"Quite recently, we have said goodbye to the righteous man of our time – Metropolitan Amphilochius of Montenegro, and now, the Serbian Orthodox Church and all of us have suffered a new irreparable loss: Patriarch Irinej of Serbia has passed away to the Lord. The fraternal Serbian Church has been orphaned," said Metropolitan Anthony, Chancellor of the UOC-MP.
According to him, the late Patriarch was one of the pillars of faith in recent times.
"He never compromised with his conscience, even under intense external pressure. Patriarch Irinej was one of those people for whom loyalty to Christ and ecclesial rules was higher than momentary political trends.
Now we empathize with the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but believing in the Risen Lord, we also hope that Patriarch Irinej is now in the tabernacles of the righteous, will pray even more fervently for his flock and all Orthodox people," the Metropolitan of the UOC - MP stressed.