Fraternal relations between the Russian and Serbian Churches will continue to develop under Patriarch Porfiry, said the representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop Anthony of Moravich, in an interview with the DECR ROC website.

“Today Serbia is a country that, after all the difficult events of its history, is successfully developing economically, primarily thanks to the efforts of President Aleksandar Vucic, who is establishing broad international relations. Our fraternal relations with Russia, with the Russian Orthodox Church are also developing,” says Bishop Anthony of Moravich.

He recalled that after his election to the Serbian Patriarchal throne, Bishop Porfiry was the first to be congratulated by telephone by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. “These congratulations made Patriarch Porfiry very happy, he felt great support and love of the great Slavic people, great Russia,” stated Bishop Anthony.

“I think that the fraternal relations that the Serbian Patriarchs have traditionally maintained with the Russian Church will be continued by the newly elected Patriarch Porfiry, following the paths that our peoples – Russian and Serbian – have followed for centuries,” the archpastor emphasized.