Liturgy and prayer service for future officers

A liturgy and a prayer service were held today in the Church of St. Sava in Vračar to mark the graduation of Military Academy cadets (143rd and 144th classes) and the cadets of the Military Medical Academy’s Medical Faculty (9th class), who will enter professional military service in a couple of days.



The Bishop of Lipjan Dositej concelebrated the liturgy with the Military Academy chaplain, Major Nemanja Perović, the Military High School chaplain, Captain Slavko Papić, and the priests of the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci.

During the liturgy, excerpts of scripture were read by Milan Ličanin, a cadet of the MMA’s Medical Faculty (11th class), following which the final year cadets took Communion of their own free will.



At the end of the liturgy, Bishop Dositej conveyed to the future officers of the Serbian Armed Forces the blessings from His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, as well as his congratulations on their graduation and the upcoming promotion to the first officer ranks.

- Being an officer has always been regarded as an honourable profession among the Serbs. Our people have great respect for officers and love their military dearly. It is truly noble and honourable to be a Serbian officer, but it is equally responsible, because we live in the Balkans and very often we are in a situation where we have to defend our homeland. Therefore, the Serbian officers are the ones who are supposed to respond first in such difficult situations, difficult historical circumstances, who are supposed to make wise and brave decisions. Yours is not an easy task, but remember your ancestors who should always be your role models - said Bishop Dositej and blessed the future second lieutenants of the Serbian Armed Forces.



Besides the future officers, the liturgy was attended by the Commandant of the Military Academy, Colonel Assoc. Prof. Srđan Blagojević, PhD, Cadet Brigade Commander, Colonel Milan Končar and their associates.