The Serbian Patriarchate issues a notice regarding fraudulent accounts on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), which engage in criminal activities such as fraud, misrepresentation, and unauthorized use of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s name and symbols.
These offenses often involve the misuse of the name of Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, intending to harm the Church’s reputation.
Please, read the announcement below:
It is our legal and moral duty to inform our faithful and all concerned parties about the presence of several fraudulent accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). These accounts are engaging in criminal activities, including fraud, misrepresentation, and unauthorized use of the name, coat of arms, and other official symbols of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Regrettably, these offenses often involve the misuse of the name of our head, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, with the intent to harm the reputation of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Instances of abuse also extend to the names and content of official church and public media. On the X platform (formerly Twitter), an account named “Crkveni glasnik” (Црквени гласник) under the username @CrkveniGlasnik has persisted for an extended period without the knowledge, approval, or blessing of any authority within the Serbian Patriarchate. This account appears to deliberately present itself as the official newspaper “Glasnik” of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Furthermore, a fake account of the Newspaper of the Serbian Patriarchate “Pravoslavlje” (Православље) exists on the same platform under the username @PravoslavljeSPC. The originator of these accounts remains unknown to any official body or individual within the Serbian Orthodox Church.
It is crucial to note that the Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church exclusively manages and regulates the official profiles of Patriarch Porfirije on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, the Information Service has recently launched its official account on Platform X under the username @Infosluzbaspc at https://twitter.com/Infosluzbaspc. The newspaper “Pravoslavlje” of the Serbian Patriarchate is solely available through its official website at https://pravoslavlje.spc.rs/, and the official newspaper “Glasnik” is published exclusively in print.
The Serbian Orthodox Church is committed to taking necessary measures with relevant authorities to counteract the dissemination of false information and misrepresentation. We urge everyone to rely on official channels for accurate and authentic information from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Source: Patriarchate of Serbia