The First among Equals is Chosen

Belgrade, Jan. 25 ,2010 (Serbia Today)- When Patriarch Pavle died in November 2009 the Orthodox believers awaited with impatience for the election of a New Patriarch of Serbia.
The elections began on Friday, January 22 at dawn, and almost unbelievably, the same day they elected the new Patriarch.
The supreme head of the Serbian Orthodox Church was to be chosen among the three bishops who were nominated by all members of the Synod, and by the will of God to be the first among equals. The Synod has 45 members and 35 bishops were eligible for nomination.
The new Patriarch was elected on Friday, January 22,2010 exactly at 14:30. Half an hour after the announcement of Cathedral bells, the flag on the Patriarch’s House was raised, after being lowered to half mast upon the death of Patriarch Pavle, on November 15, 2009.
The new Patriarch Irenaeus was born in Vidova, a small town in vicinity of the city Cacak, Serbia, in 1930. He was elected Bishop of Moravica in 1974 and a year later, Bishop of Nis.
The Analyst of religion, Živica Tucić, says that “On a Patriarch of the Church depends where the church is going. He should understand the right moment in which he should act, but it is important also to act on behalf of his own people. A Patriarch can provide an extremely important tone and be the initiator of certain changes, but does not have such a great power of decision-making, like for example the Patriarchs of Moscow or Constantinople. His main functions are to keep the unity of the church and its believers from the division and to spread that to other churches and cities.”
By tradition, the electoral council is held under the domes of the church, the Patriarchate, in the Sabor hall and a chapel of St. Simeon. Election begins by invoking the Holy Spirit in the chapel. The lot is drawn among three candidates. After the election, the Chairperson of the Synod will read the name of the new Mitropolit of Pec, Belgrade-Karlovac and Serbian Patriarch. The day after the election and the liturgy in the Cathedral the enthronement of Patriarch is performed placing him in the throne of Saint Sava. The new Patriarch is delivered patriarchal signs and symbols of the Church of Christ: Patriarchal scepter, Panagia of St. Sava and a string of medallions with images of Serbian saints, which was a gift of King Aleksander to the church. Then the Patriarch for the first time as the new head of the church is addressing the present in the Cathedral.
The newly elected Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Irenaeus said, “My election was the will of God and of the Holy bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church Synod. I was elected to this honorable and difficult duty with the help of brothers, bishops with whom I will carry all the problems and burdens together.”