Serbian Patriarch Porfirije sent a statement of condolences to Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine regarding the attack on the monastery of St. Porphyrius in Gaza, one of the oldest Orthodox temples in the world.
“The news about the tragedy that is affecting the Holy Land, in which, unfortunately, innocent people of all faiths are dying, and the fire of war is unstoppably devouring cultural heritage that is centuries old, become known one after another. Today, I learned with disbelief and sadness the news of the terrible tragedy in which Orthodox Christians were killed by airstrikes in the monastery of St. Porphyrius in Gaza, the gem of Christian culture, and the religious and cultural treasures of the Orthodox, and I believe also of the civilized world, irretrievably disappeared,” the Serbian Patriarch said.
“We assure you that our prayers are with you, your holy clergy and faithful people. We sympathize with you also because we experienced the tragedy of war not so long ago, the suffering of innocents and the destruction of holy temples where our ancestors prayed for centuries. Today, all Orthodox Serbs are praying to the Lord that the souls of our martyred brothers and sisters may rest in his eternal Kingdom, but also for all the innocent victims in Israel and Palestine,” he wished in his statement.
