Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) expressed condolences on the death of the Primate of the Serbian Church.

Quite recently we said goodbye to the righteous man of our time – Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro, and now the Serbian Orthodox Church and all of us have suffered a new irreparable loss: the Serbian Patriarch Irinej departed to the Lord. Fraternal Serbian Church Orphaned.

The late Patriarch was one of the pillars of the faith of the end times. He never compromised his conscience, even under strong external pressure. Patriarch Irinej was one of those people for whom loyalty to Christ and church rules was higher than momentary political trends.

Today we empathize with the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but believing in the risen Lord, we also hope that Patriarch Irinej will now pray even more earnestly for his flock and all Orthodox Christians in the monasteries of the righteous.