Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Leads Jajinci Memorial in Belgrade

Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Pech led a memorial today at Jajinci in Belgrade for the victims of the mass executions in Serbia during World War II that resulted in the deaths of 80,000 Serbs, Roma, and Jews. The commemorative events were attended by Serbian President Boris Tadic, other prominent Serbian officials, and veterans and survivors of the Holocaust in Serbia. More (in Serbian) here.

Holocaust Memorial in Skopje

This past Thursday a Holocaust memorial was inaugurated in Skopje, the capital of independent Macedonia. More here.

Bulgaria Remembers the Holocaust

Bulgaria is marking its Holocaust Remembrance Day today. Unlike other Axis allies during World War II, Bulgaria alone saved its Jews from being deported to Germany largely due to pressure exerted on the royal government by senior hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. More here.

Bishop Irinej of Bachka on the Holocaust, Communism

Bishop Irinej (Bulovic) of Bachka of the Serbian Orthodox Church has stated that the crimes of the Nazi Germans are not equal to those of the Yugoslav Communists after World War II despite a number of concerning similarities to one another. Bishop Irinej also condemned anti-Semitism and reminded reporters of Patriarch Pavle (Stojchevic) of blessed memory's strong stance against the rise of anti-Semitism in post-Communist Yugoslavia and Serbia. More here.