Burial of Patriarch Pavle

“An example offered by a morally superior life cannot be resisted by anyone”

When I heard the news, early on the morning of November 15th, that His Holiness, Patriarch Pavle of Serbia (44th Patriarch on the throne of Saint Sava) had reposed that day in the 95th year of his life, I was both sad and joyous. That news was expected by all at any moment. I was sad that we had lost our spiritual father, but joyful that we received a leader before God – something that many people said in the procession. I immediately decided to attend the funeral, because I promised myself a long time ago that I would indeed go and venerate his holy relics and attend the funeral when the time comes.

It is interesting how the news of his repose quickly spread among the Serbian people. I don't think there was a man who did not hear the terrible news right away.

Having arrived in Beograd in the late afternoon on Tuesday, November 17th, I wanted to see him and kiss his holy right hand immediately. When I stepped onto Knez Mihajlova Street and headed toward the Cathedral, I was surprised by the dim lights and a long line of people who were waiting. I didn't realize right away what was going on until Marija told me, “That's the line for the Patriarch”. I rushed toward the church to see this for myself and as we approached the church, the line did indeed become more crowded and it was pouring into the church. My surprise was even greater when I saw all those people standing in the long lines without smoking, without any unnecessary or inappropriate conversation, piously and quietly, without pushing or murmuring. The atmosphere was different among the people. All stood peacefully, with sorrow on their faces and with a sincere desire to once more venerate the departed head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch had once again united all – children and the elderly, the rich and the poor, people of all sorts. No one was tired. All stood. No one wore a mask or feared the new flu. My co-traveler said that there were no famous people in line. It was all simple, sincere people for whom the Patriarch remains an example. I wished to enter the church that evening so I started walking to the end of the line, down the King Peter Street, Knez Mihajlova Street, Terazije, past the Hotel Evropa and even past the Hotel Moskva. The first few days, people waited up to ten hours to pay due respect to the Patriarch, the respect which they cultivated in their hearts for so many years. The echo of the prayers which were read in the church through the night quietly encircled the church and seemingly reached the heavens. That echo was accompanied by the scent of incense and candles which were lit in the entrance and which exuded their fragrance for the repose of the Patriarch's soul.

I always thought and felt that our Patriarch Pavle deserves such respect and I was immeasurably glad to see it. The people knew that the Patriarch made sacrifices and suffered for them, that he prayed for their health and every well being, and they were now making an attempt to repay him with the same measure. Many people who were interviewed by the reporters said that they would walk to the Rakovica Monastery is needed, because he deserved it and he is our great man. For many, according to their own testimony, this was the most important event of their lives, because he was spiritually the first among us – the first among all Serbs. They considered him a living saint who walked the earth; one of the rare genuine, authentic Christians. Such a man ought to been seen off. A young man from Podgorica said how the Patriarch was a real man who kept the faith and who knew how to govern the Church during the hardships. He knew how to make a stand before his own people and before other peoples. He was a true believer, a servant of God and a man of God. Igor from Crvenka said how the Patriarch meant a lot. He was one of the greatest Serbs ever – a great man. He had come to the funeral because it was the least he could do. Another faithful man said how we lost a man but gained a Saint. Etc, etc.

We lightly use phrases like “great writer”, “great painter”, “great theologian” etc. But Patriarch Pavle was the only one who deserved the title which people ascribed to him even during his lifetime – a living saint. He was an image of an authentic monk who was dedicated to the evangelical truths and principles with his whole being without any reservations. From all evil which threaten us, he was most afraid of the evils which we can commit ourselves. He was blind to the all that falsely glitters, but he was not blind to a single trouble, he was not deaf to a single truth or a prayer.

In the Patriarchate I got the blessing to serve Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, November 18th, along with a great number of deacons, priests and bishops. The Bishop of Tuzla, Vasilije lead the service. It was a grand and rare service for me, and I thanked God for getting such a chance. After every Liturgy, memorial services were held and then the readings from the Gospel continued. Since the lines were getting longer, people were amassing, the line had to move faster by the casket, sometimes even without venerating the hand or the cross. There were about 20,000 people from Montenegro and about 15,000 from Republika Srpska. The faithful came on chartered trains from Sid, Subotica, Banja Luka, Bar, Podgorica. Since the priests from Montenegro boarded the train from Bar, the first ever Liturgy on wheels in the Serbian church was served. There were faithful people from all other parts of Serbia – Valjevo, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Cacak, Pozega, Vranje, Pljevlji, Trebinje, Vukovar, Visegrad, Paracin... Many who could not come to attend the Patriarch's funeral, gathered in the churches in their towns and prayed and lit candles for the repose of his soul.

The funeral service was magnificent. It started with Divine Liturgy and continued with the funeral procession which moved through the city with the open casket. It looked grandiose. Many noticed that neither the old Yugoslavia nor the new Serbia never saw an event of this sort. Young men and women in folk attire drew special attention. After them, the cadets of the military academy marched, dressed in special uniforms, followed by the regular police. At the head of the procession were seminarians dressed in stihars and carrying the fans. The number of people was endless. All walked in step, slowly and quitely. Hundreds of thousands of people walked, but in total silence. As if there was no one on the street. Never were there more people gathered in more absolute silence in one place. The Ministry of Internal Affairs estimated that the funeral was attended by approximately 700,000 people.

The people showed the they were aware of their loss and that they expected the Church and the State to act worthily of the man who reigned from Saint Sava's throne with such holiness. Serbia has lost an unprecedented moral example, a moral measure whose words were confirmed by his lifestyle. During great trials and hard times for the Serbian people, Patriarch Pavle made an immeasurable contribution to the national, political and ecclesiastical unity of the Serbian people through the equality of his words and deeds. He was seen as a father for the whole nation. No one, neither among the believers nor the unbelievers had a reason to feel rejected by him. For him, all people we God's children. And he approached each and every one as such. He experienced every human being as a unique gift and a blessing from God.

Hence, many Serbs will say that a real blessing from God was having such a spiritual leader in one of the most difficult periods of our history. Aside from praying for peace and well being of all, the Patriarch also warned, admonished and exhorted the people on how to do the right thing. His words, “Let us be human” have been carved into the collective mind of the people. Some people attacked him in those hard times, especially those who were waging wars against the Serbs. He was guilty in their mind because he himself was also a Serb. They figured, judging obviously according to the own standard, that he was thus biased. And yet he never wanted for the Serbian people anything more than what he wanted for all others.

At the funeral service before the Saint Sava Church, the keeper of the Patriarch's throne, Metropolitan Amfilohije spoke with brilliant clarity and substance, followed by the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the President of Serbia, Mr Tadic. The plateau in front of the church was too small to receive all the faithful who wanted to be a part of this historic spiritual event. Also present were the representatives of other Churches – the Church of Rumania, Albania, Slovakia, Russia, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Georgia, Athens, Cyprus, and also present were representatives from the Vatican and the Islamic community as well as a large number of domestic and foreign statesmen.

Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his belief that Patriarch Pavle was a worthy heir to the throne of Saint Sava. He said, “The Patriarch of Serbia was not a Hierarch of an ordinary measure because his face and his presence radiated light and righteousness, while his ethos was as strong as a diamond. Patriarch Pavle was a theologian of expansive knowledge, compassionate, a peacemaker and a man of open horizons who was in touch with modern reality. O people of Serbia, begin mourning, begin weeping bitterly and sighing and express your sorrow according to the greatness of his merit. Sadly, he did not live to see a happy ending of the schism is Macedonia, despite his efforts to bring it around. But we are convinced that this will be the first matter he addresses in his prayers before the Almighty,” said Patriarch Bartholomew.

Metropolitan Amfilohije said that “Patriarch Pavle, a holy elder, awakened a hidden goodness, philanthropy, love for God and love for fellow man in people who today recognize him as their own nearest of kin. It is no wonder that this humble and quiet man was transformed into light and became a light on a hilltop. All you gathered around his grave are witnesses to this. He judges no one, he only discerns, respecting the freedom of each person. He does not submit anyone neither to his own passions and self will, nor to anyone else's. He was not anyone's burden and he gave everything he had to others in a natural and meek way, asking nothing for himself...”

He saw his position, the highest one in a local Church, only as an even greater obligation of serving others. And he explained it thus, “The higher position you have in Church, the more you have to serve. Only worldly rulers 'rule', while we in Church serve.” His whole life was prayer and service to God and man.

This was probably the only funeral that had no wreaths in it. A few flower salesmen tried to profit from the funeral but since they were ignored, they just left. The Patriarch expressed the desire that all the money which would have been spent on wreaths and flowers be instead given toward the completion of the Church of Saint Sava in Vracar. For his resting place until the general resurrection, the Patriarch chose Rakovica Monastery. He made this request known about ten years ago. His Holiness expressed the desire to rest at this well known monastery near Beograd, dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Patriarch Pavle's grave is close to the monastery church, next to the grave of Patriarch Dimitrije who was the first Patriarch after the restoration of the Serbian Patriarchate in 1920.

With overt emotions and tear-filled eyes, many said that they will remember the Patriarch as a person who lived for all people, and that we would be fortunate to again have a figure like His Holiness to lead the people into a new epoch, or if God would at least give us more Serbs who would have even some of the characteristics of the late Patriarch, we might have a bright future for the coming generations.

As much as it was claimed that the Patriarch was just the “first among equals”, everyone is aware that his death marks the end of the period of time when the Serbian Church was observed mostly through his own life and works. “His successor, whoever it may be, will have a difficult task of maintaining the humility and moderation of Patriarch Pavle as human and ecclesiastical values which were most admired by his faithful people. We can hope that the coming years during which the next Patriarch will lead the Church will be easier than those during which Patriarch Pavle lead it.” (M.T.)

A wise Serbian poet, Matija Beckovic noted that “In the time of noise no one talked more quietly and yet was heard farther, no one spoke less and yet said more, and no one looked the truth straight in the eyes in the time of blindness as long as Patriarch Pavle did.”

Whether our Patriarch was a living saint, as we mentioned earlier, it is not for us to judge. But we can testify to the fact that he was a teacher, that he taught us, and that the way we addressed him - “Your Holiness” - was deserved by every word and deed of his. Now that he has finished the journey which he started in his youth, having reached the goal he yearned for, we can only wonder – who are we left with?

Perhaps some of the headlines from the time of funeral can give us a clue about who we lived with and whom we have lost: “A praise of modesty – late Patriarch's estate consists of a watch, an alarm clock, a cross which he himself carved, patched-up shoes and a testimony of the people about an extraordinary person.” “Departure of a good shepherd.” “An age marked by modesty.” “Saint.” “Participant and a witness of history.” “A peacemaker.” “A holy man.” “The heir of Saint Sava.” “A man of deep and steadfast faith.” “He has joined the Saints.” “He carried the cross of the people in the hardest of times.” “He was a walking Gospel.” “A lighthouse of a suffering country.” “The most beloved among the Serbs has departed.” “Everything he had, he gave to others.” “He was buried modestly, just as he lived.” “Never a bigger crowd in a greater silence.” “Our leader before God.” “He spoke quietly...he was heard far.” “The path of peace and good will.” “The best Serb of our age.”

Along with these titles and many other words, it would be fit to quote some of the Patriarch's more well known words: “A man cannot choose the time and place of his birth and lifetime. It does not depend on one what parents or what nation he will come from, but it does depend on each individual how he will act in a given moment – whether as a human being or as inhuman – regardless of which nation he is in and who his parents are.” “Trials are for our benefit after all because it is through them that we learn the true state of our soul, and if it wasn't for them, our pride would keep growing. But now, we are sobered at least somewhat and we return to our reality.” “Among all peoples and nations there are human beings and there are inhuman beings. It depends on each individual whether he will be human or inhuman. Others cannot force us into either group. It depends on us, on our will.” “Having to endure something to the end means that the thing being endured is difficult, but whoever endures hardships to the end, he will be saved.” “Expecting others to treat us humanely while we don't treat each other in such a way – what a misfortune that would be.” “Having arrived at the diocese [in Kosovo] I knew that I would not be walking upon the path strewn with flowers. But never until that time did we have such trials as ensued then.” “Work never humiliates a man, only sin does.” “One has to choose between eternal perdition and eternal life. There is no third option.” “The Lord has entrusted us with certain tasks here on earth. You and I exactly have been given these tasks, not a whole generation, but you and I by name. All of us ought to work diligently, with all of our strength and capability, as well as we can, according to the greatest measure of human abilities. If we all work that way then the Lord will help us too, he will complement our shortcomings and will be, as you say, our ally.”