Serbian Patriarch Porfirije: Old Challenges and New Hopes

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the conditions that led to the election of the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije (Perić) in February 2021 as well as his policy during his first years in office. First, the article outlines Patriarch Porfirije’s spiritual journey from his archaeology studies in Belgrade to his election as Serbian patriarch. Next, the focus shifts to the challenges that the Serbian Orthodox Church faced in the last decades, especially its status in North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. The article concludes by offering some perspectives on Patriarch Porfirije’s approach to the problems of the Serbian Church in North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.