The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, PhD, as the new Serbian Patriarch, in its convocation in Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade on 18 February 2021.
Immediately after the election a thanksgiving service was officiated and Many Years was chanted to the Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije. Bells at Saint Sava Cathedral in the Vracar district of Belgrade rang a few minutes before 4:00 pm indicating that the 46th Patriarch of Serbia was elected.
Newly-elected Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije (Peric) was born on 22 July 1961 in Becej, to father Radivoje and Mother Radojka. He was baptized as Prvoslav. He finished primary school in Curug, and the “Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj” Grammar School in Novi Sad. He was ordained a monk according to the rite of small schime by his spiritual father, then hieromonk Dr. Irinej (Bulovic), at Decani Monastery on Sunday of St. Thomas in 1985.
This year, the Republic of Serbia also participated in the celebration of the International Mother Language Day (21st February) in UNESCO, organized by the Permanent Delegation of Bangladesh to this Organization. On this occasion, an exhibition of languages was set up on a special website (www.eventsbangladeshinparis.fr) and a pre-recorded cultural program was presented. The Republic of Serbia was presented at the language exhibition with two banners showing the Cyrillic alphabet and the song "Fish and Girl". We also participated in a cultural program with video materials showing the performance of several songs in Serbian language and kolo by the ensemble "Kolo ", as well as the song "We are the children of heaven" by the children's choir "Lira" from the elementary school "Mica Stanojlovic" from Koceljeva. The presented materials were prepared by the relevant line ministries of culture and information and education, science and technological development.
