Daruvar, June 12, 2000 (IKA) — On June 11, in the Serbian Orthodox temple of the Holy Father in Daruvar, Episcope [Bishop] Sava, former episcope of the Australian-New Zealand Eparchy [Diocese], was installed as the episcope of Slavonia. The Holy Liturgy was attended by numerous faithful and guests. Patriarch Pavle, who conducted the ceremony of the installation of the twenty-first Slavonian episcope, addressed those assembled as follows: “You live in Croatia, in the country and region where I was born and raised, with a nation that in the majority is of the Roman Catholic faith, and with whom we Orthodox have so much in common. Therefore, I ask for your good works be visible, for you to be good workers, good neighbors, fulfill your civic responsibilities and respect the laws that are in effect in this country.” The new episcope of Slavonia stated that following many decades of atheism, the eradication of religion and the misfortunes of war, a period of renewal and coexistence is coming.
On behalf of the Catholic Church, the Holy Liturgy and installation ceremony were attended by the president of the Council of the Croatian Conference of Catholic Bishops for Ecumenicism and Dialogue, Bishop Antun Škvorčević of Požega, and by the parish priest of Daruvar, the Rev. Branko Galemanović. In addition to local dignitaries, representatives of the Serbs in Croatia, Milorad Pupovac and Vojislav Stanimirović, were also present.