Patriarch Porfirije has extended his wishes to everyone to spend the upcoming year 2026 in peace, love, and every good blessing from God.
The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) notes that the past year was marked by the 850th anniversary of the birth of Saint Sava, the enlightener of the Serbs, and emphasizes that events from his life should serve as an example and a lesson to us all. Specifically, the Church points to the year 1207 at the Studenica Monastery, when Saint Sava reconciled his two brothers, who were feuding over power, over the relics of their father, Saint Simeon the Myrrh-streaming.
“On this occasion, by pointing to the decisive example of the reconciliation of brothers, we will strive—through the personality and work of Saint Sava—to illuminate a question that is once again being imposed on our people. It is a question of a spiritual character, concerning our cultural, religious, and civilizational orientation,” the statement noted.
A House Built “In the Middle of the Road”
The statement explained that the circumstances leading to the periodic re-emergence of this question have remained unchanged from the time of Saint Sava to today; they are primarily political and only consequently spiritual in nature.
“It is well known that our national ‘house’ was built in the middle of the road—and not just any road, but the one called Via Militaris (the Military Way),” the statement highlighted. It added that this road both connects and separates the East and the West, so we are often, whether we like it or not, at the very center of the conflict between the two.
“To survive, the Lord first granted Saint Sava, and then many Serbs throughout history—I would say it has become a national trait—to unite within ourselves the best, and only the best, qualities of both the person of the West and the person of the East,” Patriarch Porfirije stated.
Combining Faith and Efficiency
The Patriarch noted that by following Saint Sava, a Serb understands prayer, prayerful silence (isihazam), repentance, and fasting for the sake of one’s neighbor—and even for the sake of an enemy.
“However, like Saint Sava, the Orthodox Serb through all the centuries knows how to be an efficient worker, missionary, and traveler like a person of the West—an energetic organizer who solves the problems of both ordinary people and large systems,” the Patriarch pointed out.
He quoted Saint Bishop Nikolaj (Velimirović), stating that we can be “above East and West,” understanding that the Orthodox faith contains the answer to existential deadlocks.
Modern Identity and Moral Renewal
“Today, again and again, through decisions concerning economic and political issues, we are actually told and presented with a dilemma: which civilizational circle does the Serbian people belong to?” Patriarch Porfirije remarked. He noted that it feels as though, after more than eight centuries, we are being asked to choose a “new, modern identity.”
He reminded the faithful that Saint Sava faced similar temptations when the Byzantine Empire was defeated and the Patriarch of Constantinople was exiled. Even then, Sava “uncompromisingly chose Christ’s Orthodox Church and a culture marked by the Orthodox Christian seal.”
“Today, the Serbian people, like every people, need a moral renewal. Every healthy individual and community has rested, rests, and will rest upon Gospel principles and a living faith in the Living God,” Patriarch Porfirije concluded.
Text: Serbian Times Photo: ATA Images