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Thousands of mourners were present when Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej was buried on Sunday.
Irinej turned 90 and died on Friday from covid-19.
The bells of St. Sava’s Cathedral rang out as the mourners stood together in the autumn chill on the square in front of the church, many of them without bandages.
Only the relatives of the patriarch, the clergy and representatives of the community, such as President Alexander Vucic, were allowed to enter the cathedral, while the other mourners watched the ceremony on giant outdoor screens.
According to Reuters, authorities wanted to prevent the funeral from becoming the crime scene.
The church promised to respect the crown’s measures during Irinej’s funeral, but many of the mourners packed the church and lined up to kiss the plexiglass-covered coffin.
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Irinej’s death is a blow to the Serbian Orthodox Church, especially after the death of the powerful Montenegrin Bishop Amfilohije, the church’s deputy leader, in October.
Irinej tested positive for the virus on November 4, just days after attending Amfilohije’s funeral.
Exactly three weeks after the 90-year-old spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church attended the funeral of another church leader who died from the virus, Irinej himself was buried.
It is not known whether it was during this funeral that Patriarch Irinej became infected, but according to Reuters, he spent many hours indoors among large crowds during the November 1 funeral.
Infection control must have been poor and most people must have chosen not to wear face masks.
A man cries in the coffin of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej in Belgrade. Photo: Darko Vojinovic
Serbia is in the midst of the worst health crisis since March, with a record number of infections and deaths per corona every week. Since last week, there are no more beds in the Belgrade Hospital.
Of the approximately 7 million inhabitants of Serbia, more than 115,000 have so far been confirmed to be infected with the virus. More than 1,100 people have died.
Irinej, the forty-fifth patriarch of the church, was considered a moderate church leader who wanted better connections with the Catholic Church.
He was a close ally of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and a staunch opponent of Kosovo’s independence.
