Sofronije Podgoričanin (1668 – 7 January 1711) was a
Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the populat ...
bishop who served in the
Eparchy of Slavonia from 1705 to 1710 and was elevated to the Metropolitan of
Krušedol (
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci ( sr-Cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka Districtautonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danube, from Novi Sad. According to the 202 ...
) from 1710 to 1711.
Early life
Sofronije Podgoričanin was born in
Podgorica
Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...
in what is now
Montenegro
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, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
but was then part of 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 ...
. He joined the monastic order as a youngster at a monastery and after completing his theological studies in
Peć
Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova (region), Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the ...
, joined the clergy.
Career
Sofronije became an
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 ...
at the
Patriarchate of Peć and when Bishop Jovan of
Papraća Monastery died in 1694, he was named the monastery's administrator and
exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'') was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
In the late Roman Empire and early Byzantine Empire, ...
of Patriarch
Arsenije III Čarnojević
Arsenije ( sr-cyr, Арсеније; ) is a Serbian language, Serbian given name, a variant of the Greek name ''Arsenios''. Diminutives of the name include ''Arsen'', ''Arsa'' and ''Arso (disambiguation), Arso''. It may refer to:
*Arsenije Sremac ...
. With the patriarch, he migrated north to the Serbian territories, then under Austrian and Hungarian rule.
After bishop Petronije Ljubibratić died and his brother Janićije (Ljubibratić) succeeded him in the
Eparchy of Slavonia, Podgoričanin was named successor by Arsenije III.
In 1703 the Hungarians, under the leadership of Transylvanian Prince
Francis II Rákóczi, rebelled against the Austrians, demanding
Hungarian independence from the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
. Vienna then eased the pressure on the Serbs, hoping to pacify them because of Austria's need for assistance in dealings with Hungary. Patriarch Arsenije III replaced the
Uniate
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
Bishop of Pakrac with Bishop Sofronije Podgoričanin, in 1705. The following year, Patriarch Arsenije III sent the Austrian Emperor a written request that the Serbian Orthodox church, political, economic and military rights be spared further restrictions. In 1706, Emperor Joseph I (1705-1711) reconfirmed the privileges granted Serbs by
Leopold I.
The second Krušedol
sabor
The Croatian Parliament () or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sabor is composed of 151 members elected ...
of 1710 in order to elect a replacement for
Isaija Đaković who died in 1708. Newly elected Metropolitan Sofronije Podgoričanin was prevented by the Austrians from swearing allegiance to the Peć Patriarch. However, Patriarch
Kalinik I (1691-1710) gave his blessings as well as an official scroll confirming the Metropolitan of Krušedol, and at the same time, extended a form of autonomy to him and his See. Despite Vienna's meddling in Serb affairs, the Serb Orthodox slowly entrenched their communal organizations and settled themselves permanently. Podgoričanin's early death prompted the calling a third assembly (''sabor'') in April 1713, in Sremski Karlovci. For two years, the Church was leaderless until
Vikentije Popović-Hadžilavić
Vikentije Popović-Hadžilavić ( sr-cyrl, Хаџи-Лавић или Хаџилавић, Janjevo, Ottoman Empire, c. 1650 – Sremski Karlovci, Habsburg monarchy, 23 October 1725) was metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Kar ...
(1713-1725) was elected.
Sofronije Podgoričanin is remembered as a defender of Serbian interests in the
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 ...
region during the reign of
Joseph I.
He was one of the most important
metropolitans of the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...
of the time.
See also
*
Metropolitanate of Karlovci
The Metropolitanate of Karlovci () was a metropolitanate of the Eastern Orthodox Church that existed in the Habsburg monarchy between 1708 and 1848. Between 1708 and 1713, it was known as the Metropolitanate of Krušedol Monastery, Krušedol, ...
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Podgoricanin, Sofronije
1668 births
1711 deaths
People from Podgorica
Metropolitans of Karlovci