Jovan Vraniškovski
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Jovan Vraniškovski (
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
and mk, Јован Вранишковски; born 28 February 1966), known as Jovan VI, is the Archbishop of Ohrid,
Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...
of Skopje and the head of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric.


Biography

Christened Zoran Vraniškovski, he was born in
Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
,
SR Macedonia The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...
,
SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
. He studied at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, graduated in 1990 and enrolled the University of Belgrade's Faculty of
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
the same year. He graduated in June, 1995 and then started his master's studies. As of 2008, he has also been studying for a doctoral degree, working on a doctoral dissertation on "The Unity of the Church and the Contemporary Ecclesiological Problems". Vraniškovski was tonsured a
monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
with the name Jovan (John) in February 1998. Soon afterwards he was ordained a deacon and then a priest. In July 1998 was consecrated a
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
with the title Bishop of Dremvitsa and was assigned to be a vicar of the Bishop of Prespa and Pelagonia. In March 2000, he was elected the Bishop of the diocese of Veles. In an interview given in 2020, Archbishop Jovan pointed out that the disputed Macedonian Orthodox Church is not taking good care of the churches and monasteries founded by Serbian rulers, and that many are in poor state. He characterized the behavior of the MOC as ''irresponsible''. In 2021, Archbishop Jovan was vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and he emphasized the importance of vaccination.


Restoring church unity

In attempt to restore its canonical status and gain recognition from the orthodox churches, the
Macedonian Orthodox Church The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid (MOC-AO; mk, Македонска православна црква – Охридска архиепископија), or simply the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) or the Archdiocese o ...
negotiated with 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 ...
from which it was separated since its self-declared
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 ...
in 1967. These negotiations led to an agreement that was signed in
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 June 2002 - ''the Niš Agreement''. The agreement was signed by all bishops of both delegations. The bishops of the delegations of the Macedonian Orthodox Church were exposed to severe criticism for signing this agreement, and although they attempted to defend it for a short time, it was soon rejected by the
Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
of MOC. The Patriarch of Peć then summoned all bishops, clergy, monastics and faithful people of the MOC to enter into liturgical and canonical unity with the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Bishop of Veles, Jovan Vraniskoski, and all priests of Veles agreed to respond to this call, and all signed a document of agreement. On 24 May 2005, Jovan Vraniškovski was confirmed by the Patriarch of Peć to be the Archbishop of Ohrid and
Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...
of Skopje in accordance with the Niš Agreement. On the same day, there was an announcement of the Patriarchal and the Assembly's Tomos for Autonomy of the Ohrid Archbishopric, with Archbishop John as the Chairman of the Holy Synod of Bishops.


Reactions of the state

A few days after entering in liturgical and canonical unity with the Serbian Orthodox Church, Vraniškovski was expelled from the seat of the Metropolitanate together with the monastic community living with him. Since then he has been detained by the Macedonian national authorities several times on various charges. In 2003, he was sentenced to five days' imprisonment for "disturbance of public peace and order and resisting a police officer", after attempting to perform a baptism in a church run by the Macedonian Orthodox Church. In 2004, Vraniškovski was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for "instigation of ethnic and religious hatred, discord and intolerance." The verdict stated the conviction relied on three points: 1) he wrote a text in a religious calendar in which he slandered the Macedonian Orthodox Church, 2) he agreed to be appointed as an Exarch of the Ohrid Archbishopric in Macedonia and participated in the ordination of the bishops Joachim and Marko and 3) he officiated at a religious service in an apartment owned by his parents. He was imprisoned on July 26, 2005 and served 220 days in prison before the Supreme Court declared the last two of these three points to be unconstitutional and his sentence was shortened to 8 months. In 2006, Vraniškovski was again tried and sentenced to two years on charges of embezzlement of a donation of 57,000
euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
s. Initially, the Court refuted the indictment, but the Court of Appeal returned the case for a retrial. In the second trial, the defendants were acquitted of the indictment, but the Court of Appeal returned the case for a third trial. On the third trial both defendants were found guilty, and as a second defendant, Vraniškovski was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, where the first defendant was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months imprisonment. He was imprisoned on 8 August 2006 and served 256 days before being released. Vraniškovski faced a detainment order for a third retrial of a third case in which he was initially acquitted by the Veles Trial Court in April 2006 on charges of embezzling 324,000 euros from MOC funds while he was a bishop with the MOC. The case was returned to the Veles Trial Court for retrial by the Court of Appeals in Skopje, and he was acquitted for a second time in April 2007. On 14 November 2007, the Court of Appeals in
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
returned this case to the Veles Trial Court for a third trial. Vraniškovski's attorney claimed that neither he nor Vraniškovski was asked to appear in court to testify in the case. On 17 March 2008, the Veles court issued a detention order for Vraniškovski for failing to appear in court. Vraniškovski and other members of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric were physically attacked on a number of occasions and the churches they have built or used have been destroyed.


International reactions

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
found the Archbishop Jovan to be a Prisoner of conscience. Th
US Mission to the OSCE
in its report stated that ''The United States is concerned that Vraniskoski's January detention and his ongoing trial may be disproportionate to his alleged offenses and violate his freedom of religion. We believe that governments should avoid involvement in religious disputes.''
Freedom House Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
speaking of Jovan Vraniskoski's second imprisonment reported that he has been ''again arrested ... for his ties to the Serbian Orthodox Church''.Freedom House report on Macedonia, 2007
freedomhouse.org. Accessed 3 September 2022.
Reporting about the first imprisonment Freedom House writes that ''the charge was loosely based on the fact that he had performed a baptism and held church services in his apartment. Amnesty International has declared him a prisoner of conscience.''. In Freedom House's publications ''Macedonia received a downward trend arrow due to ... an increase in the harassment of leaders of various religious groups''. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe reported that ''Macedonian officials, in response to the ecclesiastical dispute concerning the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, have over-reacted'' and found the 18-month prison sentence to be ''excessive and unjustified''.


Reactions of the Orthodox churches

The Orthodox churches reacted upon the imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan and appealed for his release. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople sent a letter to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia requesting immediate release of Archbishop Jovan. Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow sent a letter to the President of the Republic of Macedonia demanding immediate release of the Archbishop Jovan. Holy
Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
Of Hierarchs Of The
Church of Greece The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
expressed a severe protest for an emergent release of Archbishop Jovan from prison, and for respect of religious freedom in the Republic of Macedonia. The Holy Community of the
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
sent a letter of support to the Archbishop Jovan, signed by all Representatives and Abbots who are in the common Assembly of the twenty Holy Monasteries of the Holy Mount Athos. The
Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) was an organization of bishops from Eastern Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in the Americas. It acted as a clearinghouse for educational, charitable, and missionary ...
Condemned the Imprisonment of Archbishop Jovan by the Republic of Macedonia and asked for his release. Metropolitan
Herman Herman may refer to: People * Herman (name), list of people with this name * Saint Herman (disambiguation) * Peter Noone (born 1947), known by the mononym Herman Places in the United States * Herman, Arkansas * Herman, Michigan * Herman, Minne ...
of the
Orthodox Church in America The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian church based in North America. The OCA is partly recognized as Autocephaly, autocephalous and consists of more than 700 parishes, missions, commun ...
called for release of Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid.


Works


Books

*''Brief History of the Ohrid Archbishopric'' (Ohrid, 2007) *''The Freedom in the Prison'' (Skopje, 2007)


Studies and articles

* Ecclesiological Heresis of the Schismatical Organization in R. Macedonia * Contribution of the Church in the Prisons * Theological and Historical Aspects of the Church Schism in R. Macedonia and its Overcoming * The Educational Character of Orthodox Christianity * Theology and Ecology * The Theology of St. Theophylact of Ohrid in His Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew * The Holy Relics - A Seal of a Sanctified Life * Baptism and Chrismation * The One and Many Through an Ecclesiological Aspect * The Crisis is to Unite the Christians * A Witness * A Verdict for the Communism * The Church is One * Autonomy or Autocephaly


References


External links


Biography of Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid on the official site of the Orthodox Archbishopric of Ohrid

Freearchbishop.com

"Controversy in Macedonia over law on religious groups", SETimes.com, 10 January 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vraniskoski, Jovan 1966 births Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by North Macedonia Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric 21st-century Eastern Orthodox archbishops Eastern Orthodox Christians from North Macedonia Living people People from Bitola Persecution of Eastern Orthodox Christians Serbian Orthodox metropolitans of Skopje Serbs of North Macedonia University of Belgrade Faculty of Orthodox Theology alumni North Macedonia–Serbia relations Serbian prisoners and detainees Macedonian prisoners and detainees