The Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will be visiting the Eparchy of Osječko Polje and Baranja today and tomorrow, announced the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The welcome ceremony for Patriarch Porfirije will be held today at 4:45 PM in front of the cathedral in Vukovar, after which the solemn act of doxology will be served.

The holy liturgy will be served tomorrow at 9 AM, along with the act of consecration and enthronement of the cathedral.

The Patriarch Porfirije will then consecrate the Serbian House in Vukovar.

The visit caused the protest of a portion of the Croatian public, above all veterans’ organizations, opposition and certain media outlets. The question that is being asked in the Croatian public is why did the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church choose Sunday for his visit, the 31st anniversary of the death of Blago Zadro, the commander of the Croatian Army, who was killed in the Battle of Vukovar.

The portal of the Croatian daily Dnevnik wrote that Vukovar will be a “high security risk” site on Sunday, because, according to them, apart from veterans’ organizations, fan groups are also preparing to arrive to the city.