On the occasion of the passing of Pope Francis, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije issued the following condolence statement:
 
Christ is risen! It is with sorrow that we received the news that on the second day of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pope Francis passed away.
 
During his pontificate, I had the opportunity to meet personally with the late Pope on several occasions, and therefore I feel compelled today to bear witness that he was a man who built peace and understanding among people and nations, with a particular desire to develop cooperation with the Orthodox Churches. The Serbian Orthodox Church is grateful to him for his deep understanding of the tragic historical legacy of the region in which the Serbian Orthodox people live.
 
On behalf of the Pleroma of the Serbian Orthodox Church, I extend condolences to the Diocese of Rome and to the entire Roman Catholic Church, with a prayer that the Lord grant the departed Pope Francis eternal life and eternal remembrance.