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In a letter dated February 18, 2021, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, congratulated His Holiness the newly elected Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia. The text of the letter, which also appears in PDF format, reads as follows:
His Holiness Patriarch PORFIRIJE
Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Patriarch of Serbia
Краља Петра 5
Београд 11000
SERBIA
Your Holiness, Dear Brother and Concelebrant in the Lord’s Mysteries,
I write to you today to congratulate you and offer my prayers on the occasion of your election as Patriarch of Serbia. Axios! Many years, Your Holiness!
As you take on the yoke of this sacred ministry, I pray that our Heavenly Father may always nourish you as you do His Holy Will in sustaining and establishing His Kingdom here on earth. May the Son ever be your example, as you labor in humility and obedience to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). And may the Holy Spirit, by whose Divine Grace and Will you were elected, empower you always as you fulfill the primatial service.
Please be assured of my fraternal prayers for you and your flock, accompanied by the prayers of all the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America. Through the example and intercessions of our common saints, Nikolai of Zhicha and South Canaan, Mardarije of Libertyville, Sebastian of Jackson, and others, we are confident that the close bonds between the elder Church of Serbia and the younger Orthodox Church in America will remain strong, at this time and always.
With fraternal love and prayers, I remain
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
+TIKHON
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada
