Cardinal Ladislav Nemet: The Pope’s Visit to Serbia Would Be of Great Importance for the Entire Country and Society
Cardinal and Archbishop of Belgrade Ladislav Nemet stated in an interview with Newsmax Balkans that, during the Easter holidays, we should focus more on our families rather than on unnecessarily escalating tensions.
"The foundation of all our aspirations is the desire within us to be strong, to persevere, and for all that is beautiful to live on forever. One of the greatest desires people have is to stop time during moments of joy. To always feel happiness, to be blessed, to have peace within our families and society, to be able to grow, and to enjoy what we have. Easter, in a single expression, represents all of this – life, goodness, and forgiveness," said Cardinal Nemet.
Speaking about the turbulent times we live in, the Archbishop of Belgrade emphasized the importance of dialogue and recalled that, in the past, even wars were paused during Easter and Christmas.
"I believe this should be a message for us in Serbia as well – to focus more on our families and on love within families during these holy days, rather than on unnecessarily increasing tensions. Easter should lead us toward peace and unity," Nemet stated.
Pope Francis has appointed new cardinals, including Belgrade Archbishop Ladislav Nemet, the first in the history of the Catholic Church in Serbia. The archbishop believes that Europe is open to Serbia joining "this great community," emphasizing the cultural closeness between Serbians and Europeans.
Cardinal Nemet said the greatest challenge for Christianity today is to authentically represent God and Jesus.
"To interpret His gospel in a way that is meaningful to people. If the best within us improves, we will encounter witnesses like ourselves, and that can lead to change. That change must begin within us – we must first improve ourselves, be honest and sincere, and seek love and kindness toward others," he emphasized.
He stressed that one of Christianity’s challenges as a system is the weakening of true faith.
"We go to church, say a prayer, and light a candle. But internal change must also happen," said Nemet.
Responding to a question about a possible visit by Pope Francis to Serbia, the cardinal said he does not believe such a visit will happen at this moment due to health reasons.
"I know privately, from contacts, that he intended to visit several times. In 2016, we even had a date. But three weeks before the visit, it was said that the time was not yet right," said the Archbishop of Belgrade.
There is political will among Serbia’s leaders, Nemet added.
"The Catholic people have invited him. I officially extended an invitation on behalf of the bishops’ conference 10 years ago, and I mentioned it to him again personally the last time I saw him in January. There is goodwill on his part. We know that the Serbian Orthodox Church also plays an important role. How open it is to such a visit is another matter," said Cardinal Nemet.
According to him, the Pope’s visit to Serbia would be of general significance for the entire country and society.
Nakon više od deset meseci borbe za istinu i pravdu za stradale, Cetinjani su prekinuli proteste na Kruševom Ždrijelu, poručujući da se njihova misija nastavlja pred tužilaštvom i sudovima.
Platni promet s Naftnom industrijom Srbije (NIS) od ponedeljka neće funkcionisati, sudeći po najavama koje su prethodnih dana stigle iz državnog vrha. Ipak, zaposleni na benzinskim pumpama će doći na posao, a gužvi za gorivo nema.
Prijava nelegalnih objekata na osnovu Zakona o posebnim uslovima evidentiranja i upisa prava svojine na nepokretnostima počeće u ponedeljak ujutru, a digitalna platforma biće otvorena od četiri časa, izjavila je ministarka građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Aleksandra Sofronijević.
Goran Rosic, who had been on the run as one of the suspects in the investigation conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime into financial flows related to the modernization project of the Hungarian–Serbian railway, has been arrested in Croatia.
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic stated that elections will be held either in May or December next year, but that it is more realistic for them to take place at the end of November or in December.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Aleksandr Bocan-Harcenko, to discuss gas supply and infrastructure projects that will further strengthen Serbia’s energy system.
Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic stated that the 5G network is available in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Kragujevac, and that the plan is for all cities in Serbia to be covered next year.
Telekom Srbija and EXPO 2027 Belgrade have marked the official beginning of their cooperation as part of the preparations for the specialized exhibition EXPO 2027 Belgrade, with Telekom Srbija becoming the first official sponsor of this international event.
The Serbian Parliament has adopted the Budget Law for 2026, and state revenues for next year will amount to 2.4147 trillion dinars, which is 2.9 percent, or 68.5 billion dinars, more than the revenues projected by this year’s original budget.
Telekom Srbija announced that mts 5G signal now covers major cities and roads in the country, and that users of this network can already take advantage of all the benefits brought by 5G technology, primarily higher internet speeds.
The shutdown of production facilities at the Pancevo Oil Refinery has begun due to a shortage of crude oil for processing, which has arisen as a consequence of the sanctions imposed on NIS by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the company announced.
Komentari (0)