Metropolitan Joanikije Lipovac (16 February 1890 – 18 June 1945) was the Metropolitan of the Diocese of Montenegro and the Littoral. He was executed by the Communist-led

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

for his collaboration with occupying

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He was posthumously canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Joanikije attempted to maintain the diocese as the area transitioned between German and communist rule. With the ascendancy of communist control he attempted to leave the area with a number of his priests. The attempt was unsuccessful and he and his party of priests were executed by the Partisans. In 1999, his name was added to the list of Serbian saints.

Biography

Joanikije was born Jovan Lipovac to Špiro and Marija (née Damjanović) Lipovac in Stoliv in the

Bay of Kotor The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the hi ...

in what was then the

Kingdom of Dalmatia The Kingdom of Dalmatia ( hr, Kraljevina Dalmacija; german: Königreich Dalmatien; it, Regno di Dalmazia) was a crown land of the Austrian Empire (1815–1867) and the Cisleithanian half of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918). It encompassed the entire ...

within

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. He finished elementary school in

Prčanj Prčanj ( Montenegrin and Serbian: Прчањ, ) is a small town along the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1128 people. It is located 5 kilometres west of Kotor, opposite to Dobrota and betwe ...

and gymnasium in

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 ...

. He graduated in Orthodox theology in

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...

and philosophy at the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-ba ...

. After being ordained he served in Kotor and Lastva. From 1925–40 he taught as a professor in Belgrade. In 1939 he was named an auxiliary bishop, with title '' Bishop of Budimlja''. The following year he was named metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral. Soon after taking the position of metropolitan, the

April War The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...

brought the

to Yugoslavia and resulted in the establishment of the

Italian governorate of Montenegro The Italian governorate of Montenegro ( it, Governatorato del Montenegro) existed from October 1941 to September 1943 as an occupied territory under military government of Fascist Italy during World War II. Although the Italians had intended to ...

. Joanikije collaborated with occupying Axis forces and supported the activities of the Serbian Chetniks. He was at the head of the column of Montenegrin Chetniks which attempted to flee Yugoslavia through Germany at the end of the war.Profile
, danas.rs, 8 June 2005; accessed 4 July 2015. Joanikije was captured by Yugoslav Partisans on May 12 near Celje and taken to

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

. On orders from Milovan Đilas, he was transferred to Belgrade. He and his party were executed by the Partisans at Bukovik near

Aranđelovac Aranđelovac ( sr-cyr, Аранђеловац, ) is a town and a municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. , the municipality has a population of 46,225 inhabitants, while the town has 24,797 inhabitants. It is situated be ...

on 18 June 1945.Prsten ubijenog sveca
(English: Ring of a murdered priest), glas-javnosti.rs; accessed 4 July 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lipovac, Joanikije 1890 births 1945 deaths 20th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops People from Kotor People from the Kingdom of Dalmatia Bishops of Montenegro and the Littoral Montenegrin collaborators with Fascist Italy Montenegrin collaborators with Nazi Germany Montenegrin people of World War II Executed Yugoslav collaborators with Nazi Germany People killed by Yugoslav Partisans Serbian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church University of Belgrade faculty University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy alumni New Martyrs Hieromartyrs 20th-century Eastern Orthodox martyrs