The Second International Conference on “Liturgical Theology and Monastic Practice—Sources, Development and Transformation, Contemporary Challenges” opened on Friday, 4 September 2026, at Manasija Monastery in Serbia.
The conference is organised by the Institute for Liturgical Studies and Church Art of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Belgrade and the Institute for the Spiritual and Monastic Heritage of the Balkans “Desert Heritage.”
The opening ceremony took place in the monastery church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. A message from His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije was delivered by Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dr Vladimir Vukašinović, Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade.
In his message, the Serbian Patriarch emphasised the importance of the conference for contemporary theology, as well as for the common monastic and theological tradition.
A greeting from Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid and Macedonia was delivered by Bishop Clement of Heraclea, Secretary of the Synod of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric–Macedonian Orthodox Church.
This was followed by a plenary lecture by Metropolitan Ignatije of Braničevo on “The Eschatological Nature of the Church and Monasticism.” As host of the gathering, the Metropolitan welcomed the participants and guests.
The opening ceremony was attended by Metropolitan Georgije of Debar-Kičevo; Bishop Jakov of Stobi; Protosyncellus Pavle, Abbot of Manasija Monastery; Nikola Selaković, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Serbia; professors of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade; and other participants.
On Saturday, 5 September, the conference programme will continue in three sessions, with papers presented by hierarchs and scholars from Serbia and North Macedonia.
On Sunday, 6 September, the Divine Hierarchical Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. A round-table discussion will follow at 11:00 a.m., including the presentation of the first issue of the journal Pustinja.
The first international conference organised by the two institutes was held last year at Vodoča Monastery near Strumica. It focused on the theme “Balkan Monastic Worlds—Dialogues on Monasticism, Theology and Culture.”
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
