The Serbian Church Condemned the Verdict Against Patriarch Porfirije in Slovenia
The Holy Synod of the Serbian Church called the Ljubljana court's ruling against the Primate unlawful.
The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church has sharply criticized the ruling of the Ljubljana District Court, which issued a guilty verdict against Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Serbian Orthodox Church community in Ljubljana. This was reported by the press service of the SOC.
According to the court's ruling, Patriarch Porfirije, who previously headed the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate, as well as the church community, received suspended sentences ranging from four months to one year and a fine of ten thousand euros.
The Serbian Church called the ruling "scandalous and without legal basis." The Synod noted that the case is connected to a series of lawsuits filed by former priest Željko Ljubarda and is directed not only against the Primate of the SOC, but also against the church's canonical structure.
"This court ruling is aimed at damaging the structure and dignity of the Serbian Orthodox Church," the Synod's statement reads.
The Holy Synod of Bishops notes that neither the Serbian Patriarch nor his representative had previously been informed of the initiation of the court proceedings.
"Moreover, the Ljubljana District Prosecutor's Office never once invited the Patriarch to comment on the charges, which in itself is a precedent of this kind and speaks volumes about the intentions behind these proceedings," the statement reads.
The Serbian Church believes that in issuing the ruling, the canonical rights of a bishop to appoint and transfer clergy, as enshrined in the SOC Statute, were ignored. The Synod emphasized that the church's structure and the rights of religious communities must be respected within the framework of the principles of freedom of religion and the rule of law.
The Holy Synod asked Patriarch Porfirije not to file an appeal so as not to lend legitimacy to the proceedings. At the same time, the SOC stated that they believe in the triumph of justice and will continue to defend the independence and dignity of their Church by peaceful legal means.
As the SPJ reported, a diocese of the Serbian Church expressed protest over the arrests of believers in Kosovo.
