Serbian hierarch: We welcome technology but reject its temptations
Bishop Photios emphasized that our time ignores the ideal of holiness, but church frescoes remind us of it.
On 20 October 2024, Bishop Photios celebrated the Holy Archpastoral Liturgy in Drijen near Derventa, reports orthodoxianewsagency.gr.
In his liturgical sermon, the bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church reminded those gathered that amidst the rapid development of innovative technologies, when people are able to contact each other even from different corners of the globe, we should not forget about God and the saints who have achieved union with God.
"In the 18th century, Elder Kosmas of Aetolia predicted that people would speak from one end of the world to the other using a small device. He called it 'alala' and 'balala' because conversations through it would be irrelevant and useless," said Bishop Photios.
The Serbian hierarch reminded the faithful that mobile devices, accessible to everyone, including children, carry not only benefits but also many worldly temptations, from crime to lawlessness.
Bishop Photios warned parents whose children spend a lot of time using gadgets: "Parents should be cautious and advise their children. I am not against technology but against the temptations it brings."
As earlier reported by the UOJ, the Serbian Patriarch and the Archbishop of Ohrid conducted a joint service.