The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
(
ecclesiastically independent)
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
Christian churches
In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym for ...
.
The majority of the population in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
,
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
and the
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is locat ...
entity of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
are members of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is organized into
metropolitanates and
eparchies
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
, located primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia. Other congregations are located in the
Serb diaspora
Serb diaspora ( sr, Српска дијаспора/Srpska dijaspora) refers to the diaspora communities of ethnic Serbs. It is not to be confused with the Serbian diaspora, which refers to migrants, regardless of ethnicity, from Serbia. Due to ...
. The
Serbian Patriarch
This article lists the heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the establishment of the church as an autocephalous archbishopric in 1219 to today's patriarchate. The list includes all the archbishops and patriarchs that led the Serbian Ortho ...
serves as first among equals in his church. The current patriarch is
Porfirije, enthroned on 19 February 2021.
The Church achieved
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
status in 1219, under the leadership of
Saint Sava
Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...
, becoming the independent
Archbishopric of Žiča. Its status was elevated to that of a
patriarchate
Patriarchate ( grc, πατριαρχεῖον, ''patriarcheîon'') is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, designating the office and jurisdiction of an ecclesiastical patriarch.
According to Christian tradition three patriarchates were est ...
in 1346, and was known afterwards as the
Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...
. This patriarchate was abolished by the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1766, though several regional sections of the church continued to exist, most prominent among them being the
Metropolitanate of Karlovci
The Metropolitanate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка митрополија, Karlovačka mitropolija) was a metropolitanate of the Eastern Orthodox Church that existed in the Habsburg monarchy between 1708 and 1848. Between 1708 and 1713 ...
, in the
Habsburg monarchy. After the re-creation of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
,
ecclesiastical autonomy was regained in 1831, and the
autocephaly was renewed in 1879. The modern Serbian Orthodox Church was re-established in 1920, after the unification of the
Metropolitanate of Belgrade
The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
, the
Patriarchate of Karlovci
The Patriarchate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка патријаршија, Karlovačka patrijaršija) or Serbian Patriarchate of Sremski Karlovci ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Сремским Карловцима, Srpska ...
, and the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Митрополија црногорско-приморска Српске православне цркве, Mitropolija crnogorsko-primorska Srpske pravoslav ...
.
Historical background
Early Christianity
Christianity started to spread throughout the
southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...
during the 1st century. Early martyrs
Florus and Laurus from the 2nd century, who were murdered along with other 300 Christians in
Ulpiana
Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda ( la, Iustiniana Secunda). Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipjan. The Minicipium Ulpiana - ''Iustiniana Secunda'' was proclaim ...
near modern
Lipljan
Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the Pristina District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,605 i ...
, are venerated as Christian saints. Bishop
Irenaeus of Sirmium
Saint Irenaeus of Sirmium (died 304 AD) was an Illyrian bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia, which is now Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia.''The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity''
edited by Scott Fitzgerald Johnson, p.98-99 He was bishop during the reign of ...
was also martyred, in 304. Emperor
Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
(306–337), born in Naissus (modern
Niš
Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
in Serbia), was the first Christian ruler of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
. Several local bishops, seated in present-day Serbia, became prominent during the 4th century, such as
Germinius of Sirmium Germinius, born in Cyzicus, was bishop of Sirmium, (today the town Sremska Mitrovica, in the territory of Srem in Serbia) and a supporter of Homoian theology, which is often labelled as a form of Arianism. Along with Valens of Mursa and Ursaciu ...
,
Ursacius of Singidunum
Ursacius ( 335–346) was the bishop of Singidunum (the ancient city which was to become Belgrade), during the middle of the 4th century. He played an important role during the evolving controversies surrounding the legacies of the Council of Nic ...
and
Secundianus of Singidunum (modern
Belgrade), while several
Councils were held in Sirmium.
In 395, the Empire was divided, and its eastern half later became known as the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. In 535, emperor
Justinian I
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renova ...
created the
Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima
Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima was an Eastern Christian autonomous Archbishopric with see in the city of Justiniana Prima and jurisdiction over the Late Roman Diocese of Dacia in central parts of the Southeastern Europe.
History
The arch ...
, centered in the emperor's birth-city of
Justiniana Prima
Justiniana Prima (Latin: , sr, Јустинијана Прима, Justinijana Prima) was an Eastern Roman city that existed from 535 to 615, and currently an archaeological site, known as or ''Caričin Grad'' ( sr, Царичин Град), nea ...
, near modern
Lebane
Lebane ( sr-cyr, Лебане) is a town and municipality located in Jablanica District of southern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 10,062 inhabitants, while the municipality has 20,000 inhabitants.
Geography
The ...
in Serbia. The archbishopric had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over all provinces of the
Diocese of Dacia. By the beginning of the 7th century, Byzantine provincial and ecclesiastical order in the region was destroyed by invading
Avars and
Slavs. In 731, emperor
Leo III transferred the entire
Illyricum to jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, thus affirming its attachment to the
Eastern Christianity.
Christianization of Serbs
![Seal of Strojimir](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Seal_of_Strojimir.gif)
The history of the early medieval
Serbian Principality is recorded in the work ''
De Administrando Imperio'' (), compiled by the Byzantine Emperor
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus ( 913–959). The DAI drew information on the Serbs from, among others, a Serbian source. The Serbs were said to have received the protection of Emperor
Heraclius (r. 610–641), and Porphyrogenitus stressed that the Serbs had always been under Imperial rule. According to De Administrando Imperio, the center from which the Serbs received their baptism was marked as
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. His account on the first Christianization of the Serbs can be dated to 632–638; this might have been Porphyrogenitus' construction, or may have. It likely encompassed a limited group of chiefs, with lesser reception by the wider layers of the tribe.
The establishment of Christianity as the state religion dates to the time of Prince
Mutimir
Mutimir ( sr, Мутимир, el, Μουντιμῆρος) was prince of Serbia from ca. 850 until 891. He defeated the Bulgar army, allied himself with the Byzantine emperor and ruled the first Serbian Principality when the Christianization of ...
(r. 851–891) and
Byzantine Emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, to Fall of Constantinople, its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. On ...
Basil I
Basil I, called the Macedonian ( el, Βασίλειος ὁ Μακεδών, ''Basíleios ō Makedṓn'', 811 – 29 August 886), was a Byzantine Emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a lowly peasant in the theme of Macedonia, he rose in the ...
(r. 867–886). The
Christianization
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
was partly due to Byzantine and subsequent
Bulgarian influence. At least during the rule of
Kocel
Kocelj ( 861–874) was a ruler of the Slavs in Lower Pannonia. He was an East Frankish vassal titled ''comes'' (count), and is believed to have ruled between 861 or 864 and 876.
Life
Kocelj was the second son of Pribina, a Slavic ''dux'' install ...
(861–874) in Pannonia, communications between Serbia and Great Moravia, where
Methodius was active, must have been possible. The pope must have been aware of this when planning Methodius' diocese and that of the Dalmatian coast, which was in Byzantine hands as far north as
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
. Some
Cyrillomethodian pupils may have reached Serbia in the 870s, perhaps sent by Methodius himself. Serbia was accounted Christian as of about 870.
The
first Serbian bishopric was founded at
Ras, near modern
Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar ( sr-cyr, Нови Пазар, lit. "New Bazaar"; ) is a city located in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia. As of the 2011 census, the urban area has 66,527 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 100,410 inhabit ...
on the
Ibar river
The Ibar ( sr-cyrl, Ибар, ), also known as the Ibër and Ibri ( sq, Ibër, Ibri), is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro, northern Kosovo and central Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, in Rož ...
. According to Vlasto, the initial affiliation is uncertain; it may have been under the subordination of either Split or Durazzo, both then Byzantine. The early
Ras church can be dated to the 9th–10th century, with the rotunda plan characteristic of first court chapels. The bishopric was established shortly after 871, during the rule of Mutimir, and was part of the general plan of establishing bishoprics in the Slav lands of the empire, confirmed by the
Council of Constantinople in 879–880. The names of Serbian rulers through
Mutimir
Mutimir ( sr, Мутимир, el, Μουντιμῆρος) was prince of Serbia from ca. 850 until 891. He defeated the Bulgar army, allied himself with the Byzantine emperor and ruled the first Serbian Principality when the Christianization of ...
(r. 851–891) are
Slavic dithematic names
Given names originating from the Slavic languages are most common in Slavic countries.
The main types of Slavic names:
* Two-basic names, often ending in mir/měr (''Ostromir/měr'', ''Tihomir/měr'', '' Němir/měr''), *voldъ (''Vsevolod'', ...
, per the Old Slavic tradition.
With Christianization in the 9th century, Christian names appear among the members of Serbian dynasties (Petar, Stefan, Pavle, Zaharije). Prince
Petar Gojniković (r. 892–917) was evidently a Christian ruler, and Christianity presumably was spreading in his time. Since Serbia bordered Bulgaria, Christian influences and perhaps missionaries came from there, increasing during the twenty-year peace. The Bulgarian annexation of Serbia in 924 was important for the future direction of the Serbian church. By then, at the latest, Serbia must have received the Cyrillic alphabet and Slavic religious text, already familiar but perhaps not yet preferred to Greek.
Archbishopric of Ohrid (1018–1219)
![Archbishopric of Ohrid in 1020, map by Dimitar Rizov (1917)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Archbishopric_of_Ohrid_in_1020%2C_map_by_Dimitar_Rizov_%281917%29.jpg)
Following his
final subjugation of the Bulgarian state in 1018,
Basil II
Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...
, to underscore the Byzantine victory, established the
Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ohrid, also known as the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
*T. Kamusella in The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe, Springer, 2008, p. 276
*Aisling Lyon, Decentralisation and the Management of Ethni ...
by downgrading the
Bulgarian patriarchate
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgarsk ...
to the rank of the archbishopric. The now archbishopric remained an
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
church, separate from the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
. However, while the archbishopric was completely independent in any other aspect, its
primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...
was selected by the emperor from a list of three candidates submitted by the local
church synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word meani ...
. In three ''
sigillia'' issued in 1020 Basil II gave extensive privileges to the new see. Serbia was ecclesiastically administered into several bishoprics: the
bishopric of Ras, mentioned in the first charter of Basil II (r. 976–1025), became part of the Ohrid archbishopric and encompassed the central areas of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
, by the rivers
Raška, Ibar and Lim, evident in the second charter of Basil II. In the charter of Basil II, dated 1020, the Ras bishopric is mentioned, with the seat at the
Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Ras.
The 10th- or 11th-century Gospel Book ''
Codex Marianus
The ''Codex Marianus'' is an Old Church Slavonic fourfold Gospel Book written in Glagolitic script, dated to the beginning of the 11th century, which is (along with Codex Zographensis), one of the oldest manuscript witnesses to the Old Church Slav ...
'', written in
Old Church Slavonic in the
Glagolithic
The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...
script, is one of the oldest known Slavic manuscripts. It was partly written in the Serbian redaction of
Old Church Slavonic. Other early manuscripts include the 11th-century ''Grškovićev odlomak Apostola'' and ''Mihanovićev odlomak''.
History
Autocephalous Archbishopric (1219–1346)
Serbian prince
Rastko Nemanjić
Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...
, the son of
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nema ...
, took monastic vows at
Mount Athos as ''Sava'' (Sabbas) in 1192. Three years later, his father joined him, taking monastic vows as ''Simeon''. Father and son asked the Holy Community to found a Serbian religious centre at the abandoned site of
Hilandar
The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...
, which they renovated. This marked the beginning of a renaissance (in
arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
,
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
and
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
). Sava's father died at Hilandar in 1199 and was canonized as St. Simeon. Saint Sava stayed for some years, rising in rank, then returned to Serbia in 1207, taking with him the remains of his father, which he interred at the
Studenica monastery
The Studenica Monastery ( sr, / ), ) is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated southwest of Kraljevo and east of Ivanjica, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries.
Stefan Nemanja, the foun ...
, after reconciling his two quarrelling brothers
Stefan Nemanjić
Stefan Nemanja II ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немања II, ), or Stephen the First-Crowned ( sr, / , ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first ...
and
Vukan. Stefan asked him to remain in Serbia with his clerics, which he did, providing widespread pastoral care and education to the people. Saint Sava founded several churches and monasteries, among them the
Žiča monastery. In 1217, Stefan was proclaimed
King of Serbia, and various questions of the church reorganization were opened.
Saint Sava returned to the Holy Mountain in 1217/18, preparing for the formation of an
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
Serbian Church. He was consecrated in 1219 as the first
Archbishop of the Serbian Church, and was given
autocephaly by
Patriarch Manuel I of Constantinople
Manuel I, surnamed Karantenos/Sarantenos or Charitopoulos ( el, Μανουήλ Α΄ K/Σαραντηνός or Χαριτόπουλος), (? – May or June 1222) was Patriarch of Constantinople from December 1216 or January 1217 to 1222. He seem ...
, then in exile at
Nicaea
Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and s ...
. In the same year, Saint Sava published ''
Zakonopravilo
The Nomocanon of Saint Sava ( sr-Cyrl, Номоканон светог Саве), known in Serbian as () or (), was the highest code in the Serbian Orthodox Church, finished in 1219. This legal act was written in simple folk language and its ...
'' (St. Sava's Nomocanon). Thus the Serbs acquired both forms of independence: political and religious. After this, in Serbia, Sava stayed in Studenica and continued to educate the Serbian people in their faith. Later he called for a council outlawing the
Bogomils
Bogomilism ( Bulgarian and Macedonian: ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", bogumilstvo, богумилство) was a Christian neo-Gnostic or dualist sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar P ...
, whom he considered heretics. Sava appointed several bishops, sending them around Serbia to organize their dioceses. To maintain his standing as the religious and social leader, he continued to travel among the monasteries and lands to educate the people. In 1221 a synod was held in the Žiča monastery, condemning
Bogomilism
Bogomilism ( Bulgarian and Macedonian: ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", bogumilstvo, богумилство) was a Christian neo-Gnostic or dualist sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar P ...
.
The following seats were newly created in the time of Saint Sava:
* Žiča, the seat of the Archbishop at
Monastery of Žiča;
*
Eparchy of Zeta
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Митрополија црногорско-приморска Српске православне цркве, Mitropolija crnogorsko-primorska Srpske pravoslav ...
(''Zetska''), seated at Monastery of Holy Archangel Michael in
Prevlaka
Prevlaka () is a small peninsula in southern Croatia, near the border with Montenegro, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor on the eastern Adriatic coast.
Because of its strategic location in the southern Adriatic, in the aftermath of the SFR Yu ...
near
Kotor
Kotor ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative ...
in
Zeta
Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived f ...
region;
*
Eparchy of Hum
The Eparchy of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral ( sr, Епархија захумско-херцеговачка и приморска, Eparhija zahumsko-hercegovačka i primorska) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church with ...
(''Humska''), seated at
Monastery of the Holy Mother of God in
Ston
Ston () is a settlement and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula.
History
Because of its geopolitical and strategic position, Ston has had a rich history since ant ...
, in
Hum
Hum may refer to:
Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
region;
*
Eparchy of Dabar (''Dabarska''), seated at
Monastery of St. Nicholas in
Dabar (region);
* Eparchy of Moravica (''Moravička''), seated at
Monastery of St. Achillius in
Moravica župa;
*
Eparchy of Budimlja
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on t ...
(''Budimljanska''), seated at
Monastery of St. George in
Budimlja
Budimlja ( sr-cyrl, Будимља) is a small town in the municipality of Berane, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
...
region;
* Eparchy of Toplica (''Toplička''), seated at
Monastery of St. Nicholas in
Toplica region;
* Eparchy of Hvosno (''Hvostanska''), seated at
Monastery of the Holy Mother of God in
Hvosno
Hvosno ( sr-Cyrl, Хвосно, "thick wood") was a medieval Serbian county ( sr, / ) located in the northern part of the Metohija region, in what is today Kosovo. It roughly encompassed the areas of the modern Istog and Peja municipalities. ...
region (northern
Metohija).
Older eparchies under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Archbishop were:
*
Eparchy of Ras
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
(''Raška''), seated at
Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul near
Ras in
Raška region;
*
Eparchy of Lipljan
Eparchy of Lipljan, later known as the Eparchy of Gračanica or the Eparchy of Novo Brdo ( sr, Епархија липљанска / Eparhija lipljanska, sq, Eparkia e Lipjanit) is one of the former historical Eastern Orthodox eparchies of Se ...
(''Lipljanska''), seated at
Lipljan
Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the Pristina District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,605 i ...
in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
;
*
Eparchy of Prizren
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on ...
(''Prizrenska''), seated at
Prizren in the south of
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
.
![VergineTricherusa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/VergineTricherusa.jpg)
In 1229/1233, Saint Sava went on a pilgrimage to
Palestine and in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
he met with Patriarch Athanasios II. Saint Sava saw
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
where
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
was born, the
Jordan River where
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
was baptized, and the Great Lavra of Saint
Sabbas the Sanctified
SabasPatrich (1995). (439–532), in Church parlance Saint Sabas or Sabbas the Sanctified ( el, Σάββας ο Ηγιασμένος), was a Cappadocian Greeks, Cappadocian Greek monk, priest and saint, who was born in Cappadocia and lived mainly ...
(
Mar Saba monastery). Sava asked Athanasios II, his host, and the Great Lavra fraternity, led by
hegoumenos Nicolas, if he could purchase two monasteries in the
Holy Land. His request was accepted and he was offered the monasteries of Saint John the Theologian on
Mount Sion and St. George's Monastery at
Akona
Akona is a small village 15 km south-east of Kulpahar. It has ruins from the Chandela
The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti' ...
, both to be inhabited by Serbian monks. The icon
Trojerucica (
Three-handed Theotokos), a gift to the Great Lavra from
St. John Damascene, was given to Saint Sava and he, in turn, bequeathed it to
Hilandar
The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...
.
Saint Sava died in
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province.
Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...
, capital of the
Second Bulgarian Empire, during the reign of
Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II ( bg, Иван Асен II, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Empi ...
. According to his ''Biography'', he fell ill following the
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of ...
on the
Feast of the Epiphany
Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation (theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.
In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...
, 12 January 1235. Saint Sava was visiting Veliko Tarnovo on his way back from the
Holy Land, where he had founded a
hospice for Syrian pilgrims in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
and arranged for Serbian monks to be welcomed in the established monasteries there. He died of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
in the night between Saturday and Sunday, 14 January 1235, and was buried at the
Cathedral of the Holy Forty Martyrs in Veliko Tarnovo where his body remained until 6 May 1237, when his sacred bones were moved to the monastery
Mileševa in southern Serbia.
In 1253 the see was transferred to the
Monastery of Peć by archbishop Arsenije. The Serbian primates had since moved between the two. Sometime between 1276 and 1292 the
Cumans
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many so ...
burned the Žiča monastery, and King
Stefan Milutin (1282–1321) renovated it in 1292–1309, during the office of
Jevstatije II. In 1289–1290, the chief treasures of the ruined monastery, including the remains of
Saint Jevstatije I, were transferred to Monastery of Peć. During the rule of the same king, the
Monastery of Gračanica was also renewed, and during the reign of King
Stefan Uroš III (1321–1331), the
Monastery of Dečani was built, under the supervision of Archbishop
Danilo II.
Medieval Patriarchate (1346–1463)
![Serbian Patriarch Danilo III](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Serbian_Patriarch_Danilo_III.jpg)
The status of the Serbian Orthodox Church grew along with the expansion and heightened prestige of the
Serbian kingdom. After King
Stefan Dušan
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gre ...
assumed the imperial title of tsar, the Serbian Archbishopric was correspondingly raised to the rank of Patriarchate in 1346. In the century that followed, the Serbian Church achieved its greatest power and prestige. In the 14th century Serbian Orthodox clergy had the title of Protos (monastic office), Protos at Mount Athos.
On 16 April 1346 (Easter), Stefan Dušan convoked a grand assembly at Skopje, attended by the Serbian Archbishop Joanikije II, Archbishop Nicholas I of Ohrid, Patriarch List of patriarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Simeon of Bulgaria and various religious leaders of
Mount Athos. The assembly and clergy agreed on, and then ceremonially performed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the status of Patriarchate. The Archbishop was from now on titled ''Serbian Patriarch'', although some documents called him ''Patriarch of Serbs and Greeks'', with the seat at Patriarchal Monastery of Peć. The new Patriarch Joanikije II now solemnly crowned Stefan Dušan as "Basileus, Emperor and autocrator, autocrat of Serbs and Romaioi, Romans" (see Emperor of Serbs). The Patriarchal status resulted in raising bishoprics to metropolitanates, as for example the Metropolitanate of Skopje. The Patriarchate took over sovereignty on Mount Athos, Mt. Athos and the Greek archbishoprics under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (the Archbishopric of Ohrid remained autocephalous), which resulted in Dušan's excommunication by Patriarch Callistus I of Constantinople in 1350.
In 1375, an agreement between the Serbian Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Constantinople was reached. The Battle of Kosovo (1389) and its aftermath had a lasting influence on medieval legacy and later traditions of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 1455, when Ottoman Turks conquered the Patriarchal seat in Peć, Patriarch Arsenije II found temporary refuge in Smederevo, the capital city of Serbian Despotate.
Among cultural, artistic and literary legacies created under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church during the medieval period were hagiographies, known in Serbian as ''žitije'' (vita), that were written as biographies of rulers, archbishops and saints from the 12th up to the 15th century.
Renewed Patriarchate (1557–1766)
![Patriarchate of Peć in the 16th and 17th century](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Patriarchate_of_Pe%C4%87_in_the_16th_and_17th_century.png)
The
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
conquered the Serbian Despotate in 1459, the Kingdom of Bosnia, Bosnian Kingdom in 1463, Herzegovina in 1482 and
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
in 1499. All of the conquered lands were divided into sanjaks. Although some Serbs converted to Islam, most continued their adherence to the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church itself continued to exist throughout the Ottoman period, though not without some disruption. After the death of Serbian Patriarch Arsenije II in 1463, a successor was not elected. The Patriarchate was thus ''de facto'' abolished, and the Serbian Church passed under the jurisdiction of
Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ohrid, also known as the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
*T. Kamusella in The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe, Springer, 2008, p. 276
*Aisling Lyon, Decentralisation and the Management of Ethni ...
and ultimately the Ecumenical Patriarchate which exercised jurisdiction over all Orthodox of the Ottoman Empire under the ''millet (Ottoman Empire), millet'' system.
After several failed attempts, made from c. 1530 up to 1541 by metropolitan Pavle of Smederevo to regain the
autocephaly by seizing the throne of Peć and proclaiming himself not only Archbishop of Peć, but also Serbian Patriarch, the Serbian Patriarchate was finally restored in 1557 under the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman I, thanks to the mediation of pasha Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, Mehmed Sokolović who was Serbian by birth. His cousin, one of the Serbian Orthodox bishops Makarije Sokolović was elected Patriarch in Peć. The restoration of the Patriarchate was of great importance for the Serbs because it helped the spiritual unification of all Serbs in the Ottoman Empire. The Patriarchate of Peć also included some dioceses in western Bulgaria.
In the time of Serbian Patriarch Jovan Kantul (1592–1614), the Ottoman Turks took the remains of Saint Sava from monastery
Mileševa to the Vračar, Vračar hill in
Belgrade where they were burned by Sinan Pasha on a stake to intimidate the Serb people in case of revolts (see Banat Uprising) (1594). The Temple of Saint Sava was built on the place where his remains were burned.
After consequent Serbian uprisings against the Turkish occupiers in which the church had a leading role, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate once again in 1766. The church returned once more under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. This period of rule by the so-called "Phanariots" was a period of great spiritual decline because the Greeks, Greek bishops had very little understanding of their Serbian flock.
Church in the Habsburg Monarchy
![Arsenije III](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Arsenije_III.jpg)
During this period, Christians across the Balkans were under pressure to convert to Islam to avoid severe taxes imposed by the Turks in retaliation for uprisings and continued resistance. The success of Islamization was limited to certain areas, with the majority of the Serbian population keeping its Christian faith despite the negative consequences. To avoid them, numerous Serbs migrated with their hierarchs to the
Habsburg monarchy where their autonomy had been granted. In 1708, an autonomous Serbian Orthodox
Metropolitanate of Karlovci
The Metropolitanate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка митрополија, Karlovačka mitropolija) was a metropolitanate of the Eastern Orthodox Church that existed in the Habsburg monarchy between 1708 and 1848. Between 1708 and 1713 ...
was created, which would later become a Patriarchate of Karlovci, patriarchate (1848–1920).
During the reign of Maria Theresa (1740-1780), several assemblies of Orthodox Serbs were held, sending their petitions to the Habsburg court. In response to that, several royal acts were issued, such as ''Regulamentum privilegiorum'' (1770) and ''Regulamentum Illyricae Nationis'' (1777), both of them replaced by the royal Declaratory Rescript of the Illyrian Nation, Declaratory Rescript of 1779, that regulated various important questions, from the procedure regarding the elections of Serbian Orthodox bishops in the Habsburg Monarchy, to the management of dioceses, parishes and monasteries. The act was upheld in force until it was replaced by the "Royal Rescript" issued on 10 August 1868.
Modern history
The church's close association with Serbian resistance to Ottoman rule led to Eastern Orthodoxy becoming inextricably linked with Serbian national identity and the new Serbian monarchy that emerged from 1815 onwards. The Serbian Orthodox Church in the Principality of Serbia gained its Autonomy (Eastern Orthodoxy), autonomy in 1831 and was organized as the
Metropolitanate of Belgrade
The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
, remaining under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Principality of Serbia gained full political independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, and soon after those negotiations were initiated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, resulting in canonical recognition of full ecclesiastical independence (
autocephaly) for the Metropolitanate of Belgrade in 1879.
At the same time, Serbian Orthodox eparchies in Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina remained under the supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but after the Austro-Hungarian campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Austro-Hungarian occupation (1878) of those provinces, local eparchies gained internal autonomy, regulated by the Convention of 1880, signed by representatives of Austro-Hungarian authorities and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
In the southern eparchies, that remained under the Ottoman rule, Serbian metropolitans were appointed by the end of the 19th century. Thus by the beginning of the 20th century several distinctive Serbian ecclesiastical provinces existed, including the
Patriarchate of Karlovci
The Patriarchate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка патријаршија, Karlovačka patrijaršija) or Serbian Patriarchate of Sremski Karlovci ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Сремским Карловцима, Srpska ...
in the
Habsburg monarchy, the
Metropolitanate of Belgrade
The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
in the Kingdom of Serbia, and the
Metropolitanate of Montenegro
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Митрополија црногорско-приморска Српске православне цркве, Mitropolija crnogorsko-primorska Srpske pravoslav ...
in the Principality of Montenegro.
During the World War I (1914–1918), the Serbian Orthodox Church suffered massive casualties.
Reunification
![Димитрије (Павловић)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5_%28%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B%29.jpg)
After the liberation and political unification, that was achieved by creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918), all Eastern Orthodox Serbs were united under one ecclesiastical authority, and all Serbian ecclesiastical provinces and eparchies were united into the single Serbian Orthodox Church, in 1920. The first primate of the united SOC was Serbian Patriarch Dimitrije (1920-1930). The SOC gained great political and social influence in the inter-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, during which time it successfully campaigned against the Yugoslav government's intentions of signing a concordat with the Holy See.
The united Serbian Orthodox Church kept under its jurisdiction the Eparchy of Buda in Hungary. In 1921, the Serbian Orthodox Church created a new eparchy for the Czech lands, headed by bishop Gorazd Pavlik. At the same time, the Serbian Church among the diaspora was reorganized, and the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of America and Canada, eparchy (diocese) for the United States and Canada was created. In 1931 another diocese was created, called the Eparchy of Mukačevo and Prešov, for the Eastern Orthodox Christians in Slovakia and Carpathian Rusynia.
During the Second World War the Serbian Orthodox Church suffered severely from persecutions by the occupying powers and the rabidly anti-Serbian Ustaše regime of Independent State of Croatia (NDH), which sought to create a "Croatian Orthodox Church" which Orthodox Serbs were forced to join. Many Serbs were killed, expelled or forced to convert to Catholicism during the Persecution of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia, Serbian Genocide; bishops and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church were singled out for persecution, and many Orthodox churches were damaged or destroyed. Out of the 577 Serbian Orthodox priests, monks and other religious dignitaries in the NDH, between 214 and 217 were killed and 334 were exiled to Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia, German-occupied Serbia. In the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 71 Orthodox priests were killed by the Ustaše, 10 by the Yugoslav Partisans, Partisans, 5 by the Germans, and 45 died in the first decade after the end of WWII.
Under communist rule
![Patrijaršija_Beograd_(13808934713)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Patrijar%C5%A1ija_Beograd_%2813808934713%29.jpg)
After the war, the church was suppressed by the communist government of Josip Broz Tito, which viewed it with suspicion due to the church's links with the leadership from the period of Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the nationalist Chetnik movement. According to Denis Bećirović, aside from the League of Communists of Yugoslavia's ideological differences with the Church, this negative attitude was also influenced by the fact that some priests during the war supported the Chetniks, Chetnik movement which are mentioned in Documents of the Commission for Religious Affairs where is stated that among other things, that the majority of priests during the war supported and cooperated with the movement of Draža Mihailović, and that the church spread "hostile propaganda" against the Yugoslav Partisans and appointed persons in the administration of church institutions who were convicted of collaborating with the occupier.
Along with other ecclesiastical institutions of all denominations, the church was subject to strict controls by the Yugoslav state, which prohibited the teaching of religion in schools, confiscated church property and discouraged religious activity among the population.
In 1963, the Serbian Church among the diaspora was reorganized, and the eparchy for the United States and Canada was divided into three separate eparchies. At the same time, some internal divisions sparked in the Serbian diaspora, leading to the creation of the separate "Free Serbian Orthodox Church" under Dionisije Milivojević, Bishop Dionisije. Division was healed in 1991, and Metropolitanate of New Gračanica was created, within the united Serbian Orthodox Church. In 1983, a fourth eparchy in North America was created specifically for Canadian churches: the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.
The gradual demise of Yugoslav communism and the rise of rival nationalist movements during the 1980s also led to a marked religious revival throughout Yugoslavia, not least in Serbia. The Serbian Patriarch Pavle II, Serbian Patriarch Pavle supported the opposition to Slobodan Milošević in the 1990s.
Since the establishment of the Yugoslav federal unit of "Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Macedonia" (1944), communist authorities restricted the activities of SOC in that region, favoring the creation of a separate church. The Macedonian Orthodox Church was created in 1967, effectively as an offshoot of the Serbian Orthodox Church in what was then the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, as part of the Yugoslav drive to build up a Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonian national identity. This was strongly resisted by the Serbian Church, which did not recognize the independence of its Macedonian counterpart.
Similar plans for the creation of an independent church in the Yugoslav federal unit of Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Montenegro were also considered, but those plans were not put into action before 1993, when the creation of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was proclaimed. The organization was not legally registered before 2000, receiving no support from the Eastern Orthodox communion, and succeeding to attract only a minority of Eastern Orthodox adherents in Montenegro.
Recent history
The Yugoslav wars gravely impacted several branches of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Many Serbian Orthodox Church clergy supported the war, while others were against it.
Many churches in Croatia were damaged or destroyed during the Croatian War (1991–95). The bishops and priests and most faithful of the eparchies of Zagreb, of Karlovac, of Slavonia and of Dalmatia became refugees. The latter three were almost completely abandoned after the exodus of the Serbs from Croatia in 1995 (Operation Storm). The eparchy of Dalmatia also had its see temporarily moved to Knin after the self-proclaimed proto-state Republic of Serbian Krajina was established. The eparchy of Slavonia had its see moved from Pakrac to Daruvar. After Operation Storm, two monasteries were particularly damaged, the Krupa monastery built in 1317, and the Krka monastery built in 1345.
The eparchies of Bihać and Petrovac, Dabar-Bosnia and Zvornik and Tuzla were also dislocated due to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The eparchy see of Dabar-Bosnia was temporarily moved to Sokolac, and the see of Zvornik-Tuzla to Bijeljina. Over a hundred Church-owned objects in the Zvornik-Tuzla eparchy were destroyed or damaged during the war. Many monasteries and churches in the Zahumlje eparchy were also destroyed. Numerous faithful from these eparchies also became refugees.
By 1998, the situation had stabilized in both countries. The clergy and many of the faithful returned; most of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church was returned to normal use and damaged and destroyed properties were restored. The process of rebuilding several churches is still underway, notably the cathedral of the Eparchy of Upper Karlovac in Karlovac.
Owing to the Kosovo War, after 1999 numerous Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo left occupied only by clergy. Since the arrival of NATO troops in June 1999, 156 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been damaged or destroyed. In the aftermath of the 2004 unrest in Kosovo, 35 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were burned or destroyed by Albanian mobs, and thousands of Serbs were forced to move from Kosovo due to the numerous attacks of Kosovo Albanians on Serbian churches and Serbs.
The process of church reorganization among the diaspora and full reintegration of the Metropolitanate of New Gračanica was completed from 2009 to 2011. By that, full structural unity of Serbian church institutions in the diaspora was achieved.
Adherents
Based on the official census results in countries that encompass the territorial canonical jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church (the Serb autochthonous region of Western Balkans), there are more than 8 million adherents of the church. Orthodoxy is the largest single religious faith in Serbia with 6,079,296 adherents (84.5% of the population) according to the 2011 census, and in Montenegro with around 320,000 (51% of the population). It is the second-largest faith in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
with 31.2% of the population, and in Croatia with 4.4% of the population. Figures for eparchies abroad (Western Europe, North America, and Australia) are unknown although some estimates can be reached based on the size of the
Serb diaspora
Serb diaspora ( sr, Српска дијаспора/Srpska dijaspora) refers to the diaspora communities of ethnic Serbs. It is not to be confused with the Serbian diaspora, which refers to migrants, regardless of ethnicity, from Serbia. Due to ...
, which numbers over two million people.
Structure
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the patriarch, also serves as the head (Metropolitan bishop, metropolitan) of the Metropolitanate of Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, Belgrade and Karlovci. The current patriarch,
Porfirije, was inaugurated on 19 February 2021. Serbian Orthodox patriarchs use the style ''His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch''.
The highest body of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the Bishops' Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Bishops' Council. It consists of the Patriarch, the Metropolitan bishop, Metropolitans, Bishops, Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, Archbishop of Ohrid and Vicar#Eastern Orthodox, Vicar Bishops. It meets annually – in spring. The Bishops' Council makes important decisions for the church and elects the patriarch.
The executive body of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Holy Synod. It has five members: four bishops and the patriarch.
[Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church](_blank)
/ref>
The Holy Synod takes care of the everyday operation of the church, holding meetings on regular basis.
Territorial organisation
The territory of the Serbian Orthodox Church is divided into:
* 1 patriarchal Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, eparchy, headed by Serbian Patriarch
This article lists the heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the establishment of the church as an autocephalous archbishopric in 1219 to today's patriarchate. The list includes all the archbishops and patriarchs that led the Serbian Ortho ...
* 4 eparchies
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
that are honorary metropolitanates, headed by Metropolitan bishop, metropolitans
* 35 eparchies
Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...
(''dioceses''), headed by bishops
* 1 autonomous archbishopric, headed by archbishop, the ''Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid''. It is further divided into 1 eparchy headed by the metropolitan and 6 eparchies headed by bishops.
Dioceses are further divided into episcopal Deanery, deaneries, each consisting of several Parish church, church congregations or parishes. Church congregations consist of one or more parishes. A parish is the smallest church unit – a communion of Orthodox faithful congregating at the Holy Eucharist with the parish priest at their head.
Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid
The ''Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid'' or ''Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric'' is an autonomous archbishopric in the Republic of Macedonia under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It was formed in 2002 in opposition to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which had had a similar relationship with the Serbian Orthodox Church prior to 1967 when it unilaterally declared itself autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
. This archbishopric is divided into one metropolitanate, Metropolitanate of Skopje, Skopje, and the six eparchies of Bregalnica, Eparchy of Debar and Kičevo, Debar and Kičevo, Eparchy of Polog and Kumanovo, Polog and Kumanovo, Prespa and Pelagonija, Strumica and Veles and Povardarje.
Doctrine and liturgy
The Serbian Orthodox Church upholds the Eastern Orthodox theology, shared by all Eastern Orthodox Churches and based on doctrinal accomplishments of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. It is characterized by monotheism, monotheistic Trinitarianism, a belief in the Incarnation (Christianity), Incarnation of the Logos (Son of God), a balancing of cataphatic theology with apophatic theology, a hermeneutics, hermeneutic defined by Sacred Tradition, and a therapeutic soteriology. In the fields of Church organization and administration, Serbian Orthodox Church upholds traditions and principles of Eastern Orthodox ecclesiology.
Christian liturgy, Liturgical traditions and practices of the Serbian Orthodox Church are based on the Eastern Orthodox worship. Services cannot properly be conducted by a single person but must have at least one other person present. Usually, all of the services are conducted on a daily basis only in monasteries and cathedrals, while parish churches might only do the services on the weekend and major feast days. The Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of ...
is the celebration of the Eucharist. The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays during the preparatory season of Great Lent. Communion is consecrated on Sundays and distributed during the week at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Services, especially the Divine Liturgy, can only be performed once a day on any particular altar.
A key part of the Serbian Orthodox religion is the Slava (patron saint), Slava, a celebration of the Clan Patron Saint, placed into the Serb Orthodox religious canon by the first Serb archbishop Saint Sava
Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...
.
Social issues
The Serbian Orthodox Church upholds traditional views on modern social issues, such as separation of church and state (imposed since the abolition of monarchy in 1945), and social equality. Since all forms of priesthood are reserved only for men, the role of women in church administration is still limited to specific activities, mainly in the fields of religious education and religious arts, including the participation in various forms of charity work.
Inter-Christian relations
The Serbian Orthodox Church is in full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (which holds a special place of honour within Eastern Orthodoxy and serves as the seat for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who enjoys the status of ''Primus inter pares, first-among-equals'') and all of the mainstream autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church bodies except the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It has been a member of the World Council of Churches since 1965, and of the Conference of European Churches.
Art
Architecture
Serbian medieval churches were built in the Byzantine spirit. The Raška style refers to the Serbian architecture from the 12th to the end of the 14th century (Studenica monastery, Studenica, Hilandar
The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...
, Žiča). The Serbo-Byzantine architecture, Vardal style, which is the typical one, was developed in the late 13th century combining Byzantine Empire, Byzantine and Serbian influences to form a new architectural style (Gračanica monastery, Gračanica, Patriarchal Monastery of Peć). By the time of the Serbian Empire, the Serbian state had enlarged itself over Macedonia (region), Macedonia, Epirus and Thessaly all the way to the Aegean Sea, which resulted in stronger influences from Byzantine art tradition. The Morava style refers to the period of the fall of Serbia under the Ottoman Empire, from 1371 to 1459 (Ravanica, Ljubostinja, Kalenić Monastery, Kalenić, Resava Monastery, Resava).
During the 17th-century, many of the Serbian Orthodox churches that were built in Belgrade took all the characteristics of baroque churches built in the Habsburg-occupied regions where Serbs lived. The churches usually had a bell tower, and a single nave building with the iconostasis inside the church covered with Renaissance-style paintings. These churches can be found in Belgrade and Vojvodina, which were occupied by the Austrian Empire from 1717 to 1739, and on the border with Austrian (later Austria-Hungary) across the Sava and Danube rivers from 1804 when Serbian statehood was re-established.
Icons
Icons are replete with symbolism meant to convey far more meaning than simply the identity of the person depicted, and it is for this reason that Orthodox iconography has become an exacting science of copying older icons rather than an opportunity for artistic expression. The personal, idiosyncratic and creative traditions of Western European religious art are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the 17th century, when Russian and Serbian icon painting was influenced by religious paintings and engravings from Europe.
Large icons can be found adorning the walls of churches and often cover the inside structure completely. Orthodox homes often likewise have icons hanging on the wall, usually together on an eastern facing wall, and in a central location where the family can pray together.
Insignia
The Flag of Serbia, Serbian tricolour with a Serbian cross is used as the official flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as defined in the Article 4 of the SOC Constitution.
A number of other unofficial variant flags, some with variations of the cross, coat of arms, or both, exist.
See also
*List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church
*List of eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church
*List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries
*List of Serbian saints
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Annotations
External links
Official website
Svetosavlje.org
Srpsko Blago , Serbian Treasure site – photos, QTVR and movies of Serbian monasteries and Serbian Orthodox art
Article on the Serbian Orthodox Church by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website
Article on the medieval history of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the repository of the Institute for Byzantine Studies of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (in German)
Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo
{{Authority control
Serbian Orthodox Church,
Members of the World Council of Churches
Members of the National Council of Churches
National churches