Nikanor Ivanović ( sr-Cyrl, Никанор Ивановић; 1825–1894) was Bishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Highlands from 1858 to 1860.

Biography

Nikanor Ivanović was born in

Drniš Drniš is a town in the Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia. Located in the Dalmatian Hinterland, it is about halfway between Šibenik and Knin. History The name Drniš was mentioned for the first time in a contract dated March 8, 1494. However, the ...

, where his family came from

Njeguši Njeguši ( cnr-Cyrl, Његуши) is a village in the Cetinje Municipality of southern Montenegro, located on the slopes of Mount Lovćen, within the Lovćen national park. It is part of the historical territory of the Njeguši tribe. Demogr ...

. He was, probably, taught

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

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

. There, before 1857, he was raised to the dignity of

archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...

. Then he stayed in Savina Monastery. In 1857, the Montenegrin prince Danilo II Petrović-Njegoš elected him as the secretary and vice chairman of the Montenegrin Senate, and then as the new Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Highlands. This office has been vacant since 1851, when

Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Petar II Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyrl, Петар II Петровић-Његош, ; – ), commonly referred to simply as Njegoš (), was a List of rulers of Montenegro, Prince-Bishop (''vladika'') of Montenegro, poet and philosopher whose ...

, the last hierarch who combined metropolitan dignity with secular power in Montenegro, died. His successor Danilo II decided to change the existing system of state so that Montenegro could be recognized internationally as an independent country (claims to its territory were reported by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, claiming that the metropolitan princes only exercised spiritual authority). The decision was supported by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. In 1860, Danilo II was assassinated in

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

(then part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

) and was buried in the

Cetinje Monastery The Cetinje Monastery () is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. It is located in Cetinje and is the seat of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro. A center of historical and cultural importance, it was founded c. 1484 by Prince ...

. Metropolitan Nikanor did not appear at his funeral, which resulted in his removal from office by the new Prince Nikola I. The hierarch went to

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

, Russian Empire and from there to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. He died on 9 April 1894Ο Πανιερώτατος Μητροπολίτης πρώην Κετίγνης και Μαυροβουνίου κυρός Νικάνωρ
/ref> in

Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

References

External links

Mr. Aleksandar Stamatović: Kratka istorija Mitropolije Crnogorsko-primorske (1219–1999)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanovic, Nikanor 1825 births 1894 deaths 19th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops Bishops of Montenegro and the Littoral People from the Austrian Empire People from the Principality of Montenegro People from Drniš 19th-century Montenegrin people Serbs of Croatia