Patr. Porfirije Served Funeral for General Ratko Mladić

KOŠUTNJAK, SERBIA — As reported by UOJ-Serbia, thousands of people gathered in Belgrade on September 7, 2026, to attend the funeral of General Ratko Mladić, former commander of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska. The funeral service was held at the Church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke in Košutnjak, followed by burial at Topčider Cemetery.

The church opened its doors at 7 a.m., allowing Mladić’s son Darko, family members, comrades, and mourners to gather around the bier. After a requiem liturgy celebrated by Archpriest Đorđe Stojisavljević, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije led the funeral service at noon. Numerous bishops, clergy, and monastics concelebrated.

The area surrounding the church became crowded with thousands of mourners from Serbia and Serbian communities abroad. The gathering included many young people and families with children, with attendees carrying candles as they paid their respects to the former military commander.

During his sermon, Patr. Porfirije spoke about death, human destiny, and divine judgment. He described death as the “last enemy” defeated through Christ’s Resurrection and emphasized that earthly courts do not have the final say over a person’s destiny, saying that true justice rests in God’s hands. He also spoke of Mladić’s historical place in the collective memory while calling for prayer for all victims of the past war.

The funeral at Topčider Cemetery began at 2 p.m. and was conducted with the highest military honors. Darko Mladić and Bp. Dositej addressed the mourners at the cemetery, where the former commander was laid to rest following the funeral service.

The decision to give Mladić a "hero's funeral" has been criticized by global figures, as Mladić died while serving a life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide and has been referred to as the "Butcher of Bosnia."

"The images from Ratko Mladic’s funeral yesterday in Belgrade were shocking," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said, according to reporting from The Independent.

"The elements of official support and the presence of some senior Serbian officials at the funeral are deeply regrettable," von der Leyen and Costa said. "They demonstrate a failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe’s recent history and contradict the values underpinning Serbia’s path towards the European Union."

Previously, the UOJ reported that Patr. Porfirije appeared in a new documentary on St. Sava.