HRH Crown Prince Alexander, as many times before, hosted the traditional lunch at the White Palace in honour of the annual Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. This gathering is a tradition His Royal Highness started after the Royal family returned to Serbia, respecting and celebrating the strong connections and unity between the Church and Crown, which in our country exist through centuries.
The lunch was attended by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije with Their Graces, numerous Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, TRH Hereditary Prince Philip and Prince Alexander, the Crown Prince’s sons, as well as HE Mr. Ivica Dacic, Minister of Interior Affairs of Serbia, Dr. Vladimir Roganovic, Director of Administration for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Serbian Government, as well as members of the Advisory Bodies of the Crown.
“I know that anger is a sin, but I must confess – I am angry. I am angry and hurt because Your Holiness and the Bishops were not allowed to enter our Holy Land, our Kosovo and Metohija. But, after every suffering salvation comes, after Golgotha comes Resurrection. That is why I am sure that this injustice will be solved, and that you, Your Holiness together with all the Bishops, will once again be with our people in Kosovo, to bring them comfort and hope. And that the basic rights of Serbs will be finally honoured. Our people deserve to live and must live!
The Church and the Crown have always been close and worked together for the good of our Homeland. And we will continue in the future. These are the two institutions that the people of Serbia will always be able to lean on. I know that our Church, led by Patriarch Porfirije, will continue to guide the Serbian people on the path of unity and harmony. Following our Holy Mother, we will remain on the path of our Lord. Thank you for the support you provide to our people, our country, and my family. May the Lord bless your work and answer your prayers!”, said HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije thanked His Royal Highness for the hospitality and wished happiness and prosperity to the Royal Family, pointing out that “we should be grateful to God and ask Him for what we all need the most, that He gives us all unity above all, because temptations come and go, and our future depends on how we stand towards them. In order to understand difficulties and face them, it is necessary to understand each other, to know that we need each other, and that we are each other’s brothers and sisters.”
