Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Porfirije visits Australia for the first time in his role as patriarch, with Senator Alex Antic welcoming His Holiness to Parliament House.
Antic shared details of the visit in a statement on X, saying he had the honour of speaking at Parliament House to mark the patriarch’s first pastoral visit to Australia.
The South Australian senator highlighted the significant presence of Orthodox Christians across the country, noting that Australia is home to almost 95,000 Serbian Orthodox Christians and more than 535,000 Orthodox Christians overall.
“Many Orthodox believers here in Australia take great courage and hope from the Serbian Orthodox Church’s profound witness throughout history of faithfulness in the midst of hardship,” Antic wrote.
He also thanked Patriarch Porfirije for visiting Parliament that morning.
Serbian Orthodox Community in Australia
The visit recognises the Serbian Orthodox Church’s longstanding religious and cultural presence in Australia, where Serbian communities have established parishes and institutions across multiple states.
For Serbian Orthodox Christians, a patriarchal pastoral visit provides an opportunity to gather with their spiritual leader, strengthen ties with the Church and celebrate their faith and traditions.
Patriarch Porfirije leads the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has a long history in the Balkans and among Serbian communities around the world.
His visit to Australia brings that connection into focus for the country’s Serbian Orthodox faithful and the wider Orthodox Christian community.
Source: Senator Alex Antic, X.
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