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A man of utter humility
A man of uncompromising principle
A man of boundless faith in God
The Serbian Unity Congress mourns the passing of Pavle, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac and 44th Serbian Patriarch. We also rejoice in having been blessed with his life as a spiritual leader and example of true humanity.
On Sunday, November 15, 2009, after receiving Holy Communion, Patriarch Pavle reposed in the Lord. His earthly journey began on September 11, 1914 in the village of Kucani in Slavonia, where he was born to Stefan and Ana Stojčević. Coming from a poor and simple background, he felt called to God and was tonsured; he lived as a monastic at the Rača Monastery from 1944 to 1955. In 1957 the Assembly of Bishops elected him as Bishop of Raška-Prizren. In 1990 Bishop Pavle was elected Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac and Serbian Patriarch. Patriarch Pavle’s formal education included study at the Orthodox Theological Faculty at the University of Belgrade (1955-57) and post-graduate study in Greece. He developed an expertise in liturgics became one of the most prolific writers in the Orthodox world in the field of theology. The Theological Faculty of the Orthodox Church awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. He also received an honorary doctorate from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York. Further biographical details about Patriarch Pavle can be readily found in international publications and on the Internet.
The Serbian Unity Congress wishes to remember several highlights from Patriarch Pavle’slife that serve as a testament to his greatness of soul and his example for people everywhere.
“Budimo Ljudi” – was Patriarch Pavle’s call to people to “be true human beings.” He always wanted to remind people that as human beings we are made in the image of God and must strive to be true to that image. His devotion to this creed showed itself, whenas a Bishop in Kosovo he was brutally and severely beaten by Albanian Muslim youths. The beating was so intense that the frail Pavle almost died and spent several months in the hospital. Yet, upon release from the hospital, the then Bishop Pavle said that he had nothing against his assailants and would not press charges against them.
A humble man, Patriarch Pavle often walked or took public transportation. He owned virtually no material goods. He happily wore old clothing and repaired his own shoes. As Patriarch he declined to have his own automobile stating that he would not purchase one until every Albanian and Serbian household in Kosovo and Metohija had its own automobile.
Mere months after his enthronement, Patriarch Pavle began his ultimately successful effort to re-unify the Serbian Orthodox Church. Many believe that his success in healing this post-World War II internal schism was to due his moral courage and uncompromising Christianity as a cleric under a communist atheistic regime. Near the end of his life he again demonstrated his moral courage when he condemned the ethnic violence in the regional wars that arose from the disintegration of Yugoslavia and called for the resignation of Milosevic. Patriarch Pavle even participated in the massive demonstrations that preceded the popular revolt that ousted the autocratic president in October 2000.
Small in stature, mighty in spirit, Patriarch Pavle was regarded by many as a living saint. Nearly a million Serbs paid tribute to their Patriarch from the day he died through his funeral in service at the St. Sava Church on Vračar Hill in Belgrade. May his memory be eternal.
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Post Script: The Serbian Unity Congress has a special sadness in saying farewell to Patriarch Pavle. He blessed our founding and subsequently he blessed each of our conventions. While he was in good health, the Patriarch always warmly received our leadership in Belgrade. In the spring of 1991 representatives of the Serbian Unity Congress met with Patriarch Pavle for the first time as part of our Mission of Friendship and Good Will. At the end of a long meeting, the Patriarch gave us his blessing saying, "Onerous times are ahead of us, we must persevere."
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