Photo: Tanjug/Tara Radovanović
"The Church sees every woman - mother, sister, daughter, colleague, neighbor or casual passer-by - as the most sublime and holy gift of God to the human race," the patriarch said in a written statement.
The tone with which the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, addressed the public on the occasion of the Spasovdan litia is much calmer than it has been in recent times. He spoke of women in superlative terms, and it could be said that he uses gender-sensitive language, so he used the words colleague, passerby...
"The Church, starting with the Mother of God, sees every woman - mother, sister, daughter, colleague, neighbor or casual passer-by - as the most exalted and holy gift of God to the human race," Patriarch Porphyry said in a written statement.
According to the announcement of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the patriarch stated that the church considers any kind of violence to be the greatest sin.
"He does not reject anyone, he prays for everyone, regardless of how someone treats the Church and its believers, bearing in mind the words of St. Vukašin Jasenovacki: 'Only you, child, do your job', because he knows very well that God will only ask us what we do to others, not what they do to us," the SPC press release states.
He called all people to come to litia on Thursday night.
Porfirius said that these days the whole nation is suffering from the most terrible calamity, and that some people have uttered brutal lies and slanders against the church, the patriarch and the bishop, but that the church has no reason to defend itself because it relies on Christ.
A video of the patriarch that appeared on social media, in which he is heard talking about "sensitive language" and calling a woman "poor" and "wretched," caused a storm of public reaction.
The statement states that the criticism directed at a specific person caused certain media and individuals to defend a specific state official.
Just a few days ago, the announcement of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Porfiry was much harsher.
"We also hear that the Church is guilty of violence against women. Don't do it, because we will answer you. It won't do you any good if we respond to you, because everyone will see that you manipulated and lied. Until now, we have not responded to that, because we pray to God and for you who accuse," he said during the sermon after the Holy Liturgy in the church of St. Vasilij Ostroski on the Bežanija Kosa of Porphyria.
BG/FoNet
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