On July 6, 2025, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided over the Divine Liturgy in the courtyard of the Church of the Ascension in Nevesinje to mark the 150th anniversary of the Nevesinje Rifle (Nevesinjska puška), the historic uprising launched by the courageous people of Herzegovina on July 9, 1875, against the Ottoman Empire.
Addressing the faithful, the Patriarch praised the unwavering spiritual and national freedom of the Orthodox Serbs of Herzegovina: “Dear brothers and sisters, Orthodox Serbs of Nevesinje, descendants of Saint Sava, brave, noble, and honorable people and fighters for freedom – freedom, above all, inner and spiritual freedom, the freedom of human dignity and of faith, and then all other freedoms that can spring from such a Christ-centered commitment. For Christ, we give everything, and we exchange Him for nothing,” he declared in a heartfelt message.
The Nevesinje Rifle marked the beginning of the Herzegovinian Uprising of 1875–1877. The first armed conflict erupted near Nevesinje on July 9, when Serbian peasants stood against Ottoman oppression after years of suffering under violent rule and crushing taxes imposed by local beys and imperial authorities.
At the close of the liturgy, Metropolitan Dimitrije of Zahumlje-Herzegovina and the Littoral welcomed the Patriarch and the gathered faithful, recalling the historical plea of Herzegovinian leaders to Prince Nikola of Montenegro in 1874: “Better for us and our children to perish than to remain in eternal bondage.”
He reflected on the deep meaning of this legacy: “What kind of freedom is worth more than life itself? Do we today understand the love of freedom of our ancestors from Nevesinje, Mostar, Neretva, Stolac, Gacko, Piva, Bileća, Trebinje, Popovo Polje, Grahovo, Jezero, Šaranac, Drobnjak, Pljevlja and other regions of Old Herzegovina, Bosnia, and the Krajina? What did the mention of Kosovo mean to them, and what treasure of hope is buried in a single grave in Kosovo?”
Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral also addressed the assembly, emphasizing unity and spiritual resolve: “What adorned Serbian heroism in Vučji Do and the Herzegovinian Uprising was the unity of our people. Herzegovinians and Montenegrins fought side by side, not as two nations or in two languages. It was one Serbian people, one faith, one thought, one hope, one Kosovo choice, one Kosovo vow.”
He continued, “May God grant us such unity today, so we may overcome our many misunderstandings. Let us learn from our history, not act out of vanity, and, as the Patriarch said, always place the good of our neighbor above our own – then all else will fall into place.”
Source and photos: Patriarchate of Serbia
