Today, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II met with His Beatitude Patriarch Porfirije, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at the Patriarchate located in the Church of Saint Sava in the Vračar district of Belgrade.
Pope Tawadros toured the Church of Saint Sava, the third-largest Orthodox church in the world. He listened to an explanation about the history of its construction on the site where the relics of Saint Sava were burned in 1595. The idea to build the church dates back to 1895, and construction officially began on May 10, 1935, but was halted during World War II. Work resumed in the 1980s, with the exterior completed in 2004 and the interior decorations finished in 2020. The church dome reaches 70 meters in height and is covered with golden mosaics — the largest of their kind in the world — spanning 15,000 square meters and composed of over 50 million pieces created by the Russian Academy of Arts over four years, involving 300 artists. The church can accommodate more than 10,000 worshippers.
After the tour, the Pope proceeded to the Serbian Patriarchate, where Patriarch Porfirije hosted a formal welcoming event in the presence of his assistant bishops and the Pope’s accompanying delegation.
In his speech, Patriarch Porfirije said:
“Our hearts rejoice at your presence among us. We feel a deep spiritual connection with Egypt — the land visited by Saint Sava in the 13th century, from which he returned carrying a special love. Your visit today continues this ancient affection. We consider you brothers and friends. The Coptic Church is a living Church, and we are always impressed by your steadfast faith and profound ministry. We wish to learn more about the Coptic Church, especially its spirituality and monasticism. I also admire how Egypt, this unique country, continues to show the world how people can live in love and peace despite their differences.”
Pope Tawadros responded, saying:
“I am very happy with this visit and thank you for your great love. I have come to you from Egypt — the land that sheltered the Holy Family, the land of Saint Mark the Evangelist, and the land of Saint Anthony, the father of monasticism. Egypt is where monasticism was born and from where it spread to the world. I come from a homeland where about 15 million Copts live among 90 million Muslims. We live together in love and peace, as fellow citizens. We share bread, water, joy, and sorrow, and we build our present and future together.”
He added:
“Egypt is a unique country that has brought together peoples, religions, and civilizations throughout history. The Nile, which unites us, has taught us to live together despite our differences. This is why Copts have remained deeply attached to their land and rarely leave it. Coptic emigration only began around 60 years ago, mainly for economic reasons and the search for work.”
His Holiness continued:
“The Coptic Church always seeks to be close to every church and every human being. We are active members of the Middle East Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the Egyptian Council of Churches. We extend our hands in peace to all and participate in love to build a better future.”
He then issued an open invitation:
“We invite you to visit Egypt to see our rich heritage, our monasteries in Wadi El-Natrun, the Red Sea, and other places, and our churches, and to witness how we carry Christ’s message in our world.”
Patriarch Porfirije warmly welcomed full cooperation with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Serbia and pledged to provide all necessary support to the Egyptian Christians living in Serbia, who number around 130 people. He affirmed:
“The Serbian Church views the Coptic Church as a sister and a friend, and we will work together for the good of our peoples and in service of Christ.”
At the end of the meeting, His Holiness Pope Tawadros and His Beatitude Patriarch Porfirije exchanged commemorative gifts.
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