Arkady Babchenko: "The Patriarch's Yacht"

“In Kosovo, I heard such a legend. When Pavle was not yet the Patriarch of Serbia, but was still the Bishop of Kosovo, in Muslim enclaves from time to time - and he walked exclusively even then - they tied tin cans to his cassock for laughter. What did he do? answered: “I will pray for you, people.”

When Pavle died, I was just in Belgrade. The farewell line stretched for a kilometer. What was especially striking was that the queue did not consist of angry grandmothers in headscarves, but of ordinary people - in jeans, sneakers, and heels. After a day of work, people left work and walked into this line to say goodbye to their Patriarch. It was all very natural. I generally note this everywhere in other Orthodox countries - the faith there is somehow more natural, non-aggressive, unostentatious. Organic."