Romanian and Serbian Orthodox hold joint procession in Serbia
Hierarchs of two Local Churches led a Paschal procession in Vršac.
On Pascha night in the Serbian city of Vršac, Romanian and Serbian Orthodox faithful united for a traditional cross procession, according to Basilica.ro.
The joint celebration underscored inter-church unity during the Paschal season. The festivities began within the Romanian community at the episcopal Cathedral of the Ascension, where Bishop Ieronim of Dacia Felix performed the rite of receiving the Holy Fire.
At midnight, the Romanian community, led by Bishop Ieronim, set out in procession from the cathedral and joined Serbian believers headed by Metropolitan Nikanor of Banat. Clergy and laity met in the city center at the site associated with the martyrdom of St. Theodore, Bishop of Vršac.
Metropolitan Nikanor stressed the importance of fraternal communion between the two Orthodox communities. According to him, the Resurrection of Christ gathers all into one confession of faith and love that stands above any boundaries or human divisions. He described the light of Pascha as a source of peace and reconciliation, so urgently needed in today’s world.
Bishop Ieronim thanked the Serbian Orthodox Church for its cooperation and fraternal coexistence. He called on the faithful to live not as separate communities, but as one family in Christ, united by shared joy. He emphasized that the Paschal call to embrace one another is a call to forgiveness and genuine communion.
After the procession, Bishop Ieronim celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Romanian cathedral of the city. In his homily, he described the Resurrection of Christ as the foundation of life and the beginning of a new, transfigured existence for humanity.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that two U.S. servicemen in Kosovo were baptized in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
