PATRIARCH PORFIRIJE: MAUTHAUSEN PLACE OF CRUCIFIXION AND EXTERMINATION OF ORTHODOX SERBS

LINZ, JUNE 10 /SRNA/ - His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia has said today that Mauthausen is the place of crucifixion and extermination of Orthodox Serbs whose bequest and will are being fulfilled by the construction of the Memorial Chapel at the Military Cemetery.

In his homily, after consecrating the Memorial Chapel, the patriarch pointed out that this place is a reminder that the evil that happened in Mauthausen a century ago should never be repeated anywhere, a place of prayer for all the victims, but also a place where the young generations will strengthen the Orthodoxy. "This is the place of great suffering of our ancestors, the Orthodox Serbs, and other peoples too, first of all our Italian brothers, who were imprisoned together with them and were buried together on these meadows of sorrow in the dark years of the First World War", said Patriarch Porfirije. His Holiness pointed out that the Orthodox Serbs, who were oppressed in this terrible but at the same time holy place due to bad conditions, hunger, typhus epidemic and other diseases, started building this church both during their lifetime and after their death. "This church is the fruit that sprouted from the seeds sown by the sacred bones of Serbian martyrs - Serbian officers, old men, children. In this place, as well as in other places, we members of the suffering nation can observe everything that happened simply and have a clear understanding about it - black and white feelings. To make it clear to us what is good and what is bad, who is the criminal and who are the victims", said Patriarch Porfirije.