Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) announced that in the past few months, through certain media and social networks, a false story has been spread that he is deceased Patriarch Pavle supported and participated in opposition protests in 1991, and that this is supported by a shortened recording of his address to the crowd at the Terazije fountain.
It was pointed out that anyone who knew Patriarch Pavle, listened to his sermons, read interviews and theological texts or watched the rare shows recorded with him "knows that any, even the mildest, political engagement was absolutely impossible in his case."
The departure of the "good shepherd"
"Patriarch Pavle came to Terazije to appeal and ask that the supporters of the opposition and the students disperse, as he was warned that there is a danger that the participants of the parallel pro-regime rally in Usce are preparing to clash with them." At that time, the head of the Serbian Church only and only wanted to prevent fraternal blood from falling, so that Serbs would not attack Serbs, and that the tragic fate of our mutually quarreling national history would be repeated for the umpteenth time," stated the statement of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
It was emphasized that the SPC, in order to protect the memory of the figure of Patriarch Pavle "from media abuse", reminds that today, "among others, those who worked intensively against him in the past, loudly, and of course again in the media, demanding that he step down from the throne of Saint Sava" participate in such actions against Patriarch Pavle.
"Although political manipulations and abuses are painful, terrible and devastating when they are carried out by the forces of this world, left and right, it is even more terrible when they start to be used by people who, at least formally, share the same view of the world and belong to the same spiritual family as those they attack", it was announced.
Kolarčeva Street in 1997
The SPC also reminded that in 1997, after the thirty-day blockade of the center of Belgrade, Patriarch Pavle led a procession that, passing through Kolarčeva Street, "made it possible for the police cordon and the opposition to step down from their positions in a peaceful way, without violence and bloodshed, and give way to processions and prayers for the peace and unity of the people".
SPC on the occasion of current comparisons of the reactions of Patriarch Pavle and the current one Patriarch Porphyry to social events and crises, he reminds us that the standard of their public speaking is "the unyielding path of the Gospel of Christ, the path of peace and justice, the path of righteousness and truthfulness, the path that leads to the life that Saint Sava pointed out to us" and that this is the path that Patriarch Paul walked, and that Patriarch Porphyry is walking today.
It was pointed out that because of this, Patriarch Paul listened "with evangelical joy", and that Patriarch Porphyry listened with the same joy, "how the words of Christ come true in them: 'Blessed are you when they shame you and persecute you, and lyingly say all kinds of bad words against you for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven'".
