A panel discussion “Is it a cult, or a sect? A deception or a delusion?”

A  panel discussion titled “Is it a cult, or a sect? A deception, or a delusion?”, was held on Monday, April 15th at the Rakovica cultural and educational centre, attended by a large number of people, including the children from several Belgrade schools.

The panel’s guest speakers included: the coordinator of the Section for apologetic mission of the AEM Missionary Department, Zoran Lukovic and his associates, Vlajko Panovic – a medical psychology specialist, Slobodan Spasic – a psychologist, and Andrej Protic – a communications expert. Father Vladimir Vicentijevic, on behalf of the clergy of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, also took part in the discussion.

The panel also discussed, among other things, how to recognise the symbols used by sects and other forms of spiritual and physical abuse, as well as the experiences of working with former members of such organisations,  who were also involved in criminal activities.

Source: TV Hram

PHOTOS: Hram Television Photo Archive

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Protopresbyter-Staurophorus Vajo Jović

Protopresbyter-Staurophorus Vajo Jović was born in 1956 in Ugljevik, Srpska.

Priest in Zagreb and Secretary of the Diocesan Board of the Metropolis of Zagreb and Ljubljana since 1979.
From Zagreb, he served the missionary parish in Maribor.
Parish priest at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Belgrade since 1991.
Since 2000, Elder of the same church and Director of the Orthodox Missionary School until his retirement in 2023.

Forty-two years of priestly service are characterized by intensive missionary work.

Recipient of the Order of St. Sava, third degree.

Protopresbyter-Staurophor Radivoj Panić

Protopresbyter-Staurophor Radivoj Panić is the coordinator of the Parish Mission Department of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovci. He was born on April 1, 1961 in Novi Sad. He completed the seminary in Sremski Karlovci in 1981.

From 1986 to 1991, he was engaged as a librarian at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1992. He began his pastoral ministry as a parish priest in Kosova Polje, where he served from 1992 to 2001. After that, from 2001 to 2009, he was the parish priest at the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, and since 2009 he has served as the parish priest at the Church of St. Sava. He completed his theological studies in 2008, at a time when he was already serving as a parish priest.

He is particularly involved in organizing pilgrimages to Kosovo and Metohija, as well as in humanitarian work. He collaborates with the organization “Our Serbs” from Chicago, through which he actively participates in providing assistance to the Serbian people in Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija, as well as in supporting domestic organizations operating in these areas.

Father Radivoj Panić is considered one of the most respected priests of the Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovac.