Serbian Patriarch Porfirije in London: A cordial meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
As part of his visit to the Diocese of Britain and Ireland, on 22 November 2024, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, accompanied by a delegation including His Eminence Metropolitan of Scandinavia kyr Dositej; Their Graces Bishops kyr Isihije of Valjevo and kyr Nektarije, the newly elected Bishop of London and of Britain and Ireland; Protopresbyter-Stavrophoros Dragan Lazić, Dean of the Cathedral church of Saint Sava in London; and Dr. Vladimir Roganović, Director of the Administration for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities, was received by His Grace Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace. The meeting was also attended by Edward Ferguson, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Serbia.
The Archbishop of Canterbury warmly welcomed the Patriarch and his entourage, extending his best wishes for the archpastoral mission of Bishop Nektarije, who will be enthroned on Sunday, 24 November 2024.
The meeting between the First Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England took place in a cordial atmosphere. During the occasion, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented the Serbian Patriarch with an original copy of a 1915 book authored by Saint Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, bearing his personal signature and dedication, which describes the suffering of the Serbian people during World War I. The conversation highlighted the historic connections between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England during this dramatic period, as well as the good relations between the two World Wars. In return, the Patriarch gifted his host with a hand-carved wooden cross.
Patriarch Porfirije emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church will never forget that the Anglican Church, during and after World War I, offered its churches to Serbian clergy, as well as that it showed great hospitality to many Serbian families who found refuge and permanent residence in England after World War II and in the years that followed.
The interlocutors agreed on the importance of continuing dialogue and strengthening relations between the two Christian Churches, building on the foundation laid by Saint Bishop Nikolaj of Žiča and Ohrid.
The Archbishop of Canterbury warmly welcomed the Patriarch and his entourage, extending his best wishes for the archpastoral mission of Bishop Nektarije, who will be enthroned on Sunday, 24 November 2024.
The meeting between the First Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England took place in a cordial atmosphere. During the occasion, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented the Serbian Patriarch with an original copy of a 1915 book authored by Saint Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, bearing his personal signature and dedication, which describes the suffering of the Serbian people during World War I. The conversation highlighted the historic connections between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England during this dramatic period, as well as the good relations between the two World Wars. In return, the Patriarch gifted his host with a hand-carved wooden cross.
Patriarch Porfirije emphasized that the Serbian Orthodox Church will never forget that the Anglican Church, during and after World War I, offered its churches to Serbian clergy, as well as that it showed great hospitality to many Serbian families who found refuge and permanent residence in England after World War II and in the years that followed.
The interlocutors agreed on the importance of continuing dialogue and strengthening relations between the two Christian Churches, building on the foundation laid by Saint Bishop Nikolaj of Žiča and Ohrid.
