On May 14, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church commenced in Belgrade, held in the crypt of the Saint Sava Cathedral in Vračar under the chairmanship of Patriarch Porfirije. According to the Serbian Church's official website, this session was initially planned to take place at the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć in the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo. However, two days prior, the region's authorities barred Patriarch Porfirije and seven other bishops from entering.

In a statement following the session, the bishops of the Serbian Church condemned the actions of the Kosovo authorities as unlawful and called on international bodies to take measures to protect the Serbian population in the region. They asserted that the travel ban on Patriarch Porfirije was a tactic intended to intimidate Serbs, a national minority in Kosovo, and force them to leave the region.

"The Holy Synod of Bishops draws the attention of all responsible international actors who can influence the authorities in Pristina that this act grossly demonstrates a disregard for the internationally recognized provisions of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It and other conventions explicitly guarantee every person, including the Serbian Patriarch, bishops, priests, and believers, the right to freedom of movement, as well as freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and the right to peaceful assembly. We call upon the Orthodox and the entire Christian world and its spiritual leaders to defend the respect for our religious rights through prayer and other means," the bishops' statement declared.

The statement emphasized that the intention to hold the Assembly session in Kosovo had no political motivations. "The Serbian Orthodox Church has never been, is not now, and will not be in the future a political institution, but is and remains the spiritual Mother of Orthodox Serbs," the bishops affirmed. They also noted that the Serbian Church does not hold the status of a state church or political organization, and therefore political criteria cannot be applied to it.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the highest ecclesiastical legislative body concerning matters of faith, worship, church order, discipline, and internal organization. It convenes annually in May, but in urgent cases, it can be convened at any other time. All diocesan bishops participate in the sessions, with the Patriarch presiding.

Between sessions of the Assembly, the Holy Synod, consisting of the Patriarch and four bishops elected by the Assembly, handles church matters.

The sessions of the Assembly begin with the approval of the agenda, which is prepared by the Holy Synod, and proceed with the review of reports on the pastoral activities of all diocesan bishops and the central church bodies and institutions.