The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, yesterday consecrated the restored Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mrkonjic Grad, which was destroyed during the last war.
“The Church of Christ is the door of truth, no matter how much someone destroys the church, it rises. I am grateful to be with you here today. My love is permanent and there is always a place for you in my humble heart,” the patriarch pointed outyesterday.
He pointed out that it was never easy to believe in Christ, and often dangerous, but that faith implies risk.
“We are faced with an unwillingness to forgive others, with pride and envy. It is a risk to follow Christ. Faith implies forgiveness,” said Patriarch Porfirije.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the site of an ancient church that burned down in the fire that engulfed Varcar Vakuf in 1883, as this town was once called.
Namely, the temple was also destroyed in the Second World War, and was rebuilt until 1960. In the last war, units of the Croatian army shelled and set fire to the temple in 1995, and the restoration began in 2013.
