbian Patriarchate.

During the day, the delegation of the World Council of Churches visited the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of Saint Sava on Vračar, where Pastor Pillay met with professors and students of the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade.

The first day of the General Secretary’s visit to the World Council of Churches concluded with the opening of the exhibition “The World Council of Churches and the Serbian Orthodox Church (1948-1991)” in the ceremonial hall of the Saint Sava House in Zemun. The exhibition, based on documentary material, official correspondence, photographs, and posters, was prepared by the Archive of the Serbian Orthodox Church to testify to the decades-long meaningful and fruitful cooperation of the Serbian Patriarchate with the World Council of Churches.