09.01.2013.
Candidates for military chaplains ordained
As part of the procedure of admitting officers into military chaplain service, with the aim of gaining practice in performing liturgy and other church services, the first candidates for military chaplains were ordained in the Novi sad-based Church of Ascension in Kovilj Monastery.During the service which along with Archimandrite Jovan (Radosavljevic), as well as by priests and deacons from Novi Sad, was also performed by the Bishop of Backa Irinej, Deacon Djordje Stojisavljevic, a candidate for a military priest, was ordained in as priest
With the highest-ranking clergy and monks, the liturgy in monastery Kovilj was performed today by Bishop of Jegarje Porfirije, who ordained Selimir Vagic, a future military priest as deacon.
Having already successfully passed all required physical, psychological, medical tests and security checks, and following ordination the candidates are expected to undergo a one-month training period for military chaplains after which they would be admitted into professional military service.
Special rooms in military barracks of SAF have already been selected which will be renovated and where priests and religious officials, immediately upon admission, could start the service. At this stage of the religious services, the Serbian Armed Forces needs 13 Orthodox priest and an imam and chaplain.The admission of candidates will continue this year, as Col. Stevica Karapandzin, head of the Department of faith in the Directorate General of Human Resources, who attended the ordination, said.
