The Serbian royal family is in mourning after recent death of the influential Orthodox bishop Sabac Lavrentije.
The Serbian royal family issued a statement after the death of the holy patriarch, with Crown Prince Alexander writing: “With great sadness I have received the news that our dear friend, His Grace Bishop Lavrentije died yesterday. My wife and I are both struck by this horrible news, we shared so many happy moments with this great man, he married us and baptized our sons”.
The Serbian Crown Prince continues: “We will cherish forever every moment spent with him. Each meeting and each conversation with this good man were a pleasure and medicine for the soul. He was a true role model of spirituality and faith, sincere and gentle shepherd of the faithful people. May the Lord give him eternal peace and welcome him in the Kingdom of Heaven”.
The Crown Prince’s son, Prince Philip of Serbia, also marked the bishop`s death, issuing a statement which read: “We are saddened by the news of death of the oldest Archbishop of our Church. Bishop Lavrentije was a great missionary, the founder of the Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Western Europe and Australia, he printed the works of Bishop Nikolaj when it was forbidden. Bishop Lavrentije baptized my brothers and me, and served with Patriarch Irinej at the baptism of my son Prince Stefan. Many beautiful memories bind us to this wonderful man”.
His Eminence the Bishop of Sabac Lavrentije was born in a village Bogostica, near Krupanj in 1935. Zivko was his given name. He attended the Theological Faculty in Belgrade. For two years, he was the priest of the church Ruzica in Belgrade. From 1967 to 1969, he was the Vicar Bishop of Belgrade. From 1969, he has been the Serbian orthodox bishop of Western European, Australia and New Zealand.