In Honor and Glory of the Holy Martyrs of Surdulica
On 29 May 2024, on the feast of the Holy Martyrs of Surdulica, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije presided over the Holy Liturgy in the Church of Saint George the Great Martyr in Surdulica.
The centenary of the consecration of the memorial ossuary of the Holy Martyrs of Surdulica will be marked in the coming days at the highest church and state levels. On this occasion, the much-suffering town of Surdulica and its devout inhabitants were visited on 29 May 2024 by the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Porfirije, who presided over the Holy Liturgy in the Church of Saint George the Great Martyr, with the concelebration of the Most Reverend Bishops Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Šumadija, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Niš, Heruvim of Osečko Polje and Baranja, Isihije of Valjevo, Jerotej of Šabac, Dositej of Lipljan, and Petar of Toplica, as well as Very Venerable Archimandrite Metodije, clergy, monastics, and the faithful people of God.
Emphasizing the often hidden and neglected truth that Surdulica and its surroundings are sacred Serbian land soaked with the blood of martyrs, the blood of those who believed in Christ and who in no way wanted to renounce themselves, their people, and their Church, to the extent that they ultimately laid down their lives for their people and their Church, Patriarch Porfirije reminded:
– Just as the people of Surdulica always, throughout history, and especially during the First World War, made their sacrifice for their people and their Church, so has our people throughout their entire history, from Saint Sava to our present day, and especially during the First World War, when so many of our people suffered that no other nation under the heavens has suffered in proportion to its number. Defending their hearth, defending themselves, even in such circumstances striving not to commit crimes, but to defend what is theirs; defending their honor, and of course, their Orthodox faith, the honorable cross, and priceless freedom, our people have constantly suffered in the Second World War and whenever there were those who wanted to take their freedom and demanded they renounce themselves. But always after wars, our people showed magnanimity, extending their arms to those with whom they were in conflict and disagreement, from whom they suffered oppression, forgiving their debts and striving to establish a normal life. Therefore, it is at least dishonest and inappropriate (this is especially known in Surdulica and should be said at this place) that someone – and that someone is not just anyone, but the one who came to Serbian land and committed crimes against our people – that someone wants to say that the Serbian people are a people who commit genocides.
You can read Patriarch Porfirije's sermon in Serbian at the Holy Liturgy in the Church of Saint. George the Great Martyr in Surdulica in its entirety HERE.
A magnificent procession followed through the streets of Surdulica to Duboka Valley, a place of suffering, pain, and remembrance, a site where the Bulgarian occupiers brutally killed several thousand residents of Surdulica, as well as Serbian patriots from Skoplje, Gnjilane, Prizren, Leskovac, Niš. Besides Duboka Valley, thousands of Serbs were brutally killed at other Surdulica execution sites such as Radičeva Bara and Popov Most.
– Let us always be one – one in faith, one in Christ, one in virtue, one in good. We are each other's neighbors. We cannot love anyone else who is miles away from us while despising each other, hating each other, dividing among ourselves. Let our differences not be causes for division, let them not be causes for discord, but let them be reasons and starting points for sharing our multiplied gifts with our neighbor, and that is every member of our people – His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije conveyed at the end of the festive procession and the act of blessing the slava offerings. – Let us not be exclusive towards each other with hatred, even when we disagree and argue. Let us forgive each other, seek forgiveness from each other, and not allow ourselves to be torn apart, separated, and alienated from each other for anything transient and cheap – emphasized Patriarch Porfirije, whose sermon in Serbian you can read in full HERE.
The centenary of the consecration of the memorial ossuary of the Holy Martyrs of Surdulica will be marked in the coming days at the highest church and state levels. On this occasion, the much-suffering town of Surdulica and its devout inhabitants were visited on 29 May 2024 by the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Porfirije, who presided over the Holy Liturgy in the Church of Saint George the Great Martyr, with the concelebration of the Most Reverend Bishops Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Šumadija, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Niš, Heruvim of Osečko Polje and Baranja, Isihije of Valjevo, Jerotej of Šabac, Dositej of Lipljan, and Petar of Toplica, as well as Very Venerable Archimandrite Metodije, clergy, monastics, and the faithful people of God.
Emphasizing the often hidden and neglected truth that Surdulica and its surroundings are sacred Serbian land soaked with the blood of martyrs, the blood of those who believed in Christ and who in no way wanted to renounce themselves, their people, and their Church, to the extent that they ultimately laid down their lives for their people and their Church, Patriarch Porfirije reminded:
– Just as the people of Surdulica always, throughout history, and especially during the First World War, made their sacrifice for their people and their Church, so has our people throughout their entire history, from Saint Sava to our present day, and especially during the First World War, when so many of our people suffered that no other nation under the heavens has suffered in proportion to its number. Defending their hearth, defending themselves, even in such circumstances striving not to commit crimes, but to defend what is theirs; defending their honor, and of course, their Orthodox faith, the honorable cross, and priceless freedom, our people have constantly suffered in the Second World War and whenever there were those who wanted to take their freedom and demanded they renounce themselves. But always after wars, our people showed magnanimity, extending their arms to those with whom they were in conflict and disagreement, from whom they suffered oppression, forgiving their debts and striving to establish a normal life. Therefore, it is at least dishonest and inappropriate (this is especially known in Surdulica and should be said at this place) that someone – and that someone is not just anyone, but the one who came to Serbian land and committed crimes against our people – that someone wants to say that the Serbian people are a people who commit genocides.
You can read Patriarch Porfirije's sermon in Serbian at the Holy Liturgy in the Church of Saint. George the Great Martyr in Surdulica in its entirety HERE.
A magnificent procession followed through the streets of Surdulica to Duboka Valley, a place of suffering, pain, and remembrance, a site where the Bulgarian occupiers brutally killed several thousand residents of Surdulica, as well as Serbian patriots from Skoplje, Gnjilane, Prizren, Leskovac, Niš. Besides Duboka Valley, thousands of Serbs were brutally killed at other Surdulica execution sites such as Radičeva Bara and Popov Most.
– Let us always be one – one in faith, one in Christ, one in virtue, one in good. We are each other's neighbors. We cannot love anyone else who is miles away from us while despising each other, hating each other, dividing among ourselves. Let our differences not be causes for division, let them not be causes for discord, but let them be reasons and starting points for sharing our multiplied gifts with our neighbor, and that is every member of our people – His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije conveyed at the end of the festive procession and the act of blessing the slava offerings. – Let us not be exclusive towards each other with hatred, even when we disagree and argue. Let us forgive each other, seek forgiveness from each other, and not allow ourselves to be torn apart, separated, and alienated from each other for anything transient and cheap – emphasized Patriarch Porfirije, whose sermon in Serbian you can read in full HERE.
