Bishop Irinej of Nis has been elected the...

The previous leader, Patriarch Pavle, who had headed the Church since 1990, died at the age of 95 in November 2009 after a long illness.

The new patriarch was chosen in a so-called apostolic vote. After 45 bishops had chosen a shortlist of three candidates, their names were written down in three separate envelopes, the monks prayed, and then one of the candidates - Irinej Gavrilovic - was chosen at random.

A spokesman for Russia"s Orthodox Church, archpriest Nikolai Balashov, said Friday the Russian church knows the new Serb Christian leader, seen as a moderate, well.

"Bishop Irinej is one of the most influential hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church. A monk for half a century, he has been a bishop for 35 years and is much respected not only within his Diocese of Nis where he served for 34 years, but among Serbian Church bishops in general," Balashov said.

"He is also well known in the Orthodox world and has always had warm friendly feelings toward

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