Josif Jovanović Šakabenta ( Irig,

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

, 1743 –

Vršac Vršac ( sr-cyr, Вршац, ; hu, Versec; ro, Vârșeț) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011, the city urban area had a pop ...

, Habsburg Monarchy, 31 December 1805) was the bishop 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 ...

on the throne of

Sremski Karlovci Sremski Karlovci ( sr-cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ; hu, Karlóca; tr, Karlofça) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danu ...

and

. He was

Zaharije Orfelin Zaharije Orfelin ( sr-Cyrl, Захаријe Орфелин; 1726 – 19 January 1785) was a Serbian polymath who lived and worked in the Austrian Monarchy and Venice. Works *''Pesan novosadelanuje za gradjanku gospodicnu Femku'', between ...

's friend and patron.

Life

Josif Jovanović Šakabenta was born in 1743 in Irig to reverend father Andrija Jovanović, the younger brother of Patriarch

Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta ( sr-cyr, Арсеније IV Јовановић Шакабента, ; 1698 – 18 January 1748) was the Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch from 1725 to 1737 and Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Habsbu ...

and Peško Jovanović Šakabenta. Priest Andrija died in 1759. The brothers, Arsenije, Andrija, and Peško and their family members, were granted Hungarian nobility on 11 September 1746. Josif was ordained a presbyter and later elevated once again in 1774 by the Metropolitan Vićentije Jovanović Vidak to

archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...

. On 31 July 1781, Metropolitan

Mojsije Putnik Mojsije Putnik ( sr-cyr, Мојсије Путник, ) (1728–1790) was the Metropolitan of Sremski Karlovci between 1781–90, during the reign of Joseph II. He was known for publishing the Toleranzpatent (tolerance patent) meant to ensure equ ...

consecrated him to the Bishop of Pakrac-Slavonian and the entire Generality of

Varaždin ) , image_photo = , image_skyline = , image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Grb_Grad ...

. One of the first and most important jobs that the new Bishop of

Pakrac Pakrac is a town in western Slavonia, Croatia, population 4,842, total municipality population 8,460 (census 2011). Pakrac is located on the road and railroad connecting the regions of Posavina and Podravina. Name In Croatian the town is known a ...

had to do was suppress the union because it was at this time that it started a new and very lively action in the General Staff of Varaždin. During his visit to the parishes in the

Varaždin Generalate The Varaždin Generalate (german: Warasdiner Generalat, hr, Varaždinski generalat), also known as the ''Windische Grenze'' ("Wendian/Wendish lavicBorder") in German, was a Habsburg monarchy Military Frontier province centred in Warasdin (Varaž ...

in 1782, Bishop Josif received all the deceived Serbs back into Orthodoxy and "took vigorous steps to allow all the repentant unidentified people to return to Orthodoxy. Now there was a great persecution of all who declared that they were returning to Orthodoxy, and at the beginning of 1783, they were full of dungeons, especially in

Belovar Belovar is a settlement (naselje) located within the Sesvete city district of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lije ...

." In less than three years, Bishop Josif has plowed a deep furrow in

Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...

. He "required the clergy to teach their people the truths of faith and morality" and paid special attention to the secret confession and gave special instructions to the priests. Given the greater number of chaplains in the diocese, he regulated the relations between parish priests and chaplains. The fruitful work was interrupted by the transfer of Bishop Josif to the Diocese of

Bačka Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary ...

, where he remained for two years, from 1784 to 1786. He was installed for the Diocese of Bačka by the Vice-Bishop Joseph Kovač and Bishop of Pakrac Pavle Avakumović on 25 April 1784. Bishop Josif showed his organizational skills in the Diocese of

and Diocese of Caransebeș and much more. At his request, he was transferred in 1786 to the bishop of Vršac. In Vršac he founded a grammar school and a boarding school next to it. In 1793, he rebuilt the Mesić Monastery, which was demolished by the Turks and was given the status of a free royal city by Vršac. As a member of the Timișoara Parliament in 1790, he fought for the establishment of the Serbian Duchy. In 1791 he received the title of the royal consular officer and in 1792, with other Orthodox bishops - a member and "magnate" of the assembly of the Hungarian Parliament."Српски сион", Сремски Карловци 1899. He died in Vršac on 31 December 1805, and was buried in the Parish Church of St. Nicholas in a crypt in the nave.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jovanovic Sakabenta, Josif Bishops of Bačka 1743 births 1805 deaths People from Irig, Serbia