"I appeal for ensuring the legal protection to the clergy, faithful and facilities of the Serb Orthodox Church that are again exposed to threats and attacks, notably in Dalmatia," the dignitary said during a Christmas service in Zagreb on Saturday.
Pavlovic commented also on challenges which the Serb Orthodox Church was facing in various parts of the world and on what he said was a painful issue of the Serb Orthodox Church in Kosovo and in Montenegro.
He stressed that the Serb people in Bosnia-Herzegovina was exposed to "bitter experiences" and called on them to be persistent in their faith and on the path toward goodness and humanity.
The dignitary called on all peoples and communities in Bosnia to pursue reconciliation, forgiveness and common goals in the future.
Croatian Serbs, who celebrate the Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which falls on 7 January of the Gregorian calendar, attended religious rites in Orthodox churches throughout the country on Saturday morning.
At the end of the services, this year's Christmas message of Patriarch Pavle, the primate of the Serb Orthodox Church, was read out in line with tradition.
A few days ago, Pavle released his message in which he, among other things, called on Croatia's authorities to ensure unimpeded return to Serb refugees.