Belgrade, 8 September 2025 – HRH Hereditary Prince Philip attended yesterday the consecration of the renovated Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in the town of Pakrac, Croatia. The Holy Liturgy and the act of consecration were led by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, with the assistance of several Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

After the Lord’s Service in the temple, the Library of the Diocese of Pakrac and Slavonia was also consecrated, followed by the table of love, which was served in Daruvar. Numerous archpriests of the Serbian and other Orthodox Churches gathered for this important occasion, and were welcomed by the host, His Grace Bishop of Pakrac and Slavonia, Kyr Jovan.

"These events, which are taking place as part of the commemoration of the Day of the Holy Jasenovac Martyrs, testify to the fact that our people, despite the terrible suffering, are capable of restoring, building, and preserving their holy places and cultural treasures. In Jasenovac, innocents were tortured and killed, but here in Pakrac today, we witness life, renewal, and permanence. This is the best response to attempts to erase our name, faith, and culture from history.

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity in Pakrac, the largest Orthodox church in this part of Slavonia, was built in the mid-18th century, in the Baroque style, and was one of the centers of the spiritual life of Serbs in western Slavonia. Its interior was decorated with an iconostasis and works by our artists, but the church suffered heavily in the whirlwind of World War II, and in 1991, it was burned and destroyed. Today, when after decades of ruins it shines again in full glory, it is not just a restored temple, but a testimony that the faith and spirituality of our people cannot be destroyed, regardless of the trials.

The Pakrac Library, one of the most significant spiritual and cultural treasures of the Serbian people west of the Drina, now stands once again as a testimony of our permanent presence in these areas. It is almost two and a half centuries old, the same age as the British Library in London, and is one of the oldest Serbian cultural institutions in Croatia. Its manuscripts and books, many of which are unique in the world, belong not only to us but also to humanity. It is a heritage that shows that a people who preserve books and memory also preserve their future.

I owe special gratitude to His Grace Bishop Jovan, thanks to whose efforts, sacrifices, and achievements, we today have a restored and shining Cathedral Church in Pakrac and a newly resurrected Pakrac Library. His work is invaluable and must be supported by our entire people, because it shows us that by restoring sacred sites and cultural treasures, we are also restoring ourselves. This work is inspiring and binding, because it reminds us that we are responsible not only for the past, but also for the future of our children ", said Hereditary Prince Philip on this occasion.

Patriach was joined in the consecration by Their Eminences Metropolitans and Graces Bishops: Archbishop of Antidon, Kyr Nektarios, from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem; Metropolitan of Demetriades and Almira, Kyr Ignatije, from the Archdiocese of Athens; Archbishop of Michalovce and Košice, Kyr George, from the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; Metropolitans of Montenegro and the Littoral, Kyr Joanikije, of Germany, Kyr Grigorije, of Raska and Prizren, Kyr Teodosije, of Zahumlje and Herzegovina and Ston and the Littoral, Kyr Dimitrije, of Budimlje and Nikšić, Mr. Metodije; Bishops of Washington-New York and East America, Kyr Irinej, of Pakrac and Slavonia, Kyr Jovan, of Switzerland, Kyr Andrej, of Bihać and Petrovac, Kyr Sergius, of Buenos Aires and South-Central America and Administrator of Zagreb-Ljubljana, Mr. Kirilo, and Vicar of Lipljan, Kyr Dositej, as well as the Most Reverend Archimandrites and Abbots: Metodije of Hilandar, Teoktist of Sopocani, and Mihailo of the Holy Archangels of Prizren.

As the Serbian Orthodox Church emphasized, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Pakrac was built around 1750 and is one of the most important Serbian shrines in Slavonia. During several centuries of its history, it was the spiritual and cultural center of the Slavonian Serbs, and the Bishop of Pakrac also had his headquarters there.

In the ravages of war in the 1990s, the temple was badly damaged and neglected for a long time. The restoration of the Cathedral, which took several years, is the result of the joint effort, faith, and love of the Serbian people for their holy place. The consecration of the restored temple represents the joyful return of spiritual life to Pakrac and the testimony of the resurrection and perseverance of the Serbian people.

The consecration today was the continuation of the marking of the memory of the Holy New Martyrs of Jasenovac, which started on Saturday in the monastery of St. John the Baptist in Jasenovac. As a reminder, Hereditary Prince Philip was the first member of the Serbian Royal Family to visit Jasenovac, where numerous times he paid his respects and prayed for all the innocent victims of the so-called Independent State of Croatia, responsible for genocide and unprecedented crimes in this region, which destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma, with the intention of extermination.

"This is my third visit to Pakrac in the last five years that I have been regularly coming to Jasenovac, and this establishes the historical connection of the Karađorđević dynasty with these holy places. I am the first Karađorđević to set foot in Jasenovac and Pakrac, and I consider it my duty to maintain a living connection of the Royal House with these places of suffering and renewal, because it is here, in the heart of Western Slavonia, that our people leave their deepest vow and their faith.

In the days when we remember the martyrs of Jasenovac, I send a pledge from this place: their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and their suffering obliges us to be united, persistent, and dedicated to preserving the faith, culture, and identity of our people. From the ashes of suffering, sanctuaries sprout, from tears, hope arises, and therefore today we renew the vow to protect what they defended with their lives: honor, faith, and the future of the Serbian people," concluded HRH Hereditary Prince Philip.