Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia and Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut signed on May 8, 2026, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church on cooperation in the establishment of the Serbian Orthodox University “Saint Sava.”
The signing ceremony took place at the Patriarchate of Serbia in Belgrade, on the feast day of Saint Mark the Apostle, in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, government officials, academics, clergy, and media representatives.
Addressing the gathering, President Vučić stressed that “a nation without education has no future,” emphasizing that education in Serbia has historically remained closely connected with faith and the Church. He underlined that the Serbian state would fully support the new university, noting that students would have the opportunity to combine academic excellence with patriotism and love for their homeland.
“Saint Sava University will be a place where theological education will develop side by side with studies in medicine, law, natural sciences, technical sciences, and the arts,” Vučić said.
Patriarch Porfirije stated that the establishment of the university represents a continuation of the longstanding educational mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people.
“Church universities are not something new within the European and global academic landscape,” the Patriarch noted, pointing out that many of Europe’s leading universities were founded within the Church or with its support.
He emphasized that Saint Sava University would not represent a departure from modern academic standards, but rather “a natural inclusion in an already existing and widely accepted European and global academic tradition.”
The Patriarch further stressed that the initiative is aimed at serving society as a whole and promoting both knowledge and virtue.
“We do not understand education merely as the acquisition of knowledge, but also as the cultivation of virtue,” Patriarch Porfirije said, adding that the university would combine the spiritual and educational tradition of the Serbian Orthodox Church with contemporary academic standards.
The Memorandum follows the Serbian government’s decision earlier this year to formally support the establishment of the university, citing the need to strengthen the country’s educational system and preserve its cultural and spiritual heritage.
Among those attending the ceremony were Metropolitan Irinej of Bačka, Bishop Tikhon of Moravica, Serbian Minister of Education Dejan Vuk Stanković, professors of the University of Belgrade, representatives of the Orthodox Theological Faculty, clergy, government officials, and members of the media.
Source: spc.rs
