Washington  - The United States Wednesday extended condolences to members of the Serbian Orthodox Church community on the death of their leader, Patriarch Pavle.

"The patriarch holds a revered place in the hearts of Serbian Orthodox Church members throughout the world," US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.

The 95-year-old patriarch died Sunday evening. The funeral is slated for Thursday.

Pavle led the Orthodox Church through its post-Communist resurgence and its troubled role in the Balkan wars of the 1990s. He was greatly loved and respected among Serbs for his quiet ways and his calls for peace and conciliation during the wars.

Although the resurgence of the Orthodox Church went hand in hand with the rise of Serbian nationalism in the post-communist era, Pavle and his church did not change the direction of aggressive, hardline nationalism that plagued the region during the Balkan wars. (dpa)