THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES AT THE ENTHRONEMENT OF THE NEWLY ELECTED BISHOP JOVAN OF SUMADIJA

Belgrade, 1 September 2002 – Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Aleksandar II and Prince Filip, accompanied by the member of the Privy Council arch. Dragomir Acovic, attended the Holy liturgy at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Mother’s Ascension in Kragujevac, through which His Grace Bishop Jovan was instituted to the throne of Sumadija. 

The newly elected Bishop of Sumadija Jovan succeeded Bishop Sava who died last year in this eparchy. 

The Holy liturgy was served by the dignitaries of Serbian Orthodox Church and clergy of Sumadija bishopric. 

The enthronement of Bishop Jovan was attended by the Federal Secretary of Religion Prof. Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic, Serbian Minister of Religion Prof. Dr. Vojislav Milovanovic, archbishops and bishops of Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar, representatives of Yugoslav Army, top local officials from Kragujevac and other distinguished guests, as well as numerous faithful. 

Holy Assembly elected Bishop Jovan for the Bishop of Tetovo in 1993, with all the rights and duties of the Bishop of Macedonia, and for the vicar of the Patriarch of Serbia. 

The Bishop of Tetovo Jovan was elected by the Holy Assembly for the Bishop of West America, at the regular session in 1994. He stayed at that duty until this year, when he was elected by the Holy Assembly to be the Bishop of Sumadija.  

The newly elected Bishop addressed the faithful by saying that love, faith, kindness and charity are fundamental human values for which we must struggle together to be preserved. 

Congratulating Bishop Jovan, Crown Prince Aleksandar II said that the enthronement has always been an important historical event, especially when the throne of Sumadija bishopric is in question, where the history of Serbia was always in making and where forces that shaped our existence always confronted and clashed. 

“We salute you with great hope! We all hope that the good will be more plentiful than evil, that the beauty of love and harmony will be Sumadija’s reality as well reality of the whole of our country”, said Crown Prince Aleksandar II to the newly elected Bishop of Sumadija.