Believers wait for up to nine hours to kiss the miraculous girdle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is displayed in the Church of Saint Sava. Especially for women, this is a unique opportunity to bow before one of the most revered relics in the Orthodox world. The pilgrimage takes place in very complex political circumstances, not only in the state, but also within the Serbian Orthodox Church
"We came from Smederevo, it's not difficult for us to wait, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," answered an elderly woman, while standing in line to be kissed The Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. The temperature is over 30 degrees, rows in front Temple of Saint Sava are inexhaustible. The public is talking about the figures of 100.000 believers who have kissed this relic so far, about nine hours of waiting, about such crowds in the neighboring streets that at one point the traffic could not proceed normally.
A large number of believers protect themselves from the sun with umbrellas. That's why, as we hear, even more people are present during the night - the heat is more tolerable then. In conversation with believers, we learn that many have taken days off or taken sick leave because of this occasion. Most of the queue is made up of women, since the Belt is kept in Vatoped monastery on Mount Athos, where access to women is prohibited, and this is really their only opportunity to kiss him.
The belt of the Virgin is considered one of the most revered relics in the Orthodox world. According to tradition, the Mother of God wove it from camel hair and gave it to the Apostle Thomas during her ascension to heaven. The belt was kept in Jerusalem until the 4th century, and, as the Orthodox believe, the wife of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise was also healed with it. The relic also served as a talisman for the Byzantine army during military campaigns.
It is believed even today that he has healing powers. The interlocutor of "Vremena", who was waiting with her mother to kiss the belt, says that there were oncology patients around her who came with the hope of being cured.
He also says that it was not easy to stand: "The heat is great, there is no shade on the plateau in front of the Temple." He adds that there were also those who did not obediently wait in line to approach the shrine. The gentleman who was standing near the entrance to the Temple adds to that. He explains that there are a lot of "paratroopers": "People enter through the line, but that's how we Serbs are." His motive for standing in line is strong, he says, so waiting is not difficult for him. As we stand with the people, we listen to the others commenting that there are those who "come in, touch and kiss".
In front of the Temple - water tanks and an ambulance. They are on call if someone gets sick. Some cafes in the vicinity allow those who are tired pilgrims to go to the toilet, to rest, others adhere to the rule that only guests of the establishment can use the toilet.
In front of the Church of St. Sava, not only a large number of believers from Belgrade arrive for days, but also by cars and buses from all over Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania... Travel agencies organize special tours. A tourist agency from Niš organizes this route every day: Niš - St. Sava Temple. The price is 3500 dinars.
The belt of the Virgin has been in Belgrade since May 20, and Patriarch Porphyry announced that it will stay longer than planned, until June 5, to be exact.
A part of the public hears that kissing the Holy Girdle is not in the biblical tradition. Theologian Nenad Božović, a former assistant professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology who quit his job after supporting the students to join the blockade, explains on his Facebook profile that the Bible shows that God can act through matter.
"Let's just remember the woman who approached and touched Christ's garment, she kept repeating to herself that if she just touched his garment, she would be healed - and she was healed. The cloth was not magical, but God's power worked through material touch. We read the same in the Acts of the Apostles."
He also gives other examples, pointing out that Orthodox believers bow down to cloth but, as they believe, "by showing respect for the holy places, they show respect to God himself."
The miraculous belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary arrived in Belgrade on May 20, brought by the abbot of Vatoped Monastery, Jefrem Vatopedski. He was welcomed at the airport by Patriarch Porfirije Perić and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, who expressed the hope that the Holy Belt would bring "the miracles we hope for and so that we would be less exposed to the attacks of various foreign powers, and so that we could bring a Serbian ship into a peaceful port".
The belt was then carried at the head of the Salvation Day procession, in which about 17.000 people participated, while now tens and tens of thousands of believers are waiting in line to kiss it. In this, one could perhaps recognize what some research indicates - that religiosity, especially among young people, is very high, but that at the same time there is an increasing distance towards the dignitaries of the church, primarily because of their close ties with the progressive regime.
The moment in which the Miraculous Belt arrived is complex - on the eve of a large protest in Slavia, immediately after the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, where Metropolitan Justin Žički was permanently dismissed, as well as after the publication of research by the Center for Investigative Journalism from Sarajevo, which claims that the election of Patriarch Porfiri was monitored by hidden cameras and parallel surveillance systems installed in the Saint Sava crypt.
Another interesting fact: in church circles, some voices are surprised by the very close relations between father Jefrem, the abbot of Vatopedo, and the top of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Namely, it is about specific inter-church relations - Abbot Jefrem, a well-known clergyman in the Orthodox world, is a cleric of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Since the conflict in Ukraine began, the Serbian Orthodox Church - which previously maintained good relations with both the Russian Orthodox Church (RPC) and the Ecumenical Patriarchate - has visibly sided with the RPC. The relationship with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was also damaged due to the dispute over who is responsible for granting autocephaly to the Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archbishopric. The question is whether this is an announcement of better relations between the Belgrade and Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church of Saint Sava until June 5, believers wait for hours
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