Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Divided Serbian Church Leaders to Meet January 22, 2010 to Vote for New Patriarch

Bishops in the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) will meet January 22, 2010 to vote for their new patriarch, amid feuding and jostling among reformists and dogmatists, according to the Worldwide Religious News website.

The conservative SPC has been blocked by infighting of even more conservative bishops, who oppose openness to other churches and fight Western influences in Serbian society, while the more relaxed wing wants the church to be more open and modern.

The patriarch will be elected in a lottery draw, one of the three bishops who receive the most support in probably many rounds of voting.

One of the younger bishops, Fotije, said in an interview with the daily Blic, "We have bishops 80 years old educated before World War II and with huge experience. Then there are bishops under 40, also well-educated in the era of digital communication."

Fotije concluded, "In the end...God shall decide who is to lead the Church."

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