His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije assessed that the decision to formally convert religious education from a school subject into a curriculum in schools in Serbia, was not sustainable even in the short term.

– We see the status of that subject differently. Religious education is a subject with formative impact on students. It teaches them values, spiritual vertical, human rights and freedoms, self-respect and respect for the other and different, civic values – said the Serbian patriarch, opening international expert panel on the 20th anniversary of reinstating religious education in schools in Serbia.

Patriarch Porfirije also criticized placing religious education in the class schedule as a pre-class, eighth class, etc., and objected to the instructions on raising the census to 30 students to form groups.

He noted the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church that the only fair, non-discriminatory and democratic solution was that given in the first decree from 2001, prescribing explicitly no census, reported the Slovo ljubve church radio.

Patriarch Porfirije emphasized especially that it was no less important to resolve the status of lecturers, i.e. religion teachers, and noted the necessity of employing religion teachers for an indefinite period of time and at the same time enabling churches and religious communities that delegate them to exercise careful supervision over religious teachers undisturbedly.

– They should supervise religion teachers, both in terms of personal example provided by religion teachers to students, and in terms of the content of the classes they teach – said the Serbian patriarch, pointing out the basic problems that still exist today, 20 years since the introduction of religious education in schools.

He added that religion teaching among Orthodox and Roman Catholics must be under church supervision, i.e. that religion teachers must also be under the supervision of the church.

– Therefore, the church must be provided with a way if, God forbid, a problem arises, to manifest this right, in the best interest of students attending religious education, by withdrawing work permit or license of those who no longer teach the sacred doctrine of the church in accordance with its faith – says Patriarch Porfirije.

He added that he was convinced that other religious communities also shared this view in principle.

The gathering at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Belgrade, organized by the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, the Religious Education Board and the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, was opened by the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia, Branko Ružić, in addition to Patriarch Porfirije.

A welcoming speech was given by the Dean of the Orthodox Theology Faculty, Archpriest Zoran Ranković, as well as representatives of churches and religious communities in Serbia – Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Islamic Community of Serbia, Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, bishops, representatives of the Slovak Evangelical Church, Reformed Christian Church, Jewish community.

Eminent experts from Germany, Italy, Greece and Serbia participated in the gathering.

Source: RTRS

Photo: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić