On Tuesday, 22 April, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije, together with Metropolitan Irinej of Bačka, met with His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus“. During the meeting, Patriarch Porfirije expressed concern about what he referred to as a ”colour revolution", implicitly referencing the ongoing student demonstrations in Serbia.
In 2016, His Eminence Porfirije—then Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana, now Patriarch of Serbia—was awarded the Order of Sankt Ignatios in recognition of his work towards reconciliation between Croats and Serbs, as well as his efforts to bridge the divide between East and West, a division that has often led to war and suffering.
It is therefore deeply troubling to witness Patriarch Porfirije now seemingly widening that very divide. By framing peaceful student protests as a colour revolution, and by implicitly drawing parallels to the Maidan protests in Ukraine—an event that led to significant civilian casualties and ultimately, a full-scale invasion—he risks casting legitimate civic expression in a dangerous and misleading light. Even more concerning is that these remarks were made in Moscow, in the presence of President Vladimir Putin, who has used similar narratives to justify violence and military aggression.
Such implications may have serious consequences in Belgrade. The meeting could be interpreted as tacit approval—a green light—for President Aleksandar Vučić to respond to the student protests with force. This stands in stark contrast to the example set by Patriarch Pavle, who chose to stand with students and protect them when faced with police brutality.
We therefore call on Patriarch Porfirije to follow the legacy of his predecessor and stand with the students—not with an arbitrary and increasingly authoritarian government. His voice, as a moral and spiritual leader, carries weight. We urge him to use it to safeguard peace, justice, and the right of citizens to speak freely.
Sankt Ignatios College
25 April 2025
Statement by Sankt Ignatios College
25 April 2025.
On Tuesday, 22 April, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, together with Metropolitan Irinej of Bačka, met with His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. During the meeting, Patriarch Porfirije expressed concern over what he termed a „polarised revolution“, thereby alluding to the current student protests in Serbia.
In 2016, His Eminence Porfirije—then Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana— and now Patriarch of Serbia—was awarded the Order of Saint Ignatius in recognition of his work towards reconciliation between Croats and Serbs, as well as for his efforts to bridge the divide between East and West, a divide that has often led to wars and suffering.
It is precisely for this reason that we are deeply concerned to see that Patriarch Porphyrios now appears to be exacerbating this very same division. By classifying peaceful student protests as a „colour revolution“, and implicitly equating them with the Maidan protests in Ukraine—an event that led to a large number of civilian casualties and, ultimately, to full-scale armed conflict—he risks presenting legitimate civic expression in a misleading and dangerous light. It is even more worrying that these statements were made in Moscow, in the presence of President Vladimir Putin, who has used similar narratives to justify violence and military aggression.
Such implications could have serious consequences in Belgrade. The meeting could be interpreted as tacit approval—green light- to President Aleksandar Vučić to respond to the student protests with force. That is in sharp contrast to the example of Patriarch Pavle, who (in his time) decided to stand with the students and protect them in moments of police brutality.
We therefore call on Patriarch Porphyrius to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and stand with the students—not with an arbitrary and increasingly authoritarian authority. His voice, as a moral and spiritual leader, carries weight. We call on him to use that voice to defend peace, justice and the right of citizens to freely express their views.
Sankt Ignatios College
25 April 2025.