Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided today at the Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint John the Theologian at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade.
At the conclusion of the service, Patriarch Porfirije expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Metropolitan Georgios of the Orthodox Ohrid Archdiocese for concelebrating and for his active participation in the two-day international academic symposium entitled “From Nicaea to the Present Day (325–2025): The Enduring Significance of the First Ecumenical Council.”
Reflecting on the symposium, the Patriarch noted his joy at the successful commemoration of the First Ecumenical Council, emphasizing that the scholarly contributions and theological reflections presented constituted a valuable contribution not only to contemporary theological thought but, above all, to the building up of the Body of Christ. He underlined the importance of maintaining harmony between the inner and outer dimensions of human life, stressing the unity of body and soul as a single, indivisible expression of the human person created in the image of God and called to grow into His likeness.
Referring to the Gospel message highlighted in Metropolitan Georgios’ homily, Patriarch Porfirije emphasized that love is both the meaning and the ultimate goal of human life, since God Himself is love. He explained that laws and rules, while necessary, are not ends in themselves but serve to guide humanity toward the fulfillment of this unique and irreplaceable gift of love, realized in the encounter between the human person and God.
Concluding his remarks, the Patriarch stressed that divine laws are not intended to restrain human freedom or love, but rather to give them true meaning. Christ, he noted, did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it by revealing its deepest purpose, which is Logos and Love, embodied in the Son of God, glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
