A group of Orthodox Christian faithful gathered in front of the church of St George in the Bezanija suburb of Belgrade on Thursday morning, defying measures aimed at preventing gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

 President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej issued a joint statement on Wednesday, calling the faithful to remain home for Easter and not attend church services. Vucic and Irinej spoke by telephone after the Church issued a statement asking the government to lift the curfew for a few hours this coming Sunday to allow believers to attend church services.

The government has extended the weekend curfew from 5:00 pm on Friday to 5:00 am on Tuesday.  

The local priest at the church in Bezanija served mass and used a PA system to call the faithful to enter the church one by one to kiss the central icon.