Serbia gets patriarch: "We've done everything to prevent foreign factor interference"

The SPC Holy Synod will probably be held in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, Metropolitan of Dabar-Bosnia and guardian of the patriarchal throne of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Chrysostom, told Tanjug.
However, he notes that the final decision on where Synod will be held will be made on February 10.
"We discussed this at the Synod session, because the epidemiological conditions are different than usual," explains Metropolitan Chrysostom, adding that three locations are possible for holding the assembly - two places in the patriarchate where the assembly has been held so far, or in the crypt, which would be the first way so far.
The Metropolitan believes that the new patriarch will be elected on the same day, and as he explains, the election comes three months after the death of Patriarch Irinej, as provided by the Constitution of the Church.
According to Chrysostom, the holding of the Assembly could be called into question only in the case of a worsened health situation, which would prevent a larger number of archbishops from coming.
He reminds that until 1968, the then Council, headed by Patriarch Herman, passed an amendment to the Constitution that the patriarch be elected only by diocesan archbishops and active vicar bishops.
When it comes to the procedure of electing a patriarch, he says that first the bishops choose three candidates from among themselves, and then the chosen names are placed on the gospel, and one of the three envelopes with the name of the elected patriarch is chosen by a monk from a monastery who is considered to be a great clergyman, and whose name will be known on the 10th of February.
Until now, those were the monk Antonija from the monastery of Tronoa and father Gavrilo from the monastery...