Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine attended the Closing celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan in Nis today.
The central event of this year’s all-Christian jubilee was held today in front of the newly built Church of Saints Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen, where a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was officiated by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, together with the present primates and representatives of local Orthodox Churches.
His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia decorated guests with the Order of Saint Constantine the Great. This Order was given to all Patriarchs of Orthodox Churches present, but firstly to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II, HE Mr Tomislav Nikolic, President of Serbia, HE Mr Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister, HE Mr Aleksandar Vucic, First Deputy Prime Minister, HE Mr Nebojsa Stefanovic, Speaker of the Parliament, HE Mr Ivan Mrkic, Minister of foreign affairs, Lt. Col. Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic, chief of staff of Army of Serbia, HE Mr Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska.
Primates and representatives of local Orthodox Churches, led by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Holiness Theophilos of Jerusalem, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Ieronymos and His Beatitude Archbishop Sava of Warsaw, His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, His Beatitude Archbishop Simeon, Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan Throne of the Czech Lands and Slovakia responded to the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia to participate in both the central and closing ceremony commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan.
Beside delegations from the Orthodox Churches, the Central celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan was also attended by representatives of the East Non-Chalcedonian Churches, a delegation of the Roman Catholic Church headed by HE Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Mufti of Serbia Muhamed ef. Jusufspahic, the Great Rabbi of the Jewish Community in Serbia, the Armenian Church was also present, leaders from the Reformed Church, as well as different Christian organizations and associations from throughout Europe and the world.
Beside TRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine, the celebration in the hometown of the Saint Emperor Constantine was also attended by the highest Serbian officials: HE Mr Tomislav Nikolic, President of the Republic, HE Mr Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister, HE Mr Ivan Mrkic, Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Prof. Dr. Tomislav Jovanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, as well as HE Mr Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, Lt. Col. Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic, Chief of Staff of Army of Serbia, representatives of neighboring countries governments, ambassadors and prominent public figures.
After the closing ceremony Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine visited the village of Knez Selo, near Nis, and its Palliative Care Centre “Princess Katherine”.