The leadership of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is facing accusations of being in the service of President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, leading to a rift with dissenting theologians and intellectuals. The criticism comes as theologians who support widespread student protests are facing repercussions from the church hierarchy.
The Persecution of Theologians
Theologian and historian Vukašin Milićević, an ordained priest and public supporter of the student protests, is facing a church court and the risk of excommunication. He has been banned from performing liturgy after criticizing the church leadership for what he calls serving a “corrupt elite.” Similarly, Blagoje Pantelić, an editor of a prominent theological portal who also supports the protests, has been blocked from pursuing a doctorate.
Pantelić specifically criticized Patriarch Porfirije and Bishop Irinej’s visit to Moscow, where they reportedly characterized the protests as a “colored revolution” to President Vladimir Putin. Pantelić called the patriarch’s actions “unacceptable” for putting the church “in the service of the regime.”
Political Protests and Regime Accountability
The student-led protests began after a railway station canopy in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. Many citizens accuse the government of being responsible due to shoddy work and a lack of accountability. The demonstrations are now calling for new elections and an end to corruption. According to the article, German theology professor Thomas Bremer believes that the measures against the dissenting theologians are an attempt to control theological discourse, which he says will ultimately fail. The article concludes by contrasting Patriarch Porfirije’s current actions with those of his predecessor, Patriarch Pavle, who refused to align the church with the regime of Slobodan Milošević.
