Faithful people of the Serbian Orthodox Church, brothers and sisters, children of Saint Sava,

We hear voices about possible conflicts in our people, and this worries us greatly. The Church calls on all who are in any way involved in current events to reflect on their own sins and show the fruits of repentance during the Easter Lent, a time of repentance and forgiveness, so that each of us may be better and so that Christ's words: "As you would have men do to you, do so to them" (Luke 6:31) may be our golden rule.

Let us all ask ourselves together: have there been little division and discord in our people? Therefore, dear spiritual children, today, as always, we address you, begging you on our knees that everyone do what they can to maintain peace within us and among us. Invoking the name of the Lord and the prayers of Saint Sava the peacemaker, we call on everyone without exception to completely reject violence of any kind, regardless of who or from which side it comes.

Violence only multiplies violence and leads us into a vicious circle in which we are all losers, destroys the foundations of society and creates new divisions, deeper than those already inherited. This was also known to our wise ancestors who once and for all said: evil cannot bring good. And also: force does not please God, but God does not love force either.

Freedom and justice are priceless values, but they are unattainable without love and mutual respect. Therefore, we urge everyone and everyone to persevere and relentlessly build mutual trust and understanding in every place – from the family, through work collectives and educational institutions, to social and political organizations – through well-intentioned dialogue. The Church carries the spiritually verified truth and historical awareness that no one’s particular interest is more important than the common good of the people and the state, and opens its doors wide, inviting all responsible social actors to fraternal dialogue.

In firm faith and hope that God will not abandon us to madness and new suffering, suffering from ourselves, we cry out from the depths of our hearts: O Lord, save! O Lord, lead us in goodness! (Psalm 117:25).

President

of the Holy Synod of Bishops

AEM and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

Members

Metropolitan Ignatius of Braničevo

Metropolitan Photius of Zvornik-Tuzla

Metropolitan Teodosije of Raska-Prizren

Bishop Gerasim of Gornja Karlovac

Source: Serbian Orthodox Church