On the occasion of Statehood Day, the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vucic decorated the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Belgrade with the Sretenje Order of the first degree.
On February 15, 2021, on the occasion of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Serbia, the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic presented decorations to deserving individuals and institutions and said that the Meeting of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Temple (Sretenje) is a great day for Serbia, the day when the modern Serbian state was born. – The Meeting of Our Lord is our children’s primer and textbook, a time of re-examination, a time of unity of our people, wherever they live, the President pointed out and reminded that it was the day when leader Karadjordje Petrovic raised an uprising for liberation from the Turks, but also the day when thanks to Prince Milos Obrenovic and Dimitrije Davidovic, Serbia brought a modern and liberal, timeless Constitution – ahead of its time.
“Forty days after Christmas, we celebrate Sretenje, the most important date in the historical, political, and religious calendar of our beautiful Serbia”, President Vucic said and added that “because of that we are proud of our past and ancestors and that looking at them Serbia is ready to work for the future of their children. This is a holiday for all those who love and live in Serbia. Sretenje inspires our people in crucified Kosovo and Metohija, and gives energy to our people in Montenegro, often forgotten by the motherland. I also congratulate our people in the Republic of Srpska on the holiday, because our holidays are yours, and vice versa. We belong to the same family and no one has the right to take it away from us”, President Vucic stated and emphasized that today is a holiday that gives strength for the survival of the Serbian hearth, Serbian name, and surname, where it is most difficult.
“Thank you to the heroes of our time, who gave a lot to Serbia and lived not only for themselves but for us. To give Serbia without asking for anything in return, to incorporate one’s work in its name, to sacrifice oneself for it – is the most that someone can do in a lifetime, and that is why Serbia responds with gratitude and the greatest recognition it can give. Their names will be written in the eternal book of honor, courage, and praise”, President Vucic told the laureates.
By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Serbia, on the occasion of the Statehood Day of the Republic of Serbia, 164 individuals, institutions, and associations were decorated. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic decorated the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Belgrade with the Sretenje Order of the first degree. The high decoration from the hands of the President of the Republic of Serbia was received by the Dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Belgrade, Zoran Rankovic. The Sretenje Order is a decoration of the Republic of Serbia established on October 26, 2009, by the Law on Decorations of the Republic of Serbia.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
