28 January 2021

Selaković: Every generation of Serbs has something to contribute to Saint-Savaism

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selaković stated today that every generation of Serbs had something to contribute to Saint-Savaism (Svetosavlje), and so our ancestors had left us the celebration of St. Sava's Day as a school holiday, started the construction of the magnificent Church of Saint Sava in Vračar, and today's generation finished this most beautiful Orthodox church in the world.

"It was our generation that was blessed to finish this church - the most beautiful Orthodox church in the world. And today in Belgrade we are unveiling the first monument to the founder of the holy lineage of the Nemanjić dynasty, the father of Saint Sava's: Stefan Nemanja - St. Simeon the Myrrh-streaming. And exactly those two places, together with Žiča and Mileševa, are becoming gathering points for our people", Selaković said in a video address at the Saint Sava Academy held in Skopje.

He invited all people to visit Belgrade and see the now completed Orthodox Church in Vračar and the monument to Stefan Nemanja.

Today's Serbia, the "greatgreat-granddaughter" of the country established by Saint Sava, respects and appreciates its neighbours and national minorities who live in it, and thanks to the serious policy and leadership of President Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian Government, it has been achieving economic development and progress, Selaković said.

He pointed out that Serbia followed the thought that could have been the thought of Saint Sava as well, maintaining that the good for Serbia was only possible if shared by its neighbors too, and that this was why Serbia was implementing policy measures that benefit all.

"We will continue to do so, while fighting to make our country better every day and offering our neighbors more and more joint opportunities in order to be even more connected, satisfied and successful in the future. And that is what Saint-Savaism stands for - it is a philosophy and a way of life. To take care of what is one's own, to respect what is someone else's and to try to do and bring good to one another in everything", Selaković said.

The Head of Serbian diplomacy said that Saint Sava was not only a Serbian Orthodox saint, but a saint of the entire Orthodox and Christian family, and that, in addition to feeling and acting like a Serb, in the first place he was a man who had spread knowledge about his kind, while also bringing knowledge from all over the world to his homeland.

Selaković recalled that Rastko Nemanjić was born in the heart of the medieval Serbian state, and that as a young nobleman he had served in today's Herzegovina, i.e., Zahumlje, and that he also managed to go to the Mount Athos, visit the countries of the Middle East, the Holy Land, met the Armenians, visited Byzantine Empire and passed away in Bulgaria.

According to the Minister, Saint Sava illuminated the entire Christian Orthodox world for the Serbs, visited holy places spreading the word of God, and stories, legends, sayings about him were preserved in different parts of the Balkans. Furthermore, he was both a diplomat and a writer, and behind him remained the Nomocanon of Saint Sava, which enabled the entire Slavic Orthodox world to become legally literate.

"With the desire and hope that we will celebrate the next St. Sava's Day like we did in previous years, not only in Belgrade, but also in Kumanovo, Skopje, Bijelo Polje and Podgorica, Herceg Novi, Banja Luka, Trebinje, Bijeljina, Prijedor, but also in all other areas where Serbs live - from Kosovska Mitrovica to Vukovar, Ljubljana and Celje. Wishing that we gather there, to gather in every place where our people live and celebrate the name of Saint Sava, I greet you on behalf of the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a solemn greeting -
Happy Saint Sava's Day", the Serbian Foreign Minister concluded.

Source: Tanjug