Patriarch Pavle – A True Servant of Jesus Christ and a True Father of His Flock

The Serbian nation continues to mourn the falling asleep in the Lord of their beloved father, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle. With them stands the entire family of Orthodox Christians and many worldwide nations. The eyes of the world were on Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church as the earthly remains of His Holiness were laid to rest at the monastery Rakovica in Belgrade, Serbia.

It was on Sunday, November 15, 2009, that the news about the blessed repose of Patriarch Pavle reached the hearts of his children. They knew of his illness for the prior two years he was hospitalized. Yet even from his hospital bed he continued, as from the throne of St. Sava, to guide the Serbian Orthodox Church. The outpouring of his spiritual children at his burial on Thursday, November 19, and in the days before as they came to the Belgrade Cathedral to pay him tribute, was a testament to the enormous spiritual guidance and paternal love he had for his flock.

Hundreds of thousands of people drew together in Belgrade’s streets to express their love, respect and gratitude to the 44^th Serbian Orthodox patriarch, His Holiness Pavle. He stands in a long line of Serbian patriarchs. Each one of them was given the cross of leading the church at a particular time, and each one of them served the Lord to the best of his ability. About them we can read in the Prologue or church historical books, while Patriarch Pavle for us, his contemporaries, was a living book. Moreover, he was not just any living book, he was a living Gospel, i.e.., he lived according to the Gospel.

Though his biography continues to be written and we mourn his falling asleep, we nonetheless do so with hope and trust in God that He will continue working through His servant, Patriarch Pavle.

Truly, he was first and foremost the servant of God. Whatever he did, he was doing it as to the Lord. He was not looking for any rewards, but for the reward that comes from the Lord, the true inheritance prepared for the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Colossians 3:23).

Because of this unshakable belief, Patriarch Pavle aptly sailed the ship of the Serbian Orthodox Church during the most tumultuous times in recent history. His guide was Jesus Christ and Him he served with every word and deed.

His Holiness will be remembered for his unshakable faith in God. He will be remembered as a true servant of Christ. He will be remembered for his humility and unsullied approach to life’s challenges. Indeed, he will be remembered as a peacemaker. For us living in the Americas his guidance and paternal love in bringing Serbian Orthodox brothers and sisters together after many years of separation will not be forgotten. As St. Sava reconciled his two feuding brothers, Stefan and Vukan, so did the Patriarch, by the grace of God, reconcile the Free Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate, thus making the Church indeed free of division and strife.

It is remarkable to hear the stories of visitors to the Patriarchate in Belgrade, of how His Holiness gave them a fatherly reception. His short and pure teachings still resonate in the hearts of his listeners. Life is not complicated at all so long as we love God and live as His children. “Budimo ljudi-let us live as people of God”, he is known to have repeated many times. During these trying times of the last two decades his message was that we must examine our own consciences, to ensure that perhaps tribulations are not inflicted upon us because of our own sinfulness, and that we ourselves are found in a pure conscience before God. His call to prayer and fasting was the call of a true pastor and father of his flock. He knew that he was to present to God the people entrusted to him, and he wanted to do it in the only true way – according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing else mattered to him; not the wisdom of this world nor the gimmicks of politicians. His answer to the late U.S. Ambassador Warren Zimmermann in 1991, when the Ambassador asked the Patriarch what America could do to help him and the Church attests to that: “Your Excellency, the most you can do to help us is not to do anything to harm us!”

The throne of St. Sava indeed had in him yet another great spiritual giant. Patriarch Pavle was a true leader of his flock. He was a true father to his flock. Faithfully and without blemish he presented his flock to the Master and Lord whom he so devoutly served until his last breath.

We thank God for blessing us with His Holiness Patriarch Pavle. We are grateful for his ability to captivate, encourage and edify his listeners and beyond.

May we also do everything heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you (we) will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you (we) serve the Lord Christ.

Protopresbyter Bratso Krsic