Name: Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand

Nationality:  United States of Serbian origin, Serbian is my first language

Church: Serbian Orthodox Church

Function: Bishop

Central Committee: Member since 2006, member of Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration

Age: 65

First encounter with the ecumenical movement: Right after seminary in 1982 I became the diocesan secretary for the Serbian Orthodox Church in the region around Pittsburgh.

The entire of the 1990s saw the breaking apart of the former Yugoslavia, and I was called to Washington to establish an office on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church, representing the interests of the Serbian church and the people during the time when there was no functioning government. The media really tarnished the image of the Serbian people at that time, and in trying to tell the truth I learned from our Patriarch, Pavle, that the only real Truth (capital T) is Jesus Christ. What the church has to offer is a built-in infrastructure that functions even in times of war.

We have been hit twice-over by horrific fires and floods, and recently, the strongest cyclone in history. We’re working now to set up aid stations. Australia is becoming more and more aware that it’s part of Australasia, not the West, so we are becoming much more aware of environmental issues. The most important role of the church always is to be present, and in the case of environmental tragedies to be present in practical ways and to offer spiritual solace.

We have spoken extensively here about the changing ecclesial landscape and are now examining our governance so we are on a par with this changing world. The Orthodox Church will often use a catchphrase – the issues seem to be constant, but the packaging changes. We need to go back to our roots – are we a religious version of the United Nations or are we called to a larger unity? If we aren’t unified, what do we have to offer to a fragmented world?