Irinej was born as Miroslav Gavrilović (pronounced [mǐroslaʋ ɡaʋrǐːloʋitɕ]; Serbian Cyrillic: Мирослав Гавриловић) in Vidova near Čačak, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Serbia).

[17] On 28 January 2010, at his first news conference, Irinej stated that "Islam’s philosophy was that Muslims, when they are in small numbers, can behave well and be fair, but that once they become superior, they start to exert pressure."

[20] In 2010, Irinej indicated he would not oppose the first-ever visit by the pope of the Catholic Church to Serbia in 2013 as part of celebrations of the 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, the law under which Roman emperor Constantine I, who was born in Niš, ended the persecution of Christians.

[23] A visit by Pope Francis (deemed politically useful for Serbia's battle against the international recognition of Kosovo) was discussed again for May 2016, but Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić called it off after hearing the negative opinion of Irinej's Orthodox Church.

[24] In July 2018, Irinej confirmed that it was still not the right moment for a visit of the Pope to Serbia, "because of everything that has happened in the past, and a huge number of [Serb] refugees from Croatia, a large portion of the nation is against it.

[29] Irinej has been criticized for his lack of action in regards to allegations of pedophilia within the Serbian Orthodox Church, which were reported in the summer of 2012 and affected public opinion in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The scandal, initially covered up, led to the resignation of the Tuzla and Zvornik bishop, Vasilije Kačavenda, who was accused of having abused children for decades.

[30] A court in London ruled that the Serbian Orthodox Church was not guilty for the six reported cases of alleged pedophilia in the lawsuit filed by a group of citizens.

Following his death on 20 November 2020, Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar-Bosnia, a senior member of the Holy Synod, became the acting Guardian of the Throne until the election of new patriarch.

[35] In October 2012, Irinej wrote to Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić to express concern over the "moral" image of Belgrade and Serbia, "our centuries-long Christian culture and the dignity of our family, as the foundation block of humankind".

"It is extremely irresponsible to present scandalous details or someone’s personal temptations to the media and thus expose people to potential danger.

"[4] Irinej and the Serbian Orthodox Church were considered very close to the political leadership of Serbia under SNS' Aleksandar Vučić, in power since 2012.

The year before, Irinej criticised the anti-government protests, stating that "what we see in streets today is not good" and that, "it gives strength to our enemies".

[4] In January 2013, Irinej openly advocated for the restoration of the Serbian monarchy, after the liturgy commemorating the transfer of the remains of King Peter II to Serbia from the United States.

"[33] In 2018, in multiple occasions Irinej publicly supported Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, stating that he was "fighting like a lion" to maintain Kosovo as a part of Serbia.

"[38] On 10 November 2010, Irinej stated in an interview that "the Drina River [between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina] is not a border but a bridge that connects us.

"[42] In January 2012, Irinej referred to Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising Bosnia and Herzegovina, as "the youngest Serbian state".

"[43] In November 2017, he called the life sentence handed out by the Hague Tribunal to former VRS General Ratko Mladić for, inter alia, the Srebrenica genocide "a work of the devil".

On 9 January 2019, he attended the Republika Srpska's Statehood Day parade in Banja Luka, together with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić.

In an official statement, Patriarch Irinej "highly praised the principled and firm support" of the Assad regime in backing Serbia with regard to Kosovo.

[61] The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy stated that "The late Primate [Irinej], during his Patriarchal service, reflected the profound Orthodox feelings of the Serbian people, as well as his hope for a better future.

Until today, he strived, without sparing any effort, for the unity of the One and Indivisible Church of Christ and the troubles that concern the modern world.

"[62] The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity stated that "throughout his ministry, His Holiness [Irinej] remained an example of faith and dialogue, humble and joyful, totally dedicating his life to God and fostering the spirit of communion within the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Following the ceremony, his body was carried to the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar, Belgrade,[66][67] and thousands of mourners passed by the coffin which, in consideration of coronavirus and the circumstances of the Patriarch’s death, had a glass lid.

[73] Funeral service was also attended by numerous government ministers of Serbia and various politicians from the Balkans including the Prime Minister-designate of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapić and President of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović, and dignitaries such as Prince Filip Karađorđević and Stanislav Hočevar, the Catholic archbishop of Belgrade.