Serbian Orthodox Church. Serbian Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy in Serbia

Relations between the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches are based on long-standing, well-established good traditions of fraternal friendship. Over the entire period of history, these relationships can be described as relationships of love.

The roots of the relationship between the two Sister Churches go back to the depths of centuries. They are firmly connected by a significant event at the end of the 12th century: the adoption of monasticism in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Athos by the Serbian prince Rastko (Saint Sava in monasticism), later elevated to the post of the first primate of the Autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church.

In 1347, the powerful Serbian Tsar Stefan Dushan sent the honest head of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon to the Athos Panteleimon Monastery. And the next year, in 1348, visiting the monasteries of Athos, Stefan Dushan paid special attention to the monastery of St. Panteleimon, assuming the title of its ktitor. The subsequent Serbian rulers did not leave the Panteleimon monastery with their favors: Stefan Urosh, Lazar, Dragos, Kostadin ...

According to a Moscow chronicler, in 1404 the Serbian monk Lazar worked in Moscow, who, at the request of the Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich, set up a clock in the prince's courtyard behind the Annunciation Cathedral. “These hour-keeper will be called hourly; at every hour he strikes the bell with a hammer, measuring and calculating the hours of the night and day; not more striking than a man, but human-like, self-proclaimed and ... pretentiously. The master and artist of this beyash was some black man, who came from the Holy Mountain, a Serb by birth, named Lazar; the price of this beyash is more than half a hundred rubles.

With the conquest of the Balkan Peninsula by the Turks, the Orthodox Slavic peoples turn their gaze to the same faith and common tribe with them Muscovite Russia. In 1509, three elders from Belgrade Metropolitan Feofan came to Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich with a request for assistance, for, wrote the Metropolitan, “the good Lord let Serbian domination into the hands of foreign tribes, and the monastery fell down to this valley, and alms became impoverished, and there are no pardoners” . From the further content of the letter, it turns out that the Belgrade Metropolis had already received assistance from Ivan III before, and that even now it has a single patron - the Russian sovereign.

Just as during the years of the Tatar yoke in Russia, the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dushan became the patron of the Russian monastery on Athos, so now the elders of the Hilendar Monastery looked towards Moscow. They called the Russian Tsar Ivan IV the "Christian sun", shining and illuminating the entire sunflower. In 1555, they sent a special embassy to Moscow with a request that the tsar take the Hilendar Monastery under his protection, “so that his pilgrimage would be different in the Holy Mountain” after the first

Panteleimonovskaya. The petition was granted - the Serbian monastery received generous gifts.

In the same year, Metropolitan Selyvestre of Rash arrived in “Great Russia to the pious Tsar John and Saint Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow,” and there he brought a lot of goodness and beauty to Hilandar.

Starting from the 16th century, Orthodox Serbs first used handwritten and then printed church books published in Muscovite Russia. In turn, the southern Slavs contributed to the transfer to Russia of the spiritual heritage of Byzantium, thus contributing to the spiritual growth of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“It must be admitted,” says V.M. Istrin, “that a large number of Byzantine works came to Russia already in ready-made, South Slavic translation, and, moreover, in ancient times - in Bulgarian translations. They continued to pass even later, when Russia developed its own written language, and Serbian translations began to join the Bulgarian translations.

In 1641, Metropolitan Simeon of Skopia received permission in Moscow to collect donations in favor of the suffering Serbian people. From that time on, the hierarchs of the Serbian Church repeatedly came to Russia and took away the well-meaning gifts of the Russian people. And Patriarch Gabriel I (Raich) for two

lived in Moscow for years. (After returning to Serbia, he was accused of high treason and hanged by the Turks in 1659.) Patriarch Vasily Brkich, who fled from the wrath of the Turks, also found shelter in Russia. In 1772 he died in St. Petersburg, where he was buried in the Lavra.

In the 18th century, thousands of Orthodox Serbs found shelter within what is now Ukraine. Once they left their homeland due to Turkish oppression and moved to Austria-Hungary, but even there they met humiliation and injustice.

The fraternal attitude of the southwestern Slavs towards fellow Russian people of the same faith and consanguinity was expressed in the response of the Metropolitan

Montenegrin Peter I to the French, who, at the direction of the Vatican, offered to refuse relations with Russia in exchange for granting him the title of Patriarch of all Serbs and 200 thousand francs. “The Russians are not our enemies,” said the Metropolitan, but brothers in faith and tribe, they love us, just as we love them ... The Slavs only from an alliance with powerful and dear Russia expect salvation and glory ... Without Russians, there is an abyss and to all other Slavs!

The fact that the Montenegrins received support from the fraternal Orthodox Russian people, V.V. Makushev (XIX century) testifies as follows: 11 smaller ones with 2 classes in more populated areas. Then it was supposed to open three more schools; now there are up to 30 schools with 2,000 students. Schools are supported from monastic incomes and from amounts received from Russia.

When in 1836 the theological educational institution "Theology" was opened in Belgrade, two teachers from the graduates of the Moscow Theological Academy were sent here. Since 1840, the custom was introduced to send the best graduates of Theology to the Theological Academies of the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1920-1925, the Russian nun Ekaterina (in the world Evgenia Borisovna Efimovskaya, originally from Moscow), having arrived in Serbia with a group of nuns from the Lesna monastery and becoming abbess of the Hopovo monastery on Fruška Gora, was the revivalist of Serbian female monasticism. Many of her students were later abbesses of convents in Serbia.

In 1923, Archpriest Stefan Dimitrievich, in the past the closest assistant and collaborator of the Serbian Metropolitan Mikhail (1826-1898), chairman of the Serbian Red Cross Society (founded in 1876), as part of the mission of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, provided assistance to the starving Odessa and Yekaterinoslav regions. provinces. On January 6, 1924, his photograph was published in Krasnaya Niva, capturing the moment of the conversation between the father of the archpriest and the editor of Izvestia, Yu. M. Steklov. A note about the activities of Archpriest S. Dimitrievich and his mission was also placed here.

In the 1920s and then in the 1930s, when the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church was threatened by internal schismatics, mainly “Renovationists,” the Serbian Church was one of the first to strongly support Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia and condemned the schismatics as violators of the holy canons. and apostates from the purity of holy Orthodoxy.

Patriarch Varnava of Serbia, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and tonsured at the Alexander Neva and the Lavra, always maintained friendly relations with the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Moscow and Kolomna. At one time, in connection with the anti-canonical actions of the See of Constantinople, aimed at subjugating the entire Orthodox diaspora, including Russian parishes abroad, Patriarch Barnabas in a letter to Metropolitan Eleutherius (Bogoyavlensky) of February 14, 1932, condemned these papist aspirations of Constantinople.

A difficult issue to resolve, somewhat complicating the good relations between the two Churches, was the so-called “Karlovatsk issue”. Having received shelter in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, in November-December 1921, in the town of Sremski Karlovtsy (hence the “Karlovtsy”), a group of Russian bishops-emigrants formed a Church Council, which established the “Synod of Bishops” headed by the former Metropolitan of Kiev Anthony (Khrapovitsky, who arbitrarily assumed the title of “Vicar of the Most Holy Patriarch of All Russia.” From now on, the “Karlovites” began to act on behalf of the Russian Church to the detriment of it. Although the schismatics in their activities found support from the then royal government, nevertheless, the Serbian Church took upon itself the feat of mediation in negotiations with them the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne.If the desired result was not achieved, then the schismatics are guilty of this, rejecting the measures taken to appease.

After the Second World War, the Holy Church of St. Paul will maintain fraternal relations with the Russian Church. Thus, at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1945, there was a delegation of the Serbian Church headed by the Deputy Patriarch, Metropolitan Joseph of Skopia.

In April 1945, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Bishop Sergius (Larin) of Kirovograd settled in the Serbian Orthodox Church. In the same year he once again visited the Serbian Church. In October 1945, the archpastors of the Serbian Church satisfied the desire of the Orthodox Transcarpathians of the Diocese of Mukachevo to return to the bosom of their native Russian Church, from which they had been forcibly torn away more than 700 years ago.

In 1946, an agreement was reached on the transfer by the Serbian Church of Orthodox parishes in the Czech Republic to the jurisdiction of the Russian Church, and in 1954 the churches, clergy and parishes of the deanery of the Moscow Patriarchate in Yugoslavia, with the exception of the Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade, were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Serbian Churches.

At the celebrations dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Russian Church, and at the Conference of the Heads and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches in Moscow (July, 1948), the delegation of the Holy Saural Church was headed by Patriarch Gabriel.

In 1956, Patriarch Vikenty, who arrived in the Soviet Union with a group of leaders of the Serbian Church, was a guest of the Russian Church. And in October of the following year, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, accompanied by bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, paid a return visit to the Holy Saber Orthodox Church. During his stay in Yugoslavia, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I visited the Belgrade Theological Faculty, at the solemn meeting of which the resolution of the Council of this faculty on conferring the title of honorary doctor of theology on Patriarch Alexy I was announced. On October 30, 1956, both Patriarchs signed a joint communique, which reflected the unity of views of both Churches on issues of church cooperation and the struggle for peace.

In 1958, a delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, headed by Bishop John of Nish, attended the celebrations on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the restoration of the patriarchate in Russia in Moscow.

His Holiness Patriarch German, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I, visited the Russian Orthodox Church in October 1961. During his stay in Moscow, meetings and conversations took place between both Patriarchs, which took place in an atmosphere of brotherly love and complete mutual understanding. The conversations resulted in the adoption of a communique, which noted the desire of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches to strengthen fraternal ties with the rest of the Local Orthodox and heterodox

Churches and associations, and to promote world peace. Patriarch German was elected an honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy.

In May 1962, Patriarch Alexy I paid a second visit to the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Patriarchs again signed a communiqué on strengthening the union of both Sister Churches and on the need to make every effort to establish a lasting and just peace on earth.

At the jubilee celebrations in Moscow in 1963, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the hierarchal service of Patriarch Alexy I, the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church was also headed by Patriarch Herman of Serbia.

In September 1965, a delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, headed by Bishop John of Nis, visited the Moscow Patriarchate.

In the summer of 1968, a delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church headed by Patriarch German took part in the solemn celebration by the Russian Orthodox Church of the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the patriarchate.

At the celebrations of the election by the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and the enthronement of the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Pimen in May-June 1971, the Serbian Orthodox Church was represented by a delegation headed by Metropolitan Vladislav of Dobrobosansky.

In connection with his accession to the Moscow Patriarchal Throne, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, together with high delegates of the Russian Orthodox Church, visited the Serbian Orthodox Church in the second half of October 1972, as well as the Greek and Romanian Orthodox Churches. “During the visits to the Serbian, Greek and Romanian Orthodox Churches,” the JMP reports, “there were conversations between the Primates of these Churches and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church on issues of interest to the fraternal Local Churches and related to inter-Orthodox and ecumenical problems and to the service of the Churches for the good of mankind.”

In October 1974, the guests of the Russian Orthodox Church were the delegates of the Serbian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch German. Exactly one year later (in October 1975) representatives of the Serbian Theological Schools were in the Soviet Union and got acquainted with the life of the Theological Schools in Moscow, Leningrad and Odessa.

In March 1992, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met in Phanar (Istanbul) with His Holiness Patriarch Pavel of Serbia, when the Primates of the fourteen Local Orthodox Churches signed the Message, where they expressed their positions on issues of concern to both the Christian and non-Christian world today.

Multiple mutual visits of leaders of the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, exchange of views on the most important church issues, exchange of holiday messages of the Primates of the Churches for the Nativity of Christ and Holy Pascha, fraternal greetings on the occasion of the most important church events of the Sister Churches, exchange of church publications, training of students in our Theological Schools Serbian Orthodox Church, etc. - all this testifies that the traditional living fraternal relations between the two Churches are not interrupted.

9. Participation in ecumenical and peace movements

The Serbian Orthodox Church maintains fraternal ties with other Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, as well as with heterodox confessions. Since 1965 she has been an active member of the ecumenical organization - the World Council of Churches. At the IV Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Uppsala from July 4 to 19, 1968, Patriarch Herman was unanimously elected one of the presidents of the World Council of Churches. At the beginning of 1974, the Serbian Orthodox Center was opened in Vienna, which houses a chapel, a library, a reading room and a club. There is also a social service, whose consultants provide assistance to those who turn to them.

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According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the first mass baptism of the Serbs took place under the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (610-641). Christianity of the Eastern rite was further spread among the Serbs in the 9th century, when in 869, at the request of Prince Muntimir, the Byzantine emperor Basil the Macedonian sent Greek priests to them. The activity of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The influence of the mission of the Enlighteners of the Slavs was especially intensified when their students, among whom were Sts. Clement and Naum, moved from Moravia to the Ohrid region (Macedonia). Since the time of St. Cyril and Methodius in the Serbian lands, the works of Byzantine authors, translated into Slavic, were widely circulated. First of all, it was various hagiographic literature.

The greatest figure in the history of the Serbian Church and the entire people can rightly be called St. Savva, the first Archbishop of Serbia. Rastko, that was the name of the future saint in the world, was the youngest of the sons of the great zhupan Stefan Nemanya. He was born around 1175 and from an early age showed a special desire for a prayerful feat. At the age of 17, he secretly left his home on Athos with a Russian monk. On the Holy Mountain, he first labored in the Russian monastery of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon, where he took monastic vows with the name Savva, and then continued his exploits in the Greek monastery of Vatopede. With his humility and strict life, the young monk surpassed many Athos ascetics.

In 1196 the father of the future Serbian saint abdicated in favor of his middle son Stephen. Shortly thereafter, he took monastic vows with the name of Simeon at the Studenetsky monastery. The next year, the monk Simeon moved to his son on Athos and lived with him in the same cell until his blessed death.

At the insistence of the brethren, Savva eventually took over the management of the Hilandar monastery, which was restored with the generosity of his father. Soon, discord began in Serbia. Savva's brother Stefan turned to him with a request for help. At this time, their older brother Vukan, with the help of the Hungarians, captured part of the Serbian lands and declared himself king. In order to achieve his vain goals, Vukan submitted to the pope, and certain rules of the Roman Church were adopted in his dominions. St. Savva, at the request of his brother, transferred the relics of their father - St. Simeon the Myrrh-streaming - to the Studenetsky monastery and himself remained in it. Then he went with a sermon throughout the country, reconciled the brothers, and peace reigned in the Serbian lands.

In 1219 St. Savva petitioned the Greek emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople for the Serbian Church the right to have its own autocephalous archbishop. Patriarch Manuil of Constantinople ordained St. Savva to the rank of archbishop and recognized the independent Serbian archdiocese. Upon returning to his homeland, the saint took up the organization of his Church. He founded eight new dioceses, in which he appointed his disciples, the ascetics Hilandar and Studenica, as bishops. Priests were sent to different parts of the Serbian lands with instructions to preach and perform church sacraments. The traditions and charters of Mount Athos, the monasteries of Asia Minor and Palestine were introduced into the life of Serbian monasteries.

After the construction of the Zhichsky Monastery was completed, the archbishop's residence was moved to it. Local councils of the Serbian Church gathered in Zica, in which all the bishops, abbots and many priests took part. St. Savva founded the famous Pech Monastery, in the XIV century. became the capital of the Serbian Patriarchs. St. Savva also played a huge role in strengthening the Serbian statehood. In 1221, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, St. Savva crowned his brother Stephen with a royal crown in Zica. The first Serbian king henceforth signed as Stefan the First Crowned. During this event, Savva delivered his well-known well-known Zych talk about the Orthodox faith.

Already being Archbishop Savva twice visited the Holy Land - in 1229 and 1234. On his first trip in 1229, he acquired the monasteries of St. George in Akona and St. John the Theologian on Mount Zion for the needs of Serbian monks and pilgrims. Before his second journey, he handed over the leadership of the Serbian Church to his disciple Arseniy Sremets. In the spring of 1234 he went to the Holy Land. Returning from his pilgrimage on January 14/27, 1236, the great Serbian saint passed away to the Lord in the Bulgarian city of Trnov. In 1237 his nephew King Vladislav transferred the body of the saint to the Mileshevo monastery.

The successors of Saint Sava actively continued his work, always having his image and precepts before their eyes, they said and wrote that they were sitting on his throne. Due to the weak security of Zhichi, it was unsafe to stay in it, especially after the invasion of the Tatars (1242), and later - the Bulgarians and Cumans (1253). Therefore, St. Arseniy Sremets transferred the chair of the Archdiocese from Zhichy to Pecs, where, among the picturesque surroundings, at the very entrance to the Rugovskoe gorge, he built a church in the name of Sts. Apostles. The archbishops, depending on the circumstances, stayed either in Pecs or again in Zica. This movement continued until the end of the 13th century, when the residence of the Serbian archbishops was finally transferred to Pec.

Almost all Serbian archbishops were pupils of Hilandar, which became the first higher Serbian school, which gave knowledge that Byzantine culture of that time could only give. Among them were many talented church writers. Special mention should be made of Saints Nikodim (1317-1324), who wrote the second Typikon, and Daniel II (1324-1337), who wrote The Life of the Kings and Archbishops of Serbia.

After the enslavement in the XIV century. Serbian lands by the Turks The Pec patriarchs served as a unifying principle for the Serbs. Often it was the patriarchs who turned to the Christian rulers of Europe with an appeal to raise arms against the conquerors.

With the collapse of the united Serbian state on the lands that were once part of it, the life of the Orthodox Church had its own regional peculiarities.

Montenegrin principality until the second half of the XIV century. was part of the Serbian state, but after the death of Stefan Dusan, Zeta fell away from Serbia. In 1485, Prince Ivan Chernoevich transferred the chair of Metropolitan Zeta to the main city of his possession, Cetinje. Despite constant military expeditions, the Turks were never able to completely conquer Montenegro. At the end of the 17th century, the Montenegrins elected Daniil Petrovich Negosh as their ruler and metropolitan, and under his leadership won a number of glorious victories over the Turks. Since that time, the Montenegrin metropolitans ruled the country, uniting civil and spiritual power in their person. This continued until 1857.

Orthodox Serbs have long lived in the lands that later became part of the Austro-Hungarian possessions. Many Serbs fled to Austria-Hungary to escape Turkish persecution. The settlers founded new Orthodox dioceses, which were dependent on the Pech Patriarchy. With the resettlement in 1690 to the Austrian possessions of the Patriarch of Pec Arseniy (Chernoevich), with a large number of Serbs, an independent Serbian metropolis was founded. Arseniy (Chernoevich) became the first metropolitan. The metropolitan see arrived in different places, and in the 30s. 18th century settled in Sremski Karlovtsy. In 1848, with the consent of the Austrian government, the Serbs proclaimed their metropolitan patriarch, but they were subsequently denied this title. The election of a metropolitan and the discussion of important ecclesiastical and popular affairs belonged to the church-people's council, which consisted of deputies from the clergy and the people. The council met once every three years with the permission of the government. There were separate dioceses.

The Serbs of Dalmatia were under the rule of the Venetian Republic for a long time. The Orthodox did not receive the right to have their own bishop and turned on all church matters to Serbian bishops from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only after Dalmatia passed into the possession of the French, in 1810, an Orthodox episcopal department was opened here. In 1815, by decision of the Congress of Vienna, Dalmatia came under the rule of Austria, and the Dalmatian diocese was subordinated to the Karlovac Metropolitan. The episcopal chair was originally located in Sibenik, and since 1841. moved to Zadar. In 1871 another department was opened in Kotor. There was a theological seminary in Zadar. One of the bishops of Zadar was the master of the Kiev Theological Academy Nikodim Milash, whose fundamental work "Course of Orthodox Church Law" is available in Russian translation. In 1873, both departments were subordinated to the Metropolitan of Bukovina.

During the First World War, the SOC lost about a third of its clergy. In total, more than 1,000 clergy were killed and died. After the end of the war, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, within the boundaries of which all parts of the Serbian Church were found. Only three diocesan centers remained outside the borders of the new state (since 1929 - the kingdom of Yugoslavia): Temişoar (Romania), Budapest (Hungary) and Zadar (captured by Italy), as well as Skadar with its environs (Albania) and Serbian church communities in Vienna, Trieste , Rijeka, America and Canada.

Representatives of all parts of the Serbian Church expressed their desire to unite. For unification, it was necessary to resolve the issue of the jurisdiction of the Dalmatian and Boka-Kotor dioceses, which belonged to the Bukovina-Dalmatia metropolis and the Serbian dioceses in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Southern and Old Serbia, subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The work of unification was carried out by a special committee called the "Central Bishops' Council of the Unification of the Serbian Church." Metropolitan of Montenegro and Primorsky Mitrofan Ban became the chairman of this committee.

Negotiations with Metropolitan of Bukovina-Dalmatia Vladimir Repta regarding the status of the Dalmatian and Boka-Kator dioceses were difficult, but nevertheless, after the adoption of the relevant documents on December 20, 1919, they were attached to the Karlovac Metropolis. On March 18, 1920, negotiations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople ended successfully. By royal decree of June 17, 1920, regent Alexander Karageorgievich announced the decision of the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church to unite. On the day of the Synod of Serbian Saints on September 12, 1920, a solemn proclamation of the unification and restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate took place in Sremski Karlovci. The restored Patriarchy included the following dioceses: Belgrade, Banjaluksko-Bihacska, Bachska, Bitolska, Bokakotorska-Dubrovnitska, Budimska, Velessko-Debarska, Vrsachska, Gornokarlovatska, Dabro-Bosnian, Dalmatian-Istrian, Doryanska, Zhichska, Zakholmsko-Rashskaya, Zakholmsko- Grecegovinskaya, Zvornitsko-Tuzlanskaya, Zletovsko-Strumichskaya, Nishskaya, Ohridskaya, Pakrachskaya, Pechskaya, Rashko-Prizrenskaya, Skoplyanskaya, Sremsko-Karlovatskaya, Shabachskaya, Temishoarskaya, Timokskaya and Chernogorsko-Primorskaya.

On September 28, 1920, the Council of Bishops elected Archbishop of Belgrade and Metropolitan of Serbia Dimitri Pavlovich as the first Serbian Patriarch, but initially the government did not recognize this election, since the state had not yet adopted the relevant legislative acts. On October 23, 1920, the government adopted the "Decree on the Election of the First Patriarch of the United Serbian Orthodox Church", according to which the patriarch was to be elected by a special Electoral Council from three candidates proposed in turn by the Holy Council of Bishops. On the same day, the provisional "Decree on the Serbian Patriarchy" was promulgated. After the adoption of these documents on November 12, 1920, Metropolitan Demetrius was again elected the first Serbian Patriarch since the abolition of the Pec Patriarchate in 1766. The election of the primate was confirmed by King Alexander. The solemn ceremony took place in the Belgrade Cathedral, and the enthronement of the Patriarchs of Pec took place in 1924. On this occasion, King Alexander gave the patriarch a precious panagia, which subsequently passed from one primate to another.

Metropolitan Barnabas of Sarajevo, elected in 1930, who once lived and studied in Russia, became Patriarch Dimitri's successor. Under him, a new building of the patriarchy was erected in Belgrade. After the death of Patriarch Varnava, Metropolitan Gabriel of Montenegro became the new primate of the Serbian Church. The place of residence of the Serbian Patriarchs was Belgrade and Sremski Karlovci. The appointment of the patriarchs took place in the ancient Pech Monastery.

Severe trials befell the Serbian Orthodox Church during World War II. In 1941, immediately after the occupation of Yugoslavia, the Germans arrested the Serbian Patriarch Gabriel. After passing through the prisons of Sarajevo and Belgrade, the Primate of the Serbian Church, together with Bishop Nikolai of Zhichsky, was sent to the Dachau concentration camp. The Orthodox Church experienced great persecution throughout the territory of occupied Yugoslavia. The position of the Serbian Church in the newly formed Independent Croatian State (NDH) was especially difficult. Thus, 44 churches and monasteries were destroyed in the Srem diocese, 157 churches in Gornokarlovatskaya, 55 churches in Slavonskaya were destroyed to the ground, three monasteries and 25 parish houses were destroyed. In the Bosansky district of the Dalmatian diocese alone, 18 churches were destroyed and burned, many churches were desecrated, and it became impossible to worship in them.

The same situation was in other dioceses on the territory of the NDH. Hundreds of Orthodox priests were killed, sent to concentration camps and expelled from their homes along with their thousands of flocks. Often, Orthodox Christians were forcibly converted to Catholicism. Hundreds of monasteries, churches and chapels were destroyed and looted. Many archpastors also shared the fate of their Church. During World War II, the Serbian Church lost nine bishops. The Metropolitan of Dabrobosnia Peter (Zimonich), Bishop of Banjaluk Platon (Jovanovic), Bishop Savva (Trlaich) of Gorno-Karlovatsk died at the hands of the Croatian Ustashe, Bishop of Czech-Moravian Gorazd (Pavlik) was shot by the German authorities. Metropolitan Dositheos of Zagreb endured torture and humiliation in the Zagreb prison, and after being transported to Serbia, he died from his wounds. The same fate befell Bishop Nikolai of Zahumsko-Herzegovina. Many bishops were expelled or interned by the occupying authorities and did not have the opportunity to feed their flock. Only nine bishops remained in their chairs. In the absence of Patriarch Gabriel, the leadership of the Serbian Church was carried out by Metropolitan Joseph of Skopl.

After the end of World War II, the Communists came to power in Yugoslavia under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, and the suffering of the Serbian Church did not stop. The authorities allowed the return of the Serbian Patriarch Gabriel to his homeland only in November 1946. Arriving in Belgrade on November 14, the Patriarch immediately encountered numerous problems in organizing the normal life of the Church. Bishops and priests were arrested and imprisoned for long periods, many ended up in prison without any trial or investigation. A large number of priests were killed. Metropolitan Ioanniky of Montenegrin-Primorsky was killed in the vicinity of Arandzhelovets. Bishop Irinei (Cirich) of Bach was kept under house arrest for 17 months. After the removal of the arrest, Vladyka was badly beaten and died after a serious illness. Metropolitan Joseph of Skoplje was imprisoned for 18 months in the monasteries of Zhycha and Lubostin, after which he fell seriously ill. Metropolitan of Montenegro-Primorsky Arseniy (Bradvarevich) and vicar bishop of Khvostansky Varnava (Nastich) went through many years of imprisonment.

The state grossly interfered in the life of the Church: all parish registers were confiscated, civil marriage was introduced, the teaching of the law of God in schools was stopped, financial resources for the maintenance of retired priests became the property of the Ministry of Labor. The clergy were deprived of any social protection. The agrarian reform law took away 70,000 hectares of cultivated land and forest land from the Church, and 1,180 church buildings were nationalized. A large number of episcopal residences were taken away. But even worse was the destruction of monasteries and temples. in some places the local authorities prevented the clergy from exercising their ministry. In southern Serbia, bishops were forbidden to return to their sees, and priests to parishes, in connection with which normal church life could not be established in these areas for a long time.

At the Council of Bishops held in 1948, it was decided to transfer the Czech-Moravian diocese of the SPTs under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

With the resumption of the normal work of theological educational institutions, things were also not easy. The state authorities for a long time did not give permission for the opening of the theological schools under the pretext of a lack of necessary conditions. After the war, with great difficulties, the Theological Faculty continued its work as part of the University of Belgrade. The work of the Prizren Seminary resumed only in 1947, and the Belgrade Seminary of St. Sava in 1949. The situation with publishing activities was no better. Since 1949, the Great Church Calendar has ceased to be issued. The Bulletin of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate was published irregularly during the war and in the first post-war period, and from March 1, 1946 it was published once a month. Since 1946, a small pocket calendar began to be published. Since 1949, a newspaper for the parish clergy "Vestnik" has been published.

Patriarch Gabriel died on May 6, 1950. On July 2 of the same year, the enthronement of the new primate of the SOC, Patriarch Vikenty (Prodanov), who was among the most gifted hierarchs of the SOC, took place. Despite pressure from the authorities, he managed to avoid recognition by the self-proclaimed "Macedonian Orthodox Church". The great merit of Patriarch Vincent is that the clergy and persons working in the Church received the right to social protection and medical care. Patriarch Vikenty is credited with restoring fraternal ties with the Local Orthodox Churches, which had weakened during the Second World War. Under Patriarch Vincent, the newspaper "Orthodox Missionary" was founded, which eventually became the most widely circulated periodical of the SPTs. Since 1957, the journal of the Faculty of Theology "Theology" began to appear again. In 1958, the journal "Orthodox Thought" was founded, dedicated to theological literature and various issues of church life. On July 5, 1958, Patriarch Vikenty suddenly died after another meeting of the Holy Synod of Bishops. Two months after his death, on September 13, 1958, Bishop German (Joric) of Zhichsky, who had occupied the throne of the Serbian Patriarchs for more than thirty years, was chosen as the new primate of the Serbian Church.

During the reign of Patriarch German, restoration and construction of churches was carried out. A new building of the Faculty of Theology was built. One of the main merits of Patriarch German was the opening in 1964 of the Seminary in the name of St. Arseniy in Sremski Karlovtsy. In the monastery of Krka (Dalmatia) a two-year and a five-year seminary was opened. The work of the monastery school in Ovchar was resumed, and in 1967 the same school was opened in the Ostrog monastery. In early 1986, the Faculty of Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church began its work in Libertville (USA). At the Theological Faculty in Belgrade, a Theological Institute was opened with a two-year course of study. The publishing activity of the SPC developed. Since 1965, the large Church calendar began to appear again, and since 1967, the news bulletin of the Serbian Patriarchate "Pravoslavl" began to appear. The children's edition "Svetosavsko Zvontse" ("Svyatosavsky bell") began to be printed. In 1968, the theological collection Teoloshki Look (Theological Views) began to appear. From time to time, the review “Srpska Pravoslavna Tskva in the past and sadness” (“SPTS in the past and present”) was published in English. During the time of Patriarch Herman, several new dioceses were founded. At the same time, two splits occurred in the SOC: in 1963 the American one, which was subsequently overcome, and in 1967 the Macedonian one, which continues to this day.

In 1990, Patriarch German, due to illness, was retired. On December 1, 1990, Bishop Pavel of Rasko-Prizren was chosen as the new primate of the Serbian Church. One of the first deeds of the new primate of the SOC upon accession to the patriarchal throne was the beginning of work to overcome the church schism in America and Canada. As a result, in 1992 the long-awaited canonical unity was restored.

At the same time, in many dioceses of the SOC, a revival and revival of church life is taking place, a significant number of new churches and other church facilities have been built. During the reign of the Serbian Church, Patriarch Pavle performed a large number of episcopal consecrations. Several new dioceses were founded. A number of spiritual educational institutions resumed their work. Despite the difficulties, there is a gradual restoration of church life in the dioceses devastated by the war. A significant event is the ongoing construction in Belgrade of the largest Orthodox church in Europe - the Cathedral of St. Sava.

Currently, the SOC has more than 3500 parishes, 204 monasteries, about 1900 priests, 230 monks and 1000 nuns. The training of future clergymen and teachers of the law is carried out in six seminaries: in Belgrade, Sremski Karlovtsy, Nis (the Prizren Seminary moved to Nis in 1999), Cetinje, in the monastery of Krka and Kraguevce. There are two theological faculties - in Belgrade and Libertville, as well as the Theological Institute at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade and the Theological Academy in Srbinje. More than 1,000 students study in seminaries, and more than 1,000 students in theological faculties and academies. In addition to these educational institutions, in 1993 the Serbian Church founded the Academy of Arts and Restoration in Belgrade with several departments - icon painting, fresco painting and restoration.

The activity of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The influence of the mission of the Enlighteners of the Slavs was especially intensified when their students, among whom were Sts. Clement and Naum, moved from Moravia to the Ohrid region (Macedonia). Since the time of St. Cyril and Methodius in the Serbian lands, the works of Byzantine authors, translated into Slavic, were widely circulated. First of all, it was various hagiographic literature.

After the completion of the construction of the Zhichsky monastery, the archbishop's residence was transferred to it. Local councils of the Serbian Church gathered in Zica, in which all the bishops, abbots and many priests took part. St. Savva founded the famous Pech Monastery, in the XIV century. became the capital of the Serbian Patriarchs. St. Savva also played a huge role in strengthening the Serbian statehood. In 1221, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, St. Savva crowned his brother Stephen with a royal crown in Zica. The first Serbian king henceforth signed as Stefan the First Crowned. During this event, Savva delivered his well-known well-known Zych talk about the Orthodox faith.

With the collapse of the united Serbian state on the lands that were once part of it, the life of the Orthodox Church had its own regional peculiarities.

Orthodox Serbs have long lived in the lands that later became part of the Austro-Hungarian possessions. Many Serbs fled to Austria-Hungary to escape Turkish persecution. The settlers founded new Orthodox dioceses, which were dependent on the Pech Patriarchate. With the resettlement in 1690 to the Austrian possessions of the Patriarch of Pec Arseniy (Chernoevich), with a large number of Serbs, an independent Serbian metropolis was founded. Arseniy (Chernoevich) became the first metropolitan. The metropolitan see arrived in different places, and in the 30s. 18th century settled in Sremski Karlovtsy. In 1848, with the consent of the Austrian government, the Serbs proclaimed their metropolitan patriarch, but they were subsequently denied this title. The election of a metropolitan and the discussion of important ecclesiastical and popular affairs belonged to the church-people's council, which consisted of deputies from the clergy and the people. The council met once every three years with the permission of the government. There were separate dioceses.

The same situation was in other dioceses on the territory of the NDH. Hundreds of Orthodox priests were killed, sent to concentration camps and expelled from their homes along with their thousands of flocks. Often, Orthodox Christians were forcibly converted to Catholicism. Hundreds of monasteries, churches and chapels were destroyed and looted. Many archpastors also shared the fate of their Church. During World War II, the Serbian Church lost nine bishops. The Metropolitan of Dabrobosnia Peter (Zimonich), Bishop of Banjaluk Platon (Jovanovic), Bishop Savva (Trlaich) of Gorno-Karlovatsk died at the hands of the Croatian Ustashe, Bishop of Czech-Moravian Gorazd (Pavlik) was shot by the German authorities. Metropolitan Dositheos of Zagreb endured torture and humiliation in a Zagreb prison, and after being transported to Serbia, he died from his wounds. The same fate befell Bishop Nikolai of Zahumsko-Herzegovina. Many bishops were expelled or interned by the occupying authorities and did not have the opportunity to feed their flock. Only nine bishops remained in their chairs. In the absence of Patriarch Gabriel, the leadership of the Serbian Church was carried out by Metropolitan Joseph of Skopl.

At the Council of Bishops held in 1948, it was decided to transfer the Czech-Moravian diocese of the SPTs under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The collapse of Yugoslavia was accompanied by bloody and destructive military clashes in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Serbian people were expelled from many areas on the territory of these former republics of the SFRY, along with their bishops and priests. Ten dioceses of the Serbian Church found themselves in the fire of the war. As during the Second World War, a large number of Orthodox churches were destroyed. Some bishops were forced to leave their places of service. At the same time, churches, monasteries, church buildings and Orthodox cemeteries were destroyed both during fierce hostilities and after the expulsion of the Serbian population in order to destroy monuments of Serbian culture. Added to this was the suffering of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, especially after the start of NATO aggression and the deployment of international KFOR forces in these territories. According to official data, since June 1999, about 110 churches and monasteries have been destroyed, damaged and desecrated here.

Currently, the SOC has more than 3500 parishes, 204 monasteries, about 1900 priests, 230 monks and 1000 nuns. The training of future clergymen and teachers of the law is carried out in six seminaries: in Belgrade, Sremski Karlovci, Nis (the Prizren Seminary was moved to Nis in 1999), Cetinje, in the monastery of Krka and Kraguevce. There are two theological faculties - in Belgrade and Libertville, as well as the Theological Institute at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade and the Theological Academy in Srbinje. More than 1,000 students study in seminaries, and more than 1,000 students in theological faculties and academies. In addition to these educational institutions, in 1993 the Serbian Church founded the Academy of Arts and Restoration in Belgrade with several departments - icon painting, fresco painting and restoration.

The current situation in the Serbian Church is very difficult, complex and unprecedented in its history. We believe that in the rest of the Local Churches the true extent of the spread of non-Orthodox teachings, modernism and reformism in the SOC is unknown. Yes, people today have the opportunity to learn news from the sister Orthodox Churches using the Internet, but ignorance of the language does not allow us to understand the essence of the problems. Therefore, we consider this conversation with you extremely important and we are immensely grateful to you for finding it useful for your readers.
The first reformatory steps in our Church were taken about twenty years ago: then non-Orthodox teachings appeared and some liturgical reforms were carried out. Ecumenical contacts have been made before: the SOC has been a member of the World Council of Churches since 1965, and the Serbian Patriarch German (1899-1991) was even the vice-chairman of this all-heretical ecumenical organization (St. The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism" gives the best theological analysis of this false doctrine, disguised as "love" for the heterodox). Liturgical reforms in the Serbian Church began to be carried out by the followers of Greek and Russian neomodernism - hieromonks Amfilohiy (Radovich), Athanasius (Yevtich) and Iriney (Bulovich).

They began their spiritual life and work under the blessed guidance of St. Justin of Chelius, and while he was alive, they wrote in the patristic spirit of their mentor. Hieromonk Irenaeus (Bulovich) defended his doctoral dissertation on the "zealot" Saint Mark of Ephesus, hieromonk Amphilochius on Saint Gregory Palamas, also a great anti-Latin theologian, and hieromonk Athanasius on the ecclesiology of the Apostle Paul, who taught the heretic to turn away after the first and second admonition (Tit. 3, 10). Hieromonk Athanasius, when he was still following in the footsteps of Father Justin, said that the Orthodox Church must avoid any liturgical reformation, so that the same thing happened to the papists after the Second Vatican Council. Father Amphilochius, in his article on kollivadas, also clearly opposed liturgical reforms... But, as it is said in the Holy Scriptures, the customs of good conversation are smoldering (1 Cor. 15, 33) - the influence of modernists like Fr. Alexander Schmemann and John (Zizioulas) made them alien to the spirit of Sacred Tradition and its champion, the Holy Father of the Church of our days, St. Justin the New Chelius, and the mentioned bishops are now the main supporters and promoters of reforms.

Bishop Athanasius has recently published the Great Trebnik in his own translation and with a preface by Metropolitan Amphilochius, replete with various innovations. He even changed its name to the Greek manner - “Big Prayer Book”, since “Trebnik” is supposedly a name from Slavic paganism (!). Earlier, he published the Psalter and the Book of Hours, also in his translation, which is full of not only translational, but also theological errors. For example, in “his” Book of Hours, in the troparion of the reverend, instead of “to diligently about the soul, things immortal,” as it was originally written in both Greek and Church Slavonic, it is written “to diligently about eternal life,” because, according to the teachings of the neomodernist Zizioulas, the soul cannot exist independently of the body, and only God is immortal. (All of us, Orthodox, of course, know that the soul does not have the fullness of existence without a body, but exists as a conscious and grace-immortal even after its separation from the body, while God is immortal by nature).

And so, while they were hieromonks and children of the Monk Justin, they kept the Tradition. Becoming intellectual bishops, they gradually became fascinated by "philosophical" neo-modernism. At the same time, constantly referring to their belonging to the number of St. Justin's disciples, they acquired a large number of followers and admirers, especially among students of theology, future clerics of the SOC.

His Grace Amfilohiy is today the Metropolitan of Montenegro-Primorsky. Earlier, while acting as an ailing Patriarch Pavel, he illegally appropriated the title of Archbishop of Tsetinsky to himself. Athanasius is currently a “pensioned bishop” (how uncanonical this sounds!). He is also known as the leader and founder of the “circus movement” (an unpleasant but accurate expression) in the SOC, uniting football players and athletes among bishops, monks and priests. And Irenaeus is the Bishop of Bach. Nothing happens in the Serbian Church without his knowledge and approval. He is a faithful servant of the Phanar in his desire to subjugate the diaspora of all the Local Churches and make the Patriarch of Constantinople an "Eastern Pope".

In the early 90s of the last century, another hieromonk appeared - Ignatius (Midich), now Bishop of Branichevo, a disciple of the titular Metropolitan of Pergamon John (Zizioulas), who, with the support of the aforementioned modernists, caused chaos in the SOC. The scale of the harm caused by these people to the Orthodox Serbian people, only God knows. It can be said without exaggeration that this damage far exceeds the damage inflicted on our people by the Turks during 400 years of tyranny. Because the Turks destroyed the buildings of Serbian churches, but did not touch people's souls. And the current above figures with their non-Orthodox teachings devastate the souls of thousands of Serbian clergy, monastics and believers. By their disrespect for the decisions of the Holy Council of Bishops, they destroyed the canonical structure of the SOC, and by their innovations they desecrated the devotional order of the Holy Liturgy, so that in some dioceses it already looks more like a Latin mass.

All innovations and false teachings entered the SOC quietly and insidiously, we would say - in a Jesuit way. From the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, from where thousands of monks, priests, future bishops, and religious teachers go to the field of God, the Orthodox dogma of the Reverend Father Justin (Popovich) was removed and the non-Orthodox dogma of the modernist John (Zizioulas) was introduced. Bishop Ignatius of Branichevo, the most faithful follower, disciple and spiritual child of the shepherd without a flock, John (Zizioulas), was appointed teacher of this main theological subject. In his teaching, the believers of the SOC have long noticed a heresy, and several years ago, Bishop Artemy of Rashsko-Prizren filed a complaint against him, due to his heretical views, which, however, was not considered at any Council due to the opposition of the ecumenical-innovative majority participating in the Councils. The main postulate of the teachings of Zizioulas is the assertion that everything that is created is mortal, and therefore the soul is also mortal. However, this is a Pelagian heresy, condemned by the 123rd canon of the Local Council of Carthage, which reads: “<_>Adam was not created mortal by God. But if anyone says that Adam, the original man, was created mortal, so that even if he sinned, even if he did not sin, he would die in the body, that is, would go out of the body - not as a punishment for sin, but from the necessity of nature, yes will be anathema.

In his lectures on dogma, Bishop Ignatius (Midich) teaches students, among other things, that morality and moral laws change, that even God's commandments are changeable, and that homosexuality is natural. Here is a quote from his lecture: “No matter what they say, let's say, about moral laws, which often restrain us as a kind of, like this ... measure of truth. Morality is changing! And moral laws. It all depends on civilization... You will listen to our theologians... I don't know what to say... with such views: homosexuality is a sin, and... I don't know... the marriage union is blessed by God. But this... These are arbitrary things! If one is measured on the basis of the other, it will be true, because it is natural, and the other is not true, my God, "unnatural." Well, it's natural! Where, otherwise, did it come from, because it did not fall from the sky!

Bishop Ignatius also teaches students the following:
– if Adam had not sinned, Adam would have been Christ, because he would have united with the Son of God. Then Christ would not be Jesus Christ, but Adam Christ;

- the assertion that God is holy because he is righteous and infallible is pagan. God is holy because he exists, not because he keeps the commandments;

- the biblical God in the Old Testament did not adhere to the principle of justice and morality, He Himself acted unfairly and commanded others to act unfairly;

- Biblical God in the Old Testament is strange, gives conflicting commandments;

– God was unfair to Job;
– God is not an Essence, but a Person;
– A Christian can pray to God the Father only at the Liturgy and never outside the Liturgy (it turns out that the prayer “Our Father” cannot be read outside the Liturgy!);

– God does not know in advance what will happen;
– the fall of the first Adam surprised God;
- God is fickle. The idea of the eternity and immutability of the Deity is pagan;

- from an ethical point of view, Christ is very sinful, because many of His actions from an ethical point of view were sinful, for which the Jews accused him;

- imitation of Christ and following Christ is wrong - this is a consequence of Augustinian and Origen's delusions;

– Christ is absent from this world;
- if there are not many at the Liturgy, then in the Eastern, Orthodox experience there can be no talk of the presence of Christ at the Liturgy, although Christ is identified with bread and wine;

Christ is manifested in the bishop at the Liturgy. Therefore, the bishop is the guarantor of the unity of the Church and its identity. What is essential for unity is not a correct confession of faith, but one person, and this person is a bishop.

All these statements have evidence - audio recordings from the lectures of Bishop Ignatius. The same notes were attached to the complaint of Bishop Artemy of Rashsko-Prizren, which, as we have already noted, was ignored by the Council of the SOC.

The non-Orthodox teachings introduced in the SOC had a negative impact on the ascetic nature of the Orthodox faith in Serbia, on the liturgical order, church discipline, icon painting, fresco painting, etc. In the Serbian Church, the principle of catholicity, on which the Church rests, has long been violated. All reforms are introduced at the arbitrariness of individual bishops-reformers, by false dogma and an erroneous understanding of the conciliarity of those who justify their self-imposed action.

We list some of the innovations introduced into the sacred order of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy (but in reality there are many more):

- before the Liturgy they do not read prayers: “To the King of Heaven”, “Trisagion”, “Our Father”;

- and bishops, and priests, and hieromonks serve the Liturgy at the constantly open Royal Doors;

- all prayers at the Liturgy, which are supposed to be read quietly, secretly, are read aloud;

- do not sing "Blessed", replacing them with arbitrarily chosen antiphons;

- instead of the correct one: "About this holy temple ...", they say: "About this holy church ...";

- when pronouncing: "Most Holy, Most Pure<_>remembering with all the saints, to ourselves, and to each other, and our whole life to Christ God, ”the clergy, instead of the icon of Christ, bow to the bishop (in accordance with the teaching of Met. Ignatius that Christ is present at the Liturgy, allegedly in the person of the bishop, and not in the Holy Mysteries);

- in accordance with the heretical teaching that the soul is mortal, all references to the soul are removed from the Liturgy, so, for example, in the petitionary litany after the Great Entrance, instead of: “Kind and useful to our souls<_>we ask the Lord," it says: "We ask the Lord for those who are good and useful to us." The soul is not commemorated either at the funeral service or at the parastas (following a great memorial service for all the departed Orthodox Christians, performed at the All-Night Vigil of the Parents' Saturdays. - Note by M.D.);

- when pronouncing the words “Woe we have hearts”, they raise their hands in the direction of the west, and on the words “We thank the Lord”, they bow towards the west;

- they do not allow people to sing "It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible", but only: "It is worthy and righteous to eat." In the remaining time, the clergyman reads aloud the prayer: “It is worthy and righteous to sing Thee ...”, which is supposed to be read secretly;

- when pronouncing the words: "Take, eat: This is My Body ..." they do not point their hand at the holy diskos, and while pronouncing the words: "Drink everything from her ..." they do not point their hand at the holy chalice, as it should be;

- they do not allow people to sing “and we pray to You, our God” twice for a long time and twice briefly, but only once - for a long time;

- during the epiclesis (petitions during the Eucharistic canon, calling on the Father to send the Holy Spirit on bread and wine and turn them into the Body and Blood of Christ. - Note M.D.), the troparion of the third hour is omitted, as are the verses: “Create a pure heart in me…” and “Do not cast me away from Your presence…”;

- they omit the entire petitionary litany before the "Our Father";

- priests partake of the Blood of Christ only once, instead of the prescribed three;

- they do not read a prayer before the communion of believers: “I believe, Lord, and I confess ...”;

– they commune believers with united particles instead of (as it should be) only particles NI and KA (which the blessedly reposed Patriarch Pavel called idolatry);

– believers are communed by a deacon instead of a priest or bishop;

- do not pronounce the formula that, according to the rules, the priest must say during the communion of the believer: “The servant of God (name) partakes of the honest and holy Body and Blood of the Lord and God and Savior of our Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins and eternal life”, but only: "The Body and Blood of Christ" (like the Latins);

- the Royal Doors are removed from the iconostasis, and sometimes the iconostasis is completely removed;

- Priests and deacons are ordained without prior confession and the prescribed oath;

– communion has been introduced at every Liturgy, and innovators commune the faithful without prior preparation by fasting, prayer, repentance, Confession and the rule of prayer for Holy Communion;

- bless the wedding during the fasts.
In the Serbian Orthodox Church, there has long been no uniformity in worship, which is pushing believers towards schism. In the churches of neighboring parishes, the Holy Liturgy is served in a different order. The closest collaborators of Bishop Ignatius once said that they themselves did not know before the beginning of the Liturgy how it would be served, because the bishop determines the order in the process of the service.

Translated from Serbian by Maria DERKACHEVA

http://www.blagogon.ru/biblio/541/

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