The Eparchy of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral ( sr, Епархија захумско-херцеговачка и приморска, Eparhija zahumsko-hercegovačka i primorska) is an

eparchy Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the ...

(

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

) of the Serbian Orthodox Church with its seat in

Mostar , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Mostar (collage image).jpg , image_caption = From top, left to right: A panoramic view of the heritage town site and the Neretva river from Lučki Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. It has jurisdiction over the region of Herzegovina, the

littoral The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal a ...

region of southern Dalmatia in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and a small part of

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

. 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 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 Islamic invaders.

Middle Ages

The

Eparchy of Hum 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 with ...

Zahumlje Zachlumia or Zachumlia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Zahumlje, Захумље, ), also Hum, was a medieval principality located in the modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia (today parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia ...

was founded in 1219, by the first Serbian Archbishop Sava, the same year the Serbian Orthodox Church acquired its autocephaly status from the

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

. Thus, it was one of the original Serbian Orthodox bishoprics. It had jurisdiction over the historical regions of

and

Travunija Travunia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Travunija, Травунија; el, Τερβουνία, Tervounía; grc, Τερβουνία, Terbounía; la, Tribunia) was a South Slavic medieval principality that was part of Medieval Serbia (850–13 ...

. The first Bishop of Hum was Ilarion, succeeded by

Sava II Saint Sava II ( sr, Свети Сава II / ''Sveti Sava II''; 1201–1271) was the third archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, serving from 1263 until his death in 1271. He was the middle son of King Stefan the First-Crowned of the Nemanji ...

(son of Stefan the First-Crowned). The original seat was in

Ston Ston () is a settlement and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. History Because of its geopolitical and strategic position, Ston has had a rich history since ant ...

, 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

was sometimes also called "Eparchy of Lim". With the War of Hum (1326–1329), most of

was taken over by Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia, but the

region remained under the rule of Serbian Kings. After the creation of the

Serbian Patriarchate of Peć The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Српска патријаршија у Пећи, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći'') or just Patriarchate of Peć ( sr, Пећка патријаршија, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an autocephalous ...

in 1346, all original Serbian bishops were raised to the honorary rank of

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the ...

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bl ...

in 1335 addresses to King Stefan Dušan and request him to stop the persecution and that to the bishop of

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 ...

which is responsible for

Roman Catholic Diocese of Trebinje The Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan ( la, Diocesis Tribuniensis-Marcanensis) is a particular church of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in the 10th century, is the oldest Catholic diocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the numb ...

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 Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...

. Following the fall of the Duchy of St. Sava to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

(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 Trebinje ( sr-Cyrl, Требиње, ) is a city and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is situated on the banks of Trebišnjica river in the r ...

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 found ...

Modern and contemporary history

In 1557,

was restored and the Eparchy of Herzegovina 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 Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. 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

. Since 1878, the territory of

was under the occupation of

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 ...

, but under the Church Convention of 1880, all Eastern Orthodox eparchies remained under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1918, Eastern Orthodox bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina reached a unanimous decision to enter the united Serbian Orthodox Church. The process of unification was completed in 1920 and since then the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina has remained part of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The seat of the eparchy was the

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Mostar The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity ( sr, Саборна Црква Свете Тројице, Saborna Crkva Svete Trojice) is a Serbian Orthodox cathedral church in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It served as the seat of the Eparchy of Zahumlje ...

. As of 2017, it is being rebuilt after being demolished during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). After the restoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1920), and with the Church Constitution (1931), diocese comprised the districts

, Bileća,

Gacko Gacko ( sr-cyrl, Гацко) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inhabitants, while the m ...

nevesinje Nevesinje ( sr-cyrl, Невесиње) is a town and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,162 inhabitants, while the municipality has 12,961 inhabitants. Geograp ...

Stolac Stolac is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cities in Bosnia and Herzego ...

, and

, the towns of

Metković Metković () is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Demographics The total population of the city municipal ...

and

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...

and the island of

Korčula Korčula (, it, Curzola) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after ...

, the birthplace of Marco Polo. Districts of

Foča Foča ( sr-Cyrl, Фоча, ) is a town and a municipality located in Republika Srpska in south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the banks of Drina river. As of 2013, the town has a population of 12,234 inhabitants, while the municipality has 1 ...

and

Čajniče Čajniče ( sr-cyr, Чајниче, ) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 2,401 inhabitants, while the municipality has 4,895 inhabitants. Settlemen ...

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 The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Свети архијерејски синод Српске православне цркве, Sveti arhijerejski sinod Srpske pravoslavne crkve) serves by Church constitution as the executive bod ...

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 Serbian Orthodox Church 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) 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

, 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 The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...

(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 (1923–200 ...

(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 Vasilije () is a South Slavic languages, South Slavic masculine given name, a variant of Greek language, Greek given name ''Vassilios'' ("Basil (name), Basil"). It may refer to: *Vasilije, Serbian Patriarch (), Serbian cleric born Vasilije Jovanovi ...

(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 Petar ( sr, Петар, bg, Петър) is a South Slavic languages, South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros (given name), Petros cognate to Peter (given name), Peter. Derivative forms include Pero (given name) ...

(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 (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 *

Žitomislić The Žitomislić Monastery ( sr, Манастир Житомислић, Manastir Žitomislić, ) is а Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Annunciation and located near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Building In 1566 the Ottoma ...

* 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