Serbia coronavirus: The Church losing its leaders to the pandemic
Few organisations have taken a bigger hit from the coronavirus pandemic than the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Over the past two months, Covid-19 has deprived the religious institution of its top leadership in both Serbia and Montenegro. But critics say the blows are self-inflicted, with traditional acts of worship the likely cause of infection.
The chain of events is extraordinary:
Last month, the Church's senior bishop in Montenegro, Metropolitan Amfilohije, died after contracting coronavirus
Then, the Church's leader, Patriarch Irinej, tested positive for Covid-19 days after presiding at his colleague's funeral, and died
Last week, Bishop David of Krusevac, who conducted part of the service marking the Patriarch's death, confirmed that he had contracted coronavirus for the second time
Amfilohije's successor in Montenegro, Bishop Joanikije, has been unable to take up his duties due to his own struggle with the disease
Regardless of the decimation of its leadership, the Orthodox Church remains central to many people's lives. And while schools in Serbia have mostly moved online because of the epidemic, communion is still performed in person, often in breach of the ban on gatherings of more than five people.
"In the majority of Orthodox churches, the Mass is being held continuously, although the epidemic has decreased the number of worshippers," says religious affairs analyst Zeljko Injac.
"The Church is highly respected in Serbian society; it is more respected than the country itself or any other national institution.
"In the Balkans and Eastern Europe in general, state systems, political systems, ideologies and regimes have changed too often - and society has not made much progress either politically or economically. The only constant for people was the Church."
But there have been vocal critics of the Church's practices, particularly surrounding the two recent high-profile funerals.