FUNERAL ORATION

† Stefan,

Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia

Grieving parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, grandfathers and grandmothers, relatives and loved ones, classmates and colleagues, students and co-workers, teachers and professors, neighbours, fellow citizens, and friends of the departed,

Beloved people in the Lord,

Standing at this sorrowful gathering, I ask myself: Have we not shed enough tears as a people? Have we not endured enough mourning and carried enough grief? Have we not dug enough graves for various reasons, only to now face this national tragedy? It has been a long time since such a catastrophe, a long time since such a great loss of youth has gathered us as a people and summoned us for a final farewell, as we are experiencing today in Kočani and several other places in Macedonia. Who could have foreseen that after their well-deserved days of rest, so many school and university seats would remain empty on Monday? That so many would never return to their workplaces? That this would be their last celebration, their last song?

Who could have imagined that for these young souls, that Saturday evening would be their last? That they would never see another morning? That for some, the scars—both physical and emotional—would remain for a lifetime? In just a moment, so many young lives were extinguished, leaving countless families and an entire nation in mourning. And after what has happened in Kočani, if there is anything we can learn, it is that we must work to prevent such tragedies from happening again. This means changing our habits of careless and unprofessional work and behaviour—toward ourselves and toward others. It also means ensuring that the pursuit of profit and wealth is not driven by dishonesty or criminal intentions, without regard for safety, or even for the lives of others.

Beloved grieving people, I am aware that in such sorrowful moments, when parting from a loved one—a parent, a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a grandchild, a classmate, a neighbour, or a friend—it is difficult to speak, and even harder to find words of comfort.

In these moments of immeasurable pain and sorrow, here in Kočani and everywhere the news of this tragedy has reached, there are no words sufficient to ease the grief of those mourning the lost lives of these young Macedonian children. How could we not grieve? No human word can provide solace, but for those of us who believe, our comfort is in the Word of God and His salvific work. Our consolation lies in the truth of Christ’s Resurrection and the resurrection of all who have believed and lived in Christ. For us, as Christians, this is both understandable and comprehensible, for Christ is risen and has conquered death!

Beloved mourning people, it is right and justified to grieve this irreplaceable loss, but let us not grieve as those who have no hope. The Holy Church teaches us that only faith can illuminate the darkness of death and show us the path to eternal life. Therefore, for us Christians, faith is the first and only true comfort in moments of such profound sorrow when parting from our loved ones. So, let us pray that God grants us strength to endure this tragedy that has befallen us.

Let it also be a comfort to us that this terrible disaster in Kočani has caused a nationwide outpouring of grief among all our people, both here in the homeland and around the world. Let it bring solace that prayers have been offered by church leaders and representatives of various religious communities, that condolences have come from presidents of nations and individuals from across the world, and that several Balkan and European countries have declared days of mourning, sharing in our grief as their own.

Moreover, the sorrowful gatherings across nearly all cities in Macedonia are a message that our people—students and teachers, young and old—stand in solidarity with the families of the deceased and the injured. Macedonia weeps once again for its children, and our entire nation shares in the sorrow of the bereaved, for the loss of these young lives is a loss for us all!

Let us pray—now and always—that God forgives them and grants their souls a place among the righteous. And to you, their parents and loved ones, may He grant comfort, peace, and justifiable hope! Amen!

May their memory be eternal!