Eastern Orthodoxy In Serbia

Eastern Orthodoxy is the major Christian denomination in Serbia, with 6,079,396 followers or 69,9% of the population, followed traditionally by the majority of Serbs, and also Romanians, Vlachs, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Bulgarians living in Serbia. The dominant Eastern Orthodox church in Serbia is the Serbian Orthodox Church. Also, the Romanian Orthodox Church has its own Diocese of Dacia Felix that operates among Orthodox Romanians in Serbian Banat and the Timok Valley.

History

Late Antiquity and early Middle Ages

During Late Antiquity, on the territory of present-day Serbia there were several major Christian centers and episcopal sees, including Sirmium, Singidunum, Viminacium, Naissus, Ulpiana and others. In 535, Byzantine emperor Justinian I created new Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, centered in the city of Justiniana Prima near present-day town of Lebane in central Serbia.

Middle Ages and early Modern Period

The identity of ethnic Serbs was historically based on Orthodox Christianity; the Serbian Orthodox Church, to the extent that some people claimed that those who were not Orthodox, were not Serbs. The Christianization of the Serbian lands took place in the 9th century, and Serbia (the Serbian Principality) is accounted Christian as of 870, when the Eparchy of Ras and Braničevo were founded, confirmed by the Eighth Ecumenical Council (879-880). The Serbian bishoprics became part of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, after the Byzantine conquest of the Bulgarian Empire in 1018. The Slavic language replaced the Greek in liturgical language.Ćorović, Drugi Period, IV. Pokrštavanje Južnih Slovena

With the Great Schism in 1054 (precipitated by Humbert of Silva Candida and his colleagues who entered the church of the Hagia Sophia during Michael I Cerularius's divine liturgy and placed the Charter on the altar.), Serbia remained under Constantinople, while neighbouring Croatia remained under Rome. The Serbian Orthodox Church was given autocephaly in 1219, when Archbishop Sava received recognition from the exiled Ecumenical Patriarch. In 1346, it was raised to the rank of Patriarchate. During the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period, Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (1346-1766) had at its peak more than forty eparchies.

Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbia

Fifteen eparchies (dioceses) of the Serbian Orthodox Church cover the territory of Serbia:
* Archbishopric of Belgrade and Karlovci, with seat in Novi Sad
* Eparchy of Banat, with seat in Vršac
* Eparchy of Braničevo, with seat in Požarevac
* Eparchy of Kruševac, with seat in Kruševac
* Eparchy of Mileševa, with seat in Prijepolje (partially covers southwestern region of Serbia and northwestern region of Montenegro)
* Eparchy of Niš, with seat in Niš
* Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, with seat in Prizren
* Eparchy of Šabac, with seat in Šabac
* Eparchy of Srem, with seat in Sremski Karlovci
* Eparchy of Šumadija, with seat in Kragujevac
* Eparchy of Timok, with seat in Zaječar
* Eparchy of Valjevo, with seat in Valjevo
* Eparchy of Vranje, with seat in Vranje
* Eparchy of Žiča, with seat in Kraljevo

Gallery

File:Map of Eparchies of Serbian Orthodox Church (including Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric)-en.svg, Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in its primatial canonical territory, including Serbia
File:Царичин Град 4.JPG, Remains of the city Justiniana Prima, seat of the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, near modern city of Lebane in Serbia
File:Petrova 1.jpg, Church of Saints Peter and Paul, the oldest known medieval church building of Serbia
File:Manastir Studenica, Srbija, 061.JPG, Studenica Monastery, established in the 12th century
File:Patriarchate of Peć in the 16th and 17th century.png, Jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć in 16th and 17th century
File:St. Sava Temple.jpg, Church of Saint Sava, one of the largest Orthodox church buildings

See also

* Christianity in Serbia
* Religion in Serbia
*Demographics of Serbia
*Serbian Orthodox Church
*Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe

References

Sources

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Orthodoxy In Serbia

Members of the World Council of Churches
Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe
Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbia