11.05.2023.
Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović attend military bishop handover ceremony
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović, attended today the ceremony held at the Diocese of Niš, at which His Grace Dositej of Lipljan, Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarch, His Holiness Porfirije, took over as Military Bishop from his predecessor, His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Niš.
The handover ceremony was preceded by the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy and the Prayer Service of Thanksgiving officiated by bishops Arsenije and Dositej and co-officiated by military chaplains at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Niš.Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović congratulated the newly appointed Military Bishop Dositej on his new role, emphasizing its importance, as well as the importance of religious service for members of our armed forces.
As a sign of gratitude for cooperation and support for the religious service in the Serbian Armed Forces, Bishop Arsenije awarded the highest decoration of the Diocese of Niš – Order of St. Roman of Djunis, 1st class, to the Ministry of Defence, presenting it to Minister Vučević. The same decoration was awarded to Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Mojsilović. Minister Vučević handed a Ministry of Defence Plaque to Bishop Arsenije and thanked him on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for everything he had done for the armed forces, the church, our homeland, Serbia, and the entire Serbian nation during his four-year honourable service as the military bishop.
Handing an officer's sabre to Bishop Arsenije, General Mojsilović expressed gratitude on behalf of the members of the Serbian Armed Forces for outstanding cooperation that had strengthened the relationship between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Armed Forces and helped service members build up their moral strength.Bishop Arsenije gifted Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović the icons of the Lord Jesus Christ and Bibles.
The ceremony was attended by Army Commander Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Goran Momčilović, and Head of the Human Resources Department, General Staff, Brigadier General Savo Iriškić.Bishop Dositej was consecrated as the Bishop of Lipljan and Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarch on December 11, 2022 at the Cathedral of Saint Sava, following a regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. On that occasion it was also decided, given his career as an officer, that he would be appointed as the military bishop.
