The Serbian Hilandar Monastery on Mt. Athos suffered a devastating fire in March 2004 that destroyed 6 buildings, though, thankfully, the church was undamaged and no one was injured. According to a recent announcement from a Serbian state official, the cost of the extensive renovations were entirely covered by the Serbian government, reports inoacije.gov.rs. “On the eve of the biggest Christian holiday of Pascha, I visited Hilandar monastery and made sure that the renovations on one of the oldest and most valuable Serbian holy sites, were going well,” said Minister Nenad Popović, the Deputy President of the State Commission for the Reconstruction of Hilandar.

“When I visited Hilandar together with President Vučić for Nativity, the President then promised Abbot Methodius and the brothers of the monastery that the Republic of Serbia would pay in full the funds necessary for the reconstruction of Hilandar.” “That promise has been fulfilled,” Popović announced. The reconstruction work undertaken since the fire is the largest work at the monastery since the 14th century, the Minister highlighted.

Noting that Hilandar has been a beloved Serbian institution since 1198, Popović said that “Support for Hilandar is support for the preservation of our history and the memory of the centuries-long duration of the Serbian state and the Church. It’s also support for our future, which we are building by developing as a modern, successful and democratic society, but on the solid pillars of our Orthodox faith and the great state idea of ​​a free and independent Serbian state, built by our greatest rulers.” “And each of them, whenever they returned to Hilandar, and whenever they helped Hilandar, built a strong, free and successful Serbia. That is the vision of President Aleksandar Vučić as well,” the Minister concluded. (Quelle: www.orthochristian.com, 23. April 2021)