Resting place of Patriarch Irinej revealed. Only his will could change that decision

Photo: ATA Images

Patriarch Irinej will most likely be laid to rest in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava, the head of the Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Archdeacon Radomir Rakic, told Tanjug.

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Unless he determined otherwise by his will, the patriarch will thus become the first patriarch to be buried in the Temple in Belgrade.

The head of the Serbian Church, Irinej, passed away today at the age of 90.

The place where his earthly remains will rest in the throne of the Temple of Saint Sava is the "ambulatory," a room behind the altar of the crypt.

The part of the crypt where he will be buried - the ambulatory is the space behind the altar and is very rare in Orthodox churches. Only a handful of Orthodox churches anywhere in the world have this space. The ambulatory in the Temple of Saint Sava in Vracar was modeled on the Church of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. There is a door through which one enters, and this space - where Patriarch Irinej will be buried, but also later Serbian patriarchs unless they make special requests - surrounds the altar of the crypt, Blic writes.

Photo: Tanjug/Andjelko Utjesanovic

The construction of the Temple of Saint Sava was practically completed during the time of Patriarch Irinej. The stone from which the construction began was consecrated back in 1939 and can be seen in the crypt. The crypt itself is intended for the tomb church, and is dedicated to the Holy Prince Lazar.

There are many stories about the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava. Among them is that during the Second World War, Belgraders hid there from the bombing and that it was a safe haven for them. There is also one that says the German army kept fuel tanks in it.

The crypt - the part where Patriarch Irinej will be buried, stretches between the foundations of the Temple of Saint Sava, and has pillars with a maximum height of 6.20 meters. The depth of the Temple is about seven meters.

The completion of the crypt and its decoration was blessed by the late Patriarch Pavle in 2001.

(Telegraf.rs)