The bells of the Cathedral church of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade rang at 11.25 am, indicating that the 46th head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci and the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije was enthroned.
The solemn act of enthronement of the newly-elected Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije began with the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Cathedral church of Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade on February 19, 2021. The Holy Liturgy is officiated by the newly-elected first hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the concelebration of the hierarchs summoned at the Electoral Assembly of Bishops, clergy, and faithful people.
Among those who concelebrated to the Patriarch or attended prayerfully, were His Beatitude Archbishop of Skopje and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan, His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, Their Graces Bishops: Vasilije of Srem, Jefrem of Banja Luka, Lukijan of Budim, Nikanor of Banat, Longin of New Gracanica-Midwestern America, Mitrophan of Canada, Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia, Luka of Western Europe, Justin of Zica, Pahomije of Vranje, Jovan of Sumadija, Ignjatije of Branicevo, Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, Atanasije of Milesevo, Joanikije of Budimlye-Niksic, Grigorije of Dusseldorf and Germany, Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, Gerasim of Gornji Karlovac, Irinej of Eastern America, David of Krusevac, Jovan of Slavonia, Andrej of Austria-Switzerland, Sergije of Bihac-Petrovac, Ilarion of Timok, Arsenije of Nis, Kirilo of Buenos-Aires and South-Central America, Nikodim of Dalmatia, Heruvim of Osek-Polje and Baranja, Dimitrije of Zahumlye-Herzegovina, Antonije of Moravica, Stefan of Remesiana, Isihije of Mohacs, Metodije of Dioclea, Joakim of Polog-Kumanovo, Marko of Bregalnica and David of Stobi; protopresbyter-staurophors Sava Jovic, PhD, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops; Zoran Krstic, rector of the Seminary of Saint John Chrysostom in Kragujevac, Professor Vladimir Vukasinovic, PhD, Diocesan Dean of Belgrade, and Petar Lukic, head of the Cathedral church of Holy Michael the Archangel in Belgrade; archpriest Srdjan Peric from Sombor; protodeacons: Radomir Percevic, Stevan Rapajic, Damjan Bozic and Ivan Gasic; hierodeacons Siluan from Mount Athos and Savo (Bundalo) from the Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubljana; and deacon Erazmo from the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric.
The solemn act of enthronement was attended by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska Mrs. Zeljka Cvijanovic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Mr. Radovan Viskovic, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and Minister of Culture and Information Ms. Maja Gojkovic, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Filip and Princess Danica Karadjordjevic, Minister of Justice Maja Popovic, Minister of the Interior Mr. Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic, Minister of Health Dr. Zlatibor Loncar, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, Director of the Security and Information Agency Mr. Bratislav Gasic, representatives of the Serbian Army, Director of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities Dr. Vladimir Roganovic, representatives of the Serbian people in Montenegro, Croatia and Northern Macedonia, Apostolic Nuncio Mr. Luciano Suriani, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, Mufti of Serbia Mustafa ef. Jusufspahic, representatives of Churches and religious communities in Serbia, representatives of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Matica Srpska and other educational and cultural institutions, representatives of the diplomatic corps.
At the end of the Holy Liturgy, the solemn act of enthronement of His Holiness Porfirije into the holiest throne of Archbishops of Pec, Metropolitans of Belgrade and Karlovci and Serbian Patriarchs followed. Patriarchal insignia to His Holiness Porfirije were handed over His Eminence Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, and His Grace Bishop Lukijan of Budim.