Serbian Orthodox Church faces criticism over lack of transparency for donations collected during Holy Belt gifting

Analyst Draško Đenović said it was expected that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) would disclose how much money was collected from believers during the gifting of the Holy Belt of the Theotokos at the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade, but the church has not done so. He noted that the abbot of the Vatoped monastery, Jefrem, and Patriarch Porfirije announced that all contributions would be directed to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

Đenović estimated that if the average donor gave 100 dinars, more than 90 million dinars were raised from the 916,825 believers who participated. Theologian Blagoje Pantelić told Beta that, according to his information, the SPC has not yet paid a single dinar to any poor family in Kosovo, Metohija, or Serbia. Beta agency sent an official request on 19 June to the Patriarch’s cabinet asking for details on the total amount collected and its allocation, but the SPC has not responded.

The Holy Belt was displayed in the Temple of Saint Sava from 20 May to 5 June 2026 before being returned to its home monastery at Vatoped on Mount Athos.