Patriarch of Serbia commends religious educators at Assembly of Catechists

The annual assembly of religious educators of the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci opened on June 20, 2026, with the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, attended prayerfully by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

The Divine Liturgy was presided over by Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, vicar bishop and chairman of the Committee for Religious Education of the Archdiocese. In his sermon following the Gospel reading, Bishop Ilarion reflected on the Christian understanding of freedom, emphasizing that true freedom is inseparable from responsibility and accountability before God.

“Today we are often tempted to understand freedom as the absence of order and discipline, forgetting that genuine freedom implies responsibility and the examination of our decisions before God,” Bishop Ilarion said. He added that salvation comes not merely through adherence to the law but primarily through faith, noting that Christ fulfilled the law through love of God and neighbor.

The working session of the assembly continued at the National Library of Serbia, where Patriarch Porfirije addressed and blessed the catechists.

Expressing his appreciation for their ministry, the Patriarch thanked…