On the Feast of Detinjci, traditionally dedicated to children in the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade. In keeping with the spirit of the day, several hundred children participated in the liturgical gathering, filling the храм with joy and youthful presence.
During his homily, the Patriarch addressed the children with particular warmth and attention, emphasizing the spiritual meaning of the feast and the precious gift of life. He reminded the faithful that while Detinjci is a special day devoted to children, every day of the year is, in essence, dedicated to them, since all people are called to be innocent like children and, above all, are children of God.
Patriarch Porfirije stressed that life itself is a gift of God’s love and that no one is the owner of their own life. He called upon parents and the wider community to care for children with self-sacrificial love, recognizing them as a divine gift, and to learn from their purity and innocence. The Patriarch underlined that when God holds first place in a child’s life, their path will naturally be guided toward what is good and right.
He concluded his homily with a heartfelt prayer that God grant all children joy, peace, success in mutual love, progress in learning, and, above all, growth in fulfilling God’s commandments, which lead to virtue. In this way, he said, all believers may rejoice together and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a festive program was presented in honor of Detinjci. Organized by the administration of the Church of Saint Sava and the Office for Missionary Activity, the program featured performances by the Rastko Choir and pupils from several Belgrade primary schools, including Đura Daničić, Branislav Nušić, Svetozar Marković, Saint Sava, Vladislav Ribnikar, and Zmaj Jova Jovanović, accompanied by their religious education teachers.
The celebration concluded with the traditional distribution of gift packages to the youngest participants, bringing smiles and joy to the children and reinforcing the message of love, care, and spiritual nurturing at the heart of the feast.
