Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
April 29, 2004

CENTRAL CHURCH AND BELGRADE CELEBRATION OF BICENTENNIAL OF FIRST SERBIAN UPRISING

The Serbian Orthodox Church will celebrate a great national and church holiday, the Bicentennial of the First Serbian Uprising with a cycle of liturgical and prayer ceremonies and cultural events to take place from May 8 to 10, 2004. As part of the commemoration of this important anniversary, the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful people will also celebrate and formally mark the completion of the first phase of construction of St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral in the Belgrade quarter of Vracar, and the renovation of St. Sava Square.

Upon the invitation of His Beatitude the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle and the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the following have kindly consented to magnify the celebration by their presence: His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; His Holiness Maxim, Patriarch of Bulgaria; His Beatitude Teoctist, Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Patriarch of All Romania; His Beatitude Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland; and His Beatitude Nicholas, Archbishop of Preshov, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. All Orthodox churches will send their high delegations to be led by the most eminent bishops.

The arrival of senior representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and all Christian communities living on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro has also been announced.

Liturgical and prayer ceremonies will begin with the serving of the Doxology and the Evening Service in St. Sava Cathedral on Saturday, May 8, 2004 at 5:00 p.m.

On Sunday, May 9, 2004, one of the central events will take place: the St. Sava religious procession, which will set out at 6:00 p.m. from the location Stambol Kapija, the present-day Republic Square. The religious procession will be led by His Beatitude the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Kyr Bartholomew, followed by the Patriarch of Romania Kyr Teoctist, the Patriarch of Bulgaria Kyr Maxim and other highly distinguished guests, all bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and all Belgrade priests and deacons. The religious procession will include forty church choirs, music school students, and cultural and artistic societies in folk costumes. This prayer procession is expected to include representatives of all Christian churches.

Religious procession prayers with readings from the Holy Gospel will be offered at three locations: at Terazije Fountain, on the plateau in front of the Belgrade Palace and in front of St. Sava Cathedral.

The Second Assembly of Serbian Choirs will be held this year as part of the great St. Sava religious procession and a formal concert in St. Sava Church to be held immediately following the religious procession and beginning at 7:00 p.m. At the concert the selected and best Serbian choirs will sing Byzantine, Serbian and Russian church songs. After the concert all choirs participating in the Second Assembly of Serbian Choirs will perform a brief musical program in the central streets of the city. The organizer of the Second Assembly of Serbian Choirs is the Serbian Choir Association, founded in 2003.

On Monday, May 10, when the Serbian Church marks the Burning of the Relics of St. Sava, Holy Archierchal Liturgy will be served in St. Sava Cathedral by all Orthodox archbishops and bishops from sister Orthodox Churches and all members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who will begin this year's regular assembly with this act of prayer.

The Homily of His Beatitude the Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle and the Holy Synod of Bishops addressed to the faithful on this great celebration will be read at the Holy Liturgy. After the Liturgy His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Kyr Bartholomew will serve a requiem service for the Serbian uprisings at the Vozd Karadjordje Memorial and will then consecrate the cornerstone of the new building of the Patriarchate and formally open St. Sava Square, which was built thanks to the efforts and funds of the Belgrade Municipal Assembly.

During the course of these festal days, the eminent guests of the Serbian Orthodox Church and representatives of local sister Orthodox Churches will be welcomed and thus shown the highest honors by the President of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Mr. Svetozar Marovic; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Government, Mr. Vojislav Kostunica, the President of the Executive Council of the Belgrade City Assembly, Mr. Nenad Bogdanovic; and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Aleksandar II Karadjordjevic.

PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON CENTRAL CHURCH AND BELGRADE CELEBRATION OF BICENTENNIAL OF FIRST SERBIAN UPRISING

On April 28, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in cooperation with the Belgrade Municipal Assembly, presented the program for the Central Church and Belgrade Celebration of the Bicentennial of the First Serbian Uprising take place from May 8 to 10, 2004 in Belgrade.

The gathering began with the chanting of the Resurrection hymn "Christ Is Risen" as performed by the Dinarka Women's Singing Group.

The large audience was first addressed by Mr. Dusan Stokanovic, the secretary of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who introduced the speakers at this presentation.

As part of the presentation, those present were first greeted by the President of the Executive Council of the Belgrade City Assembly, Mr. Nenad Bogdanovic, who expressed the conviction that, thanks to its beauty and the monumental presence of St. Sava Cathedral, the Vracar plateau will be the trademark of the capital and the spiritual center of Belgrade.

Those present were addressed by the following high dignitaries of the church: His Eminence the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Kyr Amfilohije; His Grace the Bishop of Backa, Kyr Irinej; and His Grace the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, Kyr Grigorije. The visit of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Kyr Bartholomew was announced, followed by the patriarchs of all neighboring Orthodox countries and envoys from all Orthodox Churches, as well as the Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, Kyr Sawa, the Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Kyr Nicholas, as well as the visit of high representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian Churches, and representatives of all Christian communities living on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro.

His Eminence the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Kyr Amfilohije, reminded those present of the significance of the First Serbian Uprising for our people: "Our entire fate was sealed in 1804 by the personality of Karadjordje, known as 'the whip against the tyrant'." The Metropolitan reminded that on the centennial of the First Serbian Uprising the cornerstone was laid for the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; on the 150 year anniversary the cornerstone was laid of the National Library; and on the bicentennial the cornerstone will be laid for the Patriarchate. At the end of his address, the Metropolitan reminded that all the times are difficult, our people have always been ready for the greatest of undertakings in the most difficult times.

His Grace the Bishop of Backa, Kyr Irinej, who is the chairman of the Organization Committee for the celebration, emphasized the all-Serb, all-Orthodox and all-Christian dimension of this event. The Bishop emphasized that because of tragic events in Kosovo and Metohija and Chilandar, the celebration will not have scope as originally planned; however, the goal and essence of the celebration is gathering in prayer. Such a gathering of the most eminent representatives of all Orthodox Churches will show the whole world a different picture of us. The messages from this unique Christian gathering will certainly have their effect in the world, and will attest and show to all Serbian history and culture in the best possible light.

His Grace the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, Kyr Grigorije, emphasized that representatives of local Orthodox Churches are gathering in our land for the first time in this number and at the highest church and state level since 1920, the year of the reestablishment of the Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Master builder and professor Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic advised with great satisfaction and joy that the first phase of construction of St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral in the Belgrade quarter of Vracar has been completed, that is, that all exterior work is completed and work on the plateau is in the final phase so that the church will be shining in its full glory. The next phase will consist of handcrafting of the iconostasis and the interior of the church.

Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Ministries of Religions and Culture have expressed the desire to participate in the celebration to the extent of their ability and they have called on the faithful to join in the religious procession that will set out from Stambol Kapija, i.e., the present-day Republic Square on Sunday, May 9, 2004, at 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Sava J. Miric, the secretary general of the Serbian Choir Association informed the public of the convocation of the Second Assembly of Serbian Choirs. This year the Assembly will include participation of a large number of choirs who are members of the Association in the great religious procession and a concert in St. Sava Cathedral. Mr. Miric explained that the organizers would like to see the revival of the old tradition of choral religious processions, which were held until 1941 when they were banned by the regime of that time.

The music director of the concert is Professor Aleksandar S. Vujic and liturgical chants at the Holy Archierchal Liturgy will be conducted by Ms. Jelena Jez.

The conference included the presentation of the logo, advertising spot and audio jingle to broadcast the upcoming celebration through the media. The director of the advertising spot and audio jingle is Mr. Ivica Vidanovic.