Patriarch Porfirije leads church service for Ratko Mladic

Patriarch Porfirije led the Serbian Orthodox Church service before Ratko Mladic’s funeral, repeatedly calling him “General Ratko” rather than using the customary religious form, “servant of God Ratko.”

In his address, Porfirije said Mladic had been a Christian who had confessed his faith and received Holy Communion in recent years. He said Mladic died holding a cross on his chest and that his name would remain woven into the memory and prayers of much of the Serbian Orthodox population.

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The Orthodox Church prays for everyone.

The patriarch described Mladic as a soldier and commander who had led the army of his people during a difficult and tragic period. He also acknowledged the wider suffering of the conflict, referring to the “horrific war, lost homes, lost lives, and graves.” He said prayers should extend to everyone whose lives had been extinguished.

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Today we stand here for one whom we know was a Christian, General Ratko.

Mladic died in the hospital of the United Nations criminal tribunal’s detention unit at age 84 while serving a life sentence for war crimes and the Srebrenica genocide. Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic and former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik attended the service.

Six Serbian Armed Forces soldiers in combat uniforms formed the final guard of honor. They covered the coffin with the Serbian national flag and the Republika Srpska flag, carried it outside, and placed it in a red van bound for Topcider cemetery through a crowd of thousands.

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We stand before a life that cannot be separated from a terrible era, a horrific war, lost homes, lost lives, and graves.