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 The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

with its seat in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has jurisdiction over the region of

Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...

, the littoral region of southern

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

in Croatia and a small part of Montenegro. Since 2018, the bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina has been Dimitrije Rađenović. Mostar1890-1900

Església ortodoxa de l'Anunciació de Dubrovnik

History

Ecclesiastical background

The region was under the Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Dyrrachium, which in turn was under the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

or the

Archbishopric of Bar The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar ( cnr, Барска надбискупија, Barska nadbiskupija; sq, Kryepeshkopata Katolike Romake e Tivarit; la, Archidioecesis Antibarensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Montenegro.

. In 1089, the see of Trebinje (''Travunia'') was briefly theoretically under the jurisdiction of the

. The territory was constantly in a feudal state of continuous religious wars between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox denominations long before the incursion of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

ic invaders.

Middle Ages

The Eparchy of Hum or Zahumlje was founded in 1219, by the first Serbian Archbishop Sava, the same year the Serbian Orthodox Church acquired its

autocephaly 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 from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Thus, it was one of the original Serbian Orthodox bishoprics. It had jurisdiction over the historical regions of Zahumlje and Travunija. The first Bishop of Hum was Ilarion, succeeded by Sava II (son of

Stefan the First-Crowned 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 ...

). The original seat was in Ston, in the church of the Most Holy Theotokos (Пресвете Богородице). Following an earthquake, the bishop moved the seat to the Monastery of Holy Apostles in the valley of river Lim in the 1250s. From that time, the Eparchy of Hum was sometimes also called "Eparchy of Lim". With the

War of Hum (1326–1329) The War of Hum was fought in 1326–1329 between the Banate of Bosnia under Stephen II Kotromanić and the Kingdom of Serbia under Stefan Dečanski Nemanjić. Background Branivoje who served King Stefan Milutin Nemanjić (r. 1282–1321) was g ...

, most of Zahumlje was taken over by

Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia Stephen II ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Стефан II, Stjepan II) was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanić in 1326–1353. He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stephen I Kot ...

, but the Travunija region remained under the rule of Serbian Kings. After the creation of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć in 1346, all original Serbian bishops were raised to the honorary rank of metropolitan bishops. Pope Clement VI in 1335 addresses to King Stefan Dušan and request him to stop the persecution and that to the bishop of Kotor which is responsible for Roman Catholic Diocese of Trebinje return monasteries, churches, islands and villages, which some kings of Raška before him overtook.Dijana Pinjuh, VJERSKE PRILIKE KOD KATOLIKA U HERCEGOVINI (OD TURSKOG OSVAJANJA DO KONCA 17. STOLJEĆA,Zagreb, 2013. https://repozitorij.hrstud.unizg.hr/islandora/object/hrstud:1512/preview #page= 15 The see of the eparchy was then moved to the

Mileševa monastery The Mileševa Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Милешева, Manastir Mileševa, or ) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Prijepolje, in southwest Serbia. It was founded by King Stefan Vladislav I, in the years between 1234 and ...

. In the middle of 15th century, Metropolitan David was a very influential figure in the court of Stefan Kosača, who was titled Duke (Herzeg) of Saint Sava. Following the fall of the

Duchy of St. Sava Duchy of Saint Sava ( sr-Cyr, Војводство Светог Саве, Vojvodstvo Svetog Save) was a late medieval polity in southeastern Europe, that existed from 1448 up to 1482, when it was absorbed by the Ottoman Empire. It was ruled b ...

to the Ottoman Empire (1482), the see was frequently moved, finally to settle in the

Tvrdoš Monastery The Tvrdoš Monastery ( sr, Манастир Тврдош, Manastir Tvrdoš) is a 15th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery near the city of Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 4th-century foundations of the first Roman church ...

near Trebinje in 1508. Eventually, the eparchy was further divided into the

Eparchy of Mileševa Eparchy of Mileševa is the one of eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and is seated in Prijepolje, in the Mileševa monastery. History The establishment of the Eparchy Eparchy is based in the valley Lim (river) and laid on the foundat ...

Modern and contemporary history

In 1557, Serbian Patriarchate of Peć was restored and the

Eparchy of Herzegovina 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 wit ...

was returned to its jurisdiction, with its bishops holding the honorary title of metropolitan. In 1766, when the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć was abolished, Eparchy of Herzegovina and all other Serbian eparchies under Ottoman rule came under the jurisdiction of

. Bishops of Herzegovina kept their honorary title of Metropolitan, as was also the custom in the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Gracanica Church, Trebinje (43547615082)

Gracanica Church, Trebinje (43547615082)

The seat of metropolitan was transferred to Mostar. Since 1878, the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina was under the occupation of Austria-Hungary, but under the Church Convention of 1880, all Eastern Orthodox eparchies remained under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the

. At the end of the First World War in 1918, Eastern Orthodox bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina reached a unanimous decision to enter the united

. The process of unification was completed in 1920 and since then the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina has remained part of the

. The seat of the eparchy was the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Mostar. As of 2017, it is being rebuilt after being demolished during the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

(1992–1995). After the restoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1920), and with the Church Constitution (1931), diocese comprised the districts Mostar,

Bileća Bileća ( sr-cyrl, Билећа) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants. History ...

, Gacko, nevesinje, Stolac, and Trebinje, the towns of Metković and Dubrovnik and the island of Korčula, the birthplace of

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

. Districts of Foča and Čajniče were allotted to the Diocese of Dabar-Bosnia. Since the Serbian Orthodox Church integration of 1920, the bishops of Zahumlje and Herzegovina were Jovan Ilić (1926-1931), Simon Stanković (1932-1934), Tihon Radovanović (1934-1939), Nikolaj Jovanović (1940-1943), Longin Tomić (1951-1955) and Vladislav Mitrović (1955-1991). At the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1992, Dr.

Atanasije Jevtić Atanasije Jevtić (Serbian Cyrillic: Атанасије Јевтић; 8 January 1938 – 4 March 2021) was a Serbian Orthodox prelate who served as the bishop of Banat from 1991 until 1992, and the bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina from 1992 un ...

was elected for the Bishop of the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.

World War II

During World War II from 1941 to 1943 on the territory of the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina 19 churches were damaged or destroyed. Nine parish homes were either heavily damaged or totally destroyed. Twelve (12) libraries and 21 church archives were completely destroyed.

Serbia in the Yugoslav Wars

Also, during the breakup of Yugoslavia and the ensuing civil war of 1991-1993, the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina of all the Serbian Orthodox eparchies sustained the most damage. Twenty-four (24) churches were destroyed and 16 churches were heavily damaged, in addition to the monastery of Zavala. Three chapels were damaged or destroyed in their entirety. Two parish houses were destroyed, one mined and the other set on fire. Bishop's Palace in Mostar and the Bishop's house in Dubrovnik were destroyed, as well. Also, ten cemeteries were either destroyed or desecrated. In Mostar, where the see of Zahumlje and Herzegovina was located, everything belonging to the

was destroyed. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, constructed in 1873 at a time of occupation, between 7 and 8 June 1992, was shelled, and on 15 June (on the second day of the

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...

) the belltowers were destroyed and the cathedral was set ablaze. Subsequently, the remaining walls were mined, and the monumental shrine was turned into rubble. The old church built in the 16th century in honor of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, situated in the cemetery of Mostar, was also destroyed. The Bishop's Palace, built in the 19th century, was mined while the monastery of Zitomislic which suffered damages in World War II, also met the same fate in the war of 1991-1993. (The survey of damaged, destroyed and desecrated churches, monasteries, and other church buildings during the war of 1991-1993 was cited from the archives of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.)

Heads

Ilarion Ilarion ( bg, Иларион, sr, Иларион, russian: Иларион, uk, Іларіон) is a variant of the Greek given name ''Hilarion'', found in Slavic and Romanian languages. It may refer to: * Hilarion of Kiev or Ilarion (11th century ...

(13th century) #Metodije (13th century) #Teodosije (13th century) #Nikola (13th century) # Sava (until 1264) #Jevstatije (ca. 1305) #Jovan I (ca. 1316) #Danilo (1316–1324) #Stefan I (1324) #Mileševa (ca. 1377) #David (ca. 1465) #Jovan II (1508–1513) #Visarion I (1509–1525) #Maksim I (before 1532) #Marko (1531–1534) #Nikanor (1534–1546) #

Antonije Antonije is a Serbian given name. Notable people with this name include the following: *Antonije Abramović (1919–1996), Montenegrin Eastern Orthodox priest * Antonije Bagaš (fl. 1366 – 1385), Serbian nobleman *Antonije Isaković (1923–2002 ...

(1570–1573) # Savatije I (1573–1585) # Visarion II (1590–1602) #Silvestar (1602–1611) #Simeon I (1613–1635) #Savatije II (1635–1642) #Maksim II (1643–1648) #Pajsije (1648–1651) #Arsenije I (1651) # Vasilije (1651–1671) #Simeon II (1671–1681) # Savatije III (1681–1693) #Nektarije (1693–1712) #Melentije (1712–1713) #Arsenije II (1715) #Gerasim (1715–1727) #Aksentije I (1727–1736) #Filotej (1741–1741) #Aksentije II (1751–1760) #Stefan II (1763–1766) #Antim (1766–1772) #Likanije (1772–1802) #Jeremija (1803–1815) #Josif I (1816–1835) #Prokopije I (1838–1848) #Josif II (1848–1854) #Grigorije I (1855–1860) # Joanikije (1860–1864) #Prokopije II (1864–1875) #Ignjatije (1875–1888) #Leontije (1888) # Serafim (1889–1903) # Petar (1903–1920) #Jovan III Ilić (1926–1931) #Simeon III Stanković (1932–1934) # Tihon Radovanović (1934–1939) #Nikolaj Jovanović (1939–1943) #Longin Tomić (1951–1955) #Vladislav Mitrović (1955–1991) #

Atanasije Atanasije ( sr-cyr, Атанасије) is the Serbian variant of the Greek name '' Athanasios''. Diminutives of the name include Atanas and Tanasko. It may refer to: *Atanasije II Gavrilović (d. 1752), Serbian Patriarch (1747–52) * Athanasius ...

(1992–1999) # Grigorije II (1999–2018) #

Dimitrije Dimitrije (Serbian Cyrillic: Димитрије) is a masculine given name. Dimitrije is a Serbian variant of a Greek name Demetrius. It may refer to: * Dimitrije Ljubavić (1519–1564), Serbian Orthodox deacon, humanist, writer and printer * Patr ...

(2018–)

Monasteries

There are eight monasteries in the diocese: * Dobrićevo *

Duži Duži ( sr-cyrl, Дужи) is a village in the municipality of Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, ...

* Žitomislić * Zavala *Zubci *Petropavlov * Tvrdoš *

Hercegovačka Gračanica The Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery ( sr, Манастир Херцеговачка Грачаница, Manastir Hercegovačka Gračanica) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Trebinje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Largely a copy of the Gra ...

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina
{{Serbian Orthodox subdivisions Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro Religion in Republika Srpska Herzegovina Mostar 1219 establishments in Europe Religious organizations established in the 1210s Dioceses established in the 13th century Religious sees of the Serbian Orthodox Church