The Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian Serbian is a South Slavic language, spoken mainly in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and in the Serbian diaspora. Serbian is the official language in Serbia, one of the official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a minority language in Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia. Standard: Српска православна црква / Srpska pravoslavna crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Church of Serbia is one of the autocephalous Autocephaly, in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. When an ecumenical council or a high-ranking bishop, such as a patriarch or other primate, releases an ecclesiastical province from Orthodox Christian churches The term Western Orthodoxy is sometimes used to denominate what is technically a Vicariate within the Antiochian Orthodox Church and thus a part of the Eastern Orthodox Church as that term is defined here. The term "Western Orthodox Church" is disfavored by members of that Vicariate, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who has the status of "first among equals" among the world's Orthodox bishops. According to, Alexandria The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, also known as the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa is an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. Officially, it is called the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria to distinguish it from the non-Chalcedonian Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of, Antioch The Church of Antioch is one of the five Christian churches that composed the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church before the East-West Schism, Jerusalem The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem , also known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem as its head. It is regarded by Orthodox Christians as the mother church of all of Christendom, because it was in Jerusalem that the Church was established, and Russia The Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Русская Православная Церковь (Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov), or Московский Патриархат (Moskovskiy Patriarkhat) (the latter designation being another official name) since 1943, Поместная Российская Православ�. It is the second oldest Slavic The Slavic Peoples are an ethnic and linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in central and eastern Europe. From the early 6th century they spread to inhabit most of the Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Many settled later in Siberia and Central Asia or emigrated to other parts of the world. Over half of Europe's Orthodox Church The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church[note 1] and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, asserts that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles almost 2,000 years ago. The Church is composed of several self-governing ecclesial bodies, each in the world (after the Bulgarian Orthodox Church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia. The recognition of the autocephalous Bulgarian Patriarchate by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 927 AD makes), as well as the westernmost Eastern church The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church[note 1] and also the Eastern Orthodox Church, asserts that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles almost 2,000 years ago. The Church is composed of several self-governing ecclesial bodies, each geographically and in Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus region (Specification of borders) and the Black Sea to the southeast. Europe is bordered by the.^[3]

It exercises jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in Serbia 2 Titular rulers of Serbia in Hungarian exile claimed Serbian throne until 1540. Belgrade fell to Ottomans only in 1521. Serbia was briefly reestablished by Jovan Nenad 1526–7 and surrounding Slavic and other lands, as well as exarchates In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch , from Greek: ἔξαρχος (exarchos), was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations and patriarchal representation churches around the world. The Patriarch of Serbia This is a list of the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Peć and the Serbs from the creation of the church as an archdiocese in 1219 to today's Patriarchate. The list includes all the Archbishops and Patriarchs that led the Serbian Orthodox community under Patriarchate of Peć. Today, the church is unified under a Patrirach who is known officially as serves as first among equals in his church; The current patriarch is His Holiness Irinej.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Autocephaly, in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. When an ecumenical council or a high-ranking bishop, such as a patriarch or other primate, releases an ecclesiastical province from, or ecclesiastically Ecclesiology is the theological study of the Christian church. Specific areas of concern include the church's origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its role in salvation, its discipline, its destiny, and its leadership independent, member of the Orthodox communion, located primarily in Serbia (including Kosovo Kosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. The partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo (Albanian: Republika e Kosovës; Serbian: Република Косово, Republika Kosovo), a self-declared independent state, has de facto control over most of the territory, with limited control in North Kosovo. Serbia does not recognise the unilateral), Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina (pronounced /ˈbɒzni.ə hɜrtsɨˈɡoʊvɨnə/ ( listen) or /ˌhɜrtsɨɡoʊˈviːnə/; Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Latin: Bosna i Hercegovina; Bosnian and Serbian Cyrillic: Босна и Херцеговина) is a country in South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south,, Montenegro Montenegro ( /ˌmɒntɨˈneɪɡroʊ/ or /ˌmɒntɨˈniːɡroʊ/) (Montenegrin: Crna Gora, Црна Гора, listen (help·info)) (meaning "Black Mountain" in Montenegrin) is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the and Republic of Macedonia Coordinates: 41°36′11″N 21°42′54″E / 41.603°N 21.715°E Macedonia (Macedonian: Македонија; English: /ˌmæsɨˈdoʊniə/ mas-i-DOH-nee-ə), officially the Republic of Macedonia (Република Македонија, transliterated: Republika Makedonija [rɛˈpublika makɛˈdɔnija] ( listen)), is a landlocked country^[4], as well as Croatia Croatia (pronounced /kroʊˈeɪʃə/ , kroe-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a country in Central Europe and Southeastern Europe at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest. Since many Serbs have emigrated to foreign countries, there are now Serbian Orthodox communities worldwide.

The Serbian Orthodox Church owns many significant Christian relics A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Shamanism, and many other religions, such as the right hand of John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River. John was an historical figure who followed the example of previous Hebrew prophets, living austerely, challenging sinful rulers, calling for repentance, and promising God's justice. John is regarded as a prophet in, Saint George Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier and priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic (Western and Eastern Rites), Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox churches. He is immortalized in the tale of Saint's hand and skull parts^[5], Holy Cross The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified segments, St. Paraskevi's finger, body of St. Vasilije of Ostrog He was Bishop of Zahumlje in Herzegovina. He was born in Popovo Selo, Herzegovina on December 12, 1610, and became a monk at the Monastery of the Dormition Tvrdoš near Trebinje, etc.

Official Serbian Orthodox Church Flag

Contents 1 History 1.1 Founding 1.2 From 16th to 19th century 1.3 Modern history 2 Adherents 3 Structure 3.1 Holy assembly of Bishops 3.1.1 Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid 4 Worship, liturgy and doctrine 4.1 Ecumenical relations 5 Art and architecture 5.1 Church architecture 5.1.1 Serbo-Byzantine Style 5.1.2 Western Influences 5.2 Icons 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

History

Part of a series of articles on
Serbs Serbs are a native Balkan South Slavic ethnic group. Majority of Serbs live in the Central Europe and the Balkans (Southeastern Europe), between the Balkan and Carpathian mountains, in the east, and the Adriatic sea, in the west. Serbs are a ethnicity with a large diaspora. The total world Serbian population, however, is difficult to measure
In the Balkans The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains, which run through the centre of Bulgaria into eastern Serbia. The region has a combined area of 550,000 km2 (212,000 sq mi) and a population of 55 million people.[citation needed] Former Yugoslavia Former Yugoslavia consists of the states succeeding the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992. These countries are, listed geographically from northwest to southeast:: Serbia 2 Titular rulers of Serbia in Hungarian exile claimed Serbian throne until 1540. Belgrade fell to Ottomans only in 1521. Serbia was briefly reestablished by Jovan Nenad 1526–7 (Kosovo • Vojvodina) Bosnia & Herzegovina Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, predominantly concentrated in the Republic of Srpska entity, although many also live in the other entity called the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are frequently referred to as Bosnian Serbs in English, regardless of whether they are from Bosnia or Herzegovina (RS Republika Srpska listen (Serbian Cyrillic: Република Српска) is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Republika Srpska is defined in its constitution as a territorially unified, indivisible and inalienable constitutional and legal entity that shall) Croatia Republic of Macedonia Montenegro Slovenia Other: Albania · Greece · Romania
Diaspora There are currently 3.5 million Serbs in diaspora throughout the world . The Serb diaspora (commonly known as the Serbian diaspora) was the consequence of either voluntary departure, coercion and/or forced migrations or expulsions that occurred in six big waves: Austria · France · Germany Hungary · Italy · Sweden · Switzerland United Kingdom North America Canada · United States Serbian Americans are citizens of the United States who are of Serbian ancestry Oceania Australia · New Zealand South America Argentina · Brazil · Chile
By town or city Europe Budapest · Dubrovnik · Istanbul London · Mostar · Osijek Paris · Sarajevo · Szentendre Trieste · Vienna · Zagreb North America Chicago · Los Angeles Toronto
Culture Religion (Slava The slava , also called krsna slava (крсна слава) and krsno ime (крсно име, literally "christened name" in Serbian), is the Serbian Orthodox tradition of the ritual celebration, veneration, and observance of a family's own patron saint. The family celebrates the slava annually on the patron saint's feast day. The slava · Christmas traditions) Kinship · Clans Costume · Symbols Literature · Epic poetry Serbian epic poetry is a form of epic poetry originating in the Serbian lands, today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries. They are largely concerned with historical events and personages Monuments of Culture Art · Architecture · Music The Music of the Serbs and Serbia presents a variety of traditional music, which is part of the wider Balkan tradition, with its own distinctive sound and characteristics · Cinema Serbia has a well-established theatrical tradition with many theatres. The Serbian National Theatre was established in 1861 with its building dating from 1868. The company started performing opera from the end of the 19th century and the permanent opera was established in 1947. It established a ballet company Sport · Cuisine The Serbian cuisine is a heterogeneous one, influenced by Mediterranean , Oriental (Turkish) and the Hungarian cuisine · Dances
History Origins and history of Serbs History of Serbia Serbian rulers
Language Serbian is a South Slavic language, spoken mainly in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and in the Serbian diaspora. Serbian is the official language in Serbia, one of the official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a minority language in Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia. Standard Serbian Serbian is a South Slavic language, spoken mainly in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and in the Serbian diaspora. Serbian is the official language in Serbia, one of the official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a minority language in Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia. Standard Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian, less commonly known as Croato-Serbian or Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language and the native language of Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Croats and Serbs, who differ in religion and have historically lived under different empires, have adopted slightly different literary forms, Croatian Romano-Serbian · Shtokavian Torlakian · Šatrovački · Užičan Church Slavonic Church Slavonic is the liturgical language of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Croatian Greek Catholic Church, Macedonian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, Ruthenian Catholic Church, Serbian Orthodox Church and other Slavic Orthodox and Slavic Greek Catholic Churches, as well as the liturgical language of Croatian and Czech Church Slavonic (Old Old Church Slavonic, also known as Old Bulgarian or Old Macedonian, was the first literary Slavic language, based on the old Slavic dialect of the Thessaloniki region, employed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries, Saints Cyril and Methodius, who used it for translation of the Bible and other Ancient Greek ecclesiastical texts, and for) Slavoserbian Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian The standard Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian languages belong to western group of South Slavic languages, together with Slovene language
Related nations South Slavs The South Slavs are a southern branch of the Slavic peoples that live mainly in the Balkans. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the southern Pannonian Plain, the eastern Alps and the Balkan peninsula and they speak South Slavic languages. Numbering close to 35 million, the South Slavs include Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Croats Croatia is the nation state of the Croats, while in the adjacent Bosnia and Herzegovina they are one of the three constituent peoples · Bosniaks The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller autochthonous population also present in the Sandžak, Croatia, and the Republic of Macedonia. Bosniaks are typically characterized by their tie to the Bosnian historical region, traditional adherence to Islam since 15th and 16th Montenegrins · Yugoslavs Slovenes · Macedonians Gorani · Bulgarians

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be and removed. (February 2010)

The Serbs were fully christianized with the baptism in 867-886 by missionairies Cyril and Methodius of Thessaloniki after Mutimir of Serbia acknowledged Byzantine supremacy under Emperor Basil I.

Founding

The Serbian Orthodox Church is founded with Archbishop Saint Sava, was recognized as autocephalous by Constantinople in 1219.

The status of the Serbian Orthodox Church grew along with the growth in size and prestige of the medieval Kingdom of Serbia. After King Stefan Dušan assumed the imperial title of tsar, the Archbishopric of Peć was correspondingly raised to the rank of Patriarchate in 1346. In the century that followed, the Serbian Church achieved its greatest power and prestige. In the 14th century Serbian Orthodox clergy had the title of Protos at Mount Athos.

From 16th to 19th century

Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (16th-17th century)

In 1459, the Ottoman Empire conquered Serbia and made much of the former kingdom a pashaluk. Although some Serbs converted to Islam, most continued their adherence to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Church itself continued in existence throughout the Ottoman period, though not without some disruption. After the death of Patriarch Arsenios II in 1463, a successor was not elected. The Patriarchate was thus de facto abolished, and the Serbian Church passed under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Serbian Patriarchate was restored in 1557 by the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, much thanks to the famous Mehmed-paša Sokolović, when Macarios, his brother or cousin, was elected Patriarch in Peć.

Great Serb Migrations, led by the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Arsenije III Carnojevic, 17th century (Painting by Paja Jovanović)

The restoration of the Patriarchate was of great importance for the Serbs because it helped the spiritual unification of all Serbs in the Turkish Empire. After consequent Serbian uprisings against the Turkish occupiers in which the Church had a leading role, the Turks abolished the Patriarchate once again in 1766. The Church remained once more under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. This period of so-called "Phanariots" was a period of great spiritual decline^{[citation needed]} because the Greek bishops had very little understanding of their Serbian flock.

During this period, many Christians across the Balkans converted to Islam to avoid severe taxes imposed by the Turks in retaliation for uprisings and continued resistance. Many Serbs migrated with their hierarchs to Habsburg Monarchy where they had been granted autonomy. The seat of the archbishops was moved from Peć to Karlovci. The new Serbian Metropolitanate of Karlovci would become a patriarchate in 1848.

Modern history

The church's close association with Serbian resistance to Ottoman rule led to Serbian Orthodoxy becoming inextricably linked with Serbian national identity and the new Serbian monarchy that emerged from 1817 onwards. The Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbia finally regained its independence and became autocephalous in 1879, the year after the recognition by the Great Powers of Serbia as an independent state. This church was known as the Metropolitanate of Belgrade, thus in the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, two separate Serbian Churches existed - the Patriarchate of Karlovci in the Habsburg Monarchy and the Metropolitanate of Belgrade in the Kingdom of Serbia. The Cetinje Metropolitanate held successorship to the Serb Patriarchate in Peć, its Vladikas were titled "Exarchs of the Peć Throne"

After World War I all the Orthodox Serbs were united under one ecclesiastical authority, and two Serbian churches were united into the single Patriarchate of Serbia in 1920 with the election of Patriarch Dimitrije. It gained great political and social influence in the inter-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, during which time it successfully campaigned against the Yugoslav government's intentions of signing a concordat with the Holy See.

During the Second World War the Serbian Orthodox Church suffered severely from persecutions by the occupying powers and the rabidly anti-Serbian Ustaše regime of Independent State of Croatia, which sought to create a "Croatian Orthodox Church" which Orthodox Serbs were forced to join. Many Serbs were killed during the war; bishops and priests of the Serbian Orthodox Church were singled out for persecution, and many Orthodox churches were damaged or destroyed.

After the war the Church was suppressed by the Socialist government of Josip Broz Tito, which viewed it with suspicion due to the Church's links with the exiled Serbian monarchy and the nationalist Chetnik movement. Along with other ecclesiastical institutions of all denominations, the Church was subject to strict controls by the Yugoslav state, which prohibited the teaching of religion in schools, confiscated Church property and discouraged religious activity among the population.

The gradual demise of Yugoslav socialism and the rise of rival nationalist movements during the 1980s also led to a marked religious revival throughout Yugoslavia, not least in Serbia. The Serbian Patriarch, Pavle, supported the opposition to Slobodan Milošević in the 1990s.

The Macedonian Orthodox Church was created in 1967, effectively as an offshoot of the Serbian Orthodox Church in what was then the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, as part of the Yugoslav drive to build up a Macedonian national identity. This was strongly resisted by the Serbian Church, which does not recognize the independence of its Macedonian counterpart. Campaigns for an independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church have also gained ground in recent years.

The Yugoslav wars gravely impacted several branches of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Many Serbian Orthodox Church clergy supported the war, while others were against it.^{[citation needed]}

Many churches in Croatia were damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war in that country in 1991. The bishops and priests and most faithful of the eparchies of Zagreb, of Karlovac, of Slavonia and of Dalmatia became refugees. The latter three were almost completely abandoned after the exodus of the Serbs from Croatia in 1995. The eparchy of Dalmatia also had its see temporarily moved to Knin after the Republic of Serbian Krajina was established. The eparchy of Slavonia had its see moved from Pakrac to Daruvar. After Operation Storm, two monasteries were particularly damaged:

• Monastery Krupa was damaged by unknown Croatian assailants. It is located at the southern slopes of Velebit, halfway between Obrovac and Knin. Monastery was built in 1317.
• Monastery Krka was looted to an extent. It is located in the Krka National Park by the river Krka. In 1345, this monastery was mentioned for the first time as the endowment of princess Jelena Šubić (Nemanjić).

The eparchies of Bihać and Petrovac, Dabar-Bosnia and Zvornik and Tuzla were also dislocated due to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The eparchy see of Dabar-Bosnia was temporarily moved to Sokolac, and the see of Zvornik-Tuzla to Bijeljina. Over a hundred Church-owned objects in the Zvornik-Tuzla eparchy were destroyed or damaged during the war. Many monasteries and churches in the Zahumlje eparchy were also destroyed. Numerous faithful from these eparchies also became refugees.

By 1998 the situation had stabilized in both countries. Most of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church was returned to normal use, the bishops and priests returned, and that which was destroyed, damaged or vandalized was restored. The process of rebuilding several churches is still under way, notably the cathedral of the Eparchy of Upper Karlovac in Karlovac. The return of the SOC faithful also started, but they are not nearly close to their pre-war numbers, as of 2004.

Eparchy of Ras and Prizren, which includes whole of Kosovo

Due to the Kosovo War, after 1999 numerous Serbian Orthodox holy sites in the province were left occupied only by clergy. Since the arrival of NATO troops in June 1999, 156 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been damaged or destroyed and several priests have been killed. During the few days of the 2004 unrest in Kosovo, 35 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were damaged and some destroyed by Albanian mobs. Thousands of Serbs were forced to move from Kosovo due to the numerous attacks of Kosovo Albanians on Serbian churches and Serbs.

As a reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, the Serbian government Minister of Religion Radomir Naumov (DSS) decided to pay the salaries to Serbian Orthodox clergy in Kosovo.^[6]

Adherents

A mass baptism on the Lake of Ledinci, Syrmia, organized by the Serbian Orthodox Church in May, 2006

Site Adherents.com estimates the number of believers of the Serbian Orthodox Church to be between 6,500,000 and 7,500,000^[1], while other estimates go up to 11,000,000^[2]. Orthodoxy is the largest single religious faith in Serbia with 6,371,584 adherents (84% of the population belonging to it)^[7], and in Montenegro with 460,383 (74%)^[8]. It is the second largest faith in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 36% of adherents^[9], and in Croatia with 4.4% of adherents ^[10]

Structure

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the patriarch. He is also the head (metropolitan) of the Metropolitanate of Belgrade and Karlovci. The current patriarch is Irinej since 22 January 2010. The Serbian Orthodox patriarchs are styled His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch. The highest body of the Church is the Holy assembly of Bishops (Serbian: Sveti arhijerejski sabor, Свети архијерејски сабор). It is consisted of the Patriarch, the Metropolitans, Bishops, Archbishop of Ohrid and Vicar Bishops. It meets twice a year in spring and in autumn. Holy assembly of Bishops makes important decisions for the church's life and elects the patriarch. The executive body of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod. It has five members: four bishops and the patriarch^[11]. Holy Synod takes care of the everyday life of the Church. It meets on regular basis.

The territory of the Serbian Orthodox Church is divided into:

• 6 metropolitanates, headed by metropolitans
• 31 eparchies or dioceses, headed by episcops (bishops)
• 1 autonomous archeparchy (archdiocese, archbishopric), headed by archepiscop (archbishop), the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid. It is further divided into 1 metropolitanate and 6 dioceses.

Dioceses are further divided into episcopal deaneries, each consisting of several church congregations and/or parishes. Church congregations consist of one or more parishes. A parish is the smallest Church unit - a communion of Orthodox faithful congregating at the Holy Eucharist with the parish priest at their head.

Holy assembly of Bishops

Further information: List of the Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Metropolitans ^[12]

Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church in former Yugoslavia

• Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci Irinej (Gavrilović)
• Metropolitan of Dabar and Bosnia Nikolaj (Mrđa)
• Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije (Radović)
• Metropolitan of Midwestern America Hristifor (Kovacevich)
• Metropolitan of Zagreb, Ljubljana and All Italy Jovan (Pavlović)
• Bishop of America and Canada of the New Gračanica Metropolitanate Longin (Krčo)

Bishops ^[12]

• Bishop of Australia and New Zealand Irinej (Dobrijević)
• Bishop of Banat Nikanor (Bogunović)
• Bishop of Bačka Irinej (Bulović)
• Bishop of Banja Luka Jefrem (Milutonović)
• Bishop of Bihać and Petrovac Hrizostom (Jević)
• Bishop of Braničevo Ignjatije (Midić)
• Bishop of Britain and Scandinavia Dositej (Motika)
• Bishop of Buda Lukijan (Pantelić)
• Bishop of Budimlje and Nikšić Joanikije (Mićović)
• Bishop of Canada Georgije (Đokić)
• Bishop of Central Europe Constantine (Đokić)
• Bishop of Dalmatia Fotije (Sladojević)
• Bishop of Eastern America Mitrophan (Kodić)
• Bishop of Mileševa Filaret (Mićević)
• Bishop of Niš Irinej (Gavrilović) (Elected Patriarch on January 22, 2010)
• Bishop of Osečko polje and Baranja Lukijan (Vladulov)
• Bishop of Ras and Prizren Artemije (Radosavljević)
• Bishop of Šabac Lavrentije (Trifunović)
• Bishop of Slavonia Sava (Jurić)
• Bishop of Srem Vasilije (Vadić)
• Bishop of Šumadija Jovan (Mladenović)
• Bishop of Timok Justin (Stefanović)
• Bishop of Upper Karlovac Gerasim (Popović)
• Bishop of Valjevo Milutin (Knežević)
• Bishop of Vranje Pahomije (Gačić)
• Bishop of Western America Maksim (Vasiljević)
• Bishop of Western Europe Luka (Kovačević)
• Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina Grigorije (Durić)
• Bishop of Žiča Hrizostom (Stolić)
• Bishop of Zvornik and Tuzla Vasilije (Kačavenda)

Vicar bishops

Vicar bishop (or titular bishop) is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. Vicar bishop bears in his title the name of a town or region that is within a diocese. He has no independent jurisdiction (even in his titular town), but is subordinate to his diocesan bishop. Only large dioceses have vicar bishops. There are five vicar bishops, not counting the Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid:

• Vicar Bishop of Hvostno^[13] (northern Metohija^[14]) Atanasije (Rakita)^[13]
• Vicar Bishop of Jegar Porfirije (Perić)^[15]
• Vicar Bishop of Lipljan Teodosije (Šibalić)^[16]
• Vicar Bishop of Dioclea Jovan (Purić)^[17]
• Vicar Bishop of Moravica Antonije (Pantelić)^[18]

Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid

Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Macedonia (Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric) are the same as those of Macedonian Orthodox Church Main article: Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric

The Autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid or Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric is an autonomous archbishopric in the Republic of Macedonia under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It was formed in 2002 in opposition to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which had had a similar relationship with the Serbian Orthodox Church prior to 1967, when it unilaterally declared itself autocephalous. Bishops from this archbishopric are:

• Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan VI (Vraniškovski)
• Bishop of Bregalnica and locum tenens of Bitola Marko (Kimev)^[12]
• Bishop of Polog and Kumanovo and locum tenens of Debar and Kičevo Joakim (Jovčeski)^[12]
• Vicar Bishop of Stobi and locum tenens of Strumica David (Ninov)^[19]

Worship, liturgy and doctrine

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be and removed. (April 2010)

Services cannot properly be conducted by a single person, but must have at least one other person present. Usually, all of the services are conducted on a daily basis only in monasteries and cathedrals, while parish churches might only do the services on the weekend and major feast days. The Divine Liturgy is the celebration of the Eucharist. The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays during the preparatory season of Great Lent. Communion is consecrated on Sundays and distributed during the week at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Services, especially the Divine Liturgy, can only be performed once a day on any particular altar.^{[citation needed]}

The Serbian Orthodox Church is characterized by monotheistic Trinitarianism, a belief in the Incarnation of the Logos (Son of God), a balancing of cataphatic theology with apophatic theology, a hermeneutic defined by Sacred Tradition, a concrete ecclesiology, a robust theology of the person, and a therapeutic soteriology.^{[citation needed]}

Ecumenical relations

The Serbian Orthodox Church is in full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and all of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Art and architecture

See also: Serbian architecture

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be and removed. (April 2010)

The Gračanica monastery near Priština

Church architecture

Services are conducted in church buildings and involve both the clergy and faithful. The original style of Serbian Orthodox Church was the church built out of wood. These churches were typically found in poorer villages where it was too expensive to build a church out of stone.

Serbo-Byzantine Style

This is the typical style of churches built. This style of church architecture was developed in the late 13th century combining Byzantine and Raskan influences to form a new church style. By the end of 13th and in the first half of 14th century the Serbian state enlarged over Macedonia, Epirus and Thessaly up to the Aegean Sea. On these new territories Serbian art was even more influenced by the Byzantine art tradition.

Church of St. Mark in Belgrade is built in Moravian (Moravska) style

Gračanica, which was entirely rebuilt by King Milutin in 1321, is the most beautiful monument of Serbian architecture from the 14th century. The church of this monastery is an example of a construction that achieved the highest degree of architecture not only in the Byzantine form but in the creation of an original and freestyle exceeding its models. The wall creation in steps is one of the basic characteristics of this temple. The Kings's Church in Studenica, characterized as an ideal church, was built in the first decades of the 14th century.

By the end of the third decade of the 14th century the Pec Patriarchate had finally been shaped. The exterior of the Patriarchate is a vision of shapes characteristic of contemporary Serbian architecture. On the major part of the outer walls paint decoration was used instead of stone relief and brick and stone decoration. A typical Serbo-Byzantine church has a rectangular foundation, with a major dome in the center with smaller domes around the center one. The inside of the church is covered with frescos that illustrate various biblical stories and portrays Serbian saints.

Temple of Saint Sava

Western Influences

During the 17th Century many of the Serbian Orthodox Churches that were built in Belgrade took all the characteristics of baroque churches built in the Austrian occupied regions where Serbs lived. The churches usually had a bell tower, and a single nave building with the iconostasis inside the church covered with Renaissance-style paintings.

These churches can be found in Belgrade and the northern half of Serbia, which were occupied by the Austrian Empire from 1717 to 1739, and on the border with Austrian (later Austro-Hungarian empire) across the Sava and Danube rivers from 1804 when Serbian statehood was re-established.

Icons

Iconostasis of the Old Serbian Orthodox Church in Sarajevo Further information: Icon

Icons are replete with symbolism meant to convey far more meaning than simply the identity of the person depicted, and it is for this reason that Orthodox iconography has become an exacting science of copying older icons rather than an opportunity for artistic expression. The Orthodox believe that the first icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary were painted by Luke the Evangelist. Orthodox regard their depiction of Christ as accurate, with Christ having brown semi-curly hair, brown eyes, and Semitic features (the Virgin Mary being similar). The personal, idiosyncratic and creative traditions of Western European religious art are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the 17th century, when Russian icon painting was strongly influenced by religious paintings and engravings from both Protestant and Catholic Europe. Greek icon painting also began to take on a strong romantic western influence for a period and the difference between some Orthodox icons and western religious art began to vanish. More recently there has been a strong trend of returning to the more traditional and symbolic representations.

"A Portrait of the Evangelist", a miniature from the Radoslav Gospel (1429).

Icons are not considered by the Orthodox to be "graven images" or idols, but prohibitions against three-dimensional statuary are still in place, though before the crisis of Iconoclasm there was an Eastern Christian tradition of statuary, though not as major as in the West. Biblical prohibitions against material depictions have been altered by Christ (as God) taking on material form. Also, it is not the wood or paint that are venerated, but rather God is through the individual (or event) portrayed.

Large icons can be found adorning the walls of churches and often cover the inside structure completely. Orthodox homes often likewise have icons hanging on the wall, usually together on an eastern facing wall, and in a central location where the family can pray together.

Icons are often illuminated with a candle or oil lamp. (Beeswax for candles and olive oil for lamps are preferred because they are natural and burn cleanly.) Besides the practical purpose of making icons visible in an otherwise dark church, both candles and oil lamps symbolize the Light of the World which is Christ.

Tales of miraculous icons that moved, spoke, cried, bled, or gushed fragrant myrrh are not uncommon, though it has always been considered that the message of such an event was for the immediate faithful involved and therefore does not usually attract crowds. Some miraculous icons whose reputations span long periods of time nevertheless become objects of pilgrimage along with the places where they are kept.

See also

• List of heads of Serbian Orthodox Church
• List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries
• List of Serbian saints
• Serbian monasteries

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_588.html
2. ^ ^{a b} Orthodox Church of Serbia
3. ^ http://www.eparhija-dalmatinska.hr/Frames-e.htm
4. ^ see: Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
5. ^ Србија : Мошти светог Ђорђа у Прокупљу : ПОЛИТИКА
6. ^ Serbia To Pay Kosovo Church Bills, BalkanInsight.com, February 29, 2008
7. ^ REPUBLICKI ZAVOD ZA STATISTIKU - Republike Srbije
8. ^ see: Religion in Montenegro
9. ^ see: Religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina
10. ^ see: Religion in Croatia
11. ^ СВЕТИ АРХИЈЕРЕЈСКИ САБОР СРПСКЕ ПРАВОСЛАВНЕ ЦРКВЕ, st the Serbian Orthodox Church web site (Serbian)
12. ^ ^{a b c d} For the references on names, see: List of the Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church
13. ^ ^{a b} Serbian Orthodox Church: Bishop Atanasije Clebrates Memorial Service for the Victims of the NATO Bombings Against Serbia, 24 March 2008
14. ^ Projekat Rastko: SREDNJI VEK I ETNIČKE PRILIKE HA BALKANU PRE DOSELJAVANJA SRBA
15. ^ Vikarni Episkop jegarski PORFIRIJE (Perić) at www.spcportal.org (Serbian)
16. ^ VIKARNI EPISKOP LIPLJANSKI TEODOSIJE
17. ^ VIKARNI EPISKOP DIOKLIJSKI JOVAN
18. ^ VIKARNI EPISKOP MORAVIČKI ANTONIJE
19. ^ B I O G R A P H Y OF THE BISHOP OF STOBI AND ADMINISTRATOR OF STRUMITSA KYR DAVID on www.poa-info.org

References

• Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo
• Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia: An Encyclopedia, John B. Allcock et al., 1998
• Encyclopædia Britannica, 2005
• Serbia Info
• Churches of Serbia
• Total number of Adherents
• Православље и екуменизам : зборник текстова, ed. Aleksandar Djakovac, Hrišćanski kulturni centar, Beograd 2005.

Further reading

This section has no content. You can help Wikipedia by introducing information to it. (July 2010)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Serbian Orthodox Church

• Official website
• Office of the External Affairs of the SOC in the US and Canada
• Official site of Serbian Diocese of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo, old
• List of Serbian Orthodox shrines abroad
• www.svetosavlje.org Site Svetosavlje (Serbian)
• Srpsko Blago | Serbian Treasure site - photos, QTVR and movies of Serbian monasteries and Serbian Orthodox art
• Article on the Serbian Orthodox Church on the CNEWA website

Serbian Orthodox Church Serbian Orthodox Church overview topics Overview topics Patriarchs (current) · Holy Synod · Serbian saints · Serbian monasteries (list) See also Đurđevdan · Vidovdan Subdivisions of the Serbian Orthodox Church Metropolitanates Belgrade and Karlovci · Dabar-Bosnia · Midwestern America · Montenegro and the Littoral · New Gračanica · Zagreb and Ljubljana Traditional dioceses Bačka · Banat · Banja Luka · Bihać and Petrovac · Braničevo · Buda · Budimlje and Nikšić · Dalmatia · Upper Karlovac · Mileševa · Niš · Osečko polje and Baranja · Raška and Prizren · Šabac and Valjevo · Slavonia · Srem · Šumadija · Timişoara · Timok · Vranje · Zahumhlje and Herzegovina · Žiča · Zvornik and Tuzla Diaspora dioceses Australia and New Zealand · Britain and Scandinavia · Canada · Central Europe · Eastern America · Western America · Western Europe Autonomous Ohrid Archbishopric Metropolitanates Skopje Dioceses Prespa and Pelagonija · Bregalnica · Debar and Kičevo · Polog and Kumanovo · Veles and Povardarie · Strumica Spiritual leaders of the Serbian Orthodox Church Archbishops (1219–1337) St. Sava · St. Arsenije I Sremac · St. Sava II · Danilo I · Joanikije I · St. Jevstatije I · St. Jakov · St. Jevstatije II · St. Sava III · St. Nikodim I · St. Danilo II Patriarchs (since 1346) 1346–1463 St. Joanikije II · Sava IV · St. Jefrem · St. Spiridon · Danilo III · Sava V · Danilo IV · St. Kirilo · St. Nikon · Teofan · Nikodim II · Arsenije II 1557–1766 St. Makarije Sokolović · Antonije Sokolović · Gerasim Sokolović · Savatije Sokolović · Nikanor · Jerotej · Filip · Jovan · Pajsije I Janjevac · St. Gavrilo I Rajić · Maksim Skopljanac · Arsenije III Čarnojević · Kalinik I Skopljanac · Atanasije I · Mojsije Rajović · Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta · Joanikije III Karadža-Grk · Atanasije II Gavrilović · Gavrilo II Sarajevac · Gavrilo III · Vikentije Stefanović · Pajsije II Grk · Gavrilo IV Grk · Kirilo II · Vasilije Jovanović-Brkić · Kalinik II Grk since 1920 Dimitrije · Varnava · Gavrilo · Vikentije · German · Pavle · Irinej Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Karlovci (1690–1920) Arsenije III Čarnojević · Isaija Đaković · Sofronije Podgoričanin · Vikentije Popović · Mojsije Petrović · Vićentije Jovanović · Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta · Isaija Antonović · Pavle Nenadović · Jovan Đorđević · Vićentije Jovanović Vidak · Mojsije Putnik · Stefan Stratimirović · Stefan Stanković · Josif Rajačić · Samuilo Maširević · Prokopije Ivačković · German Anđelić · Georgije Branković · Lukijan Bogdanović Metropolitans of Belgrade (1801–1920) Leontije Lambrović · Agatanel · Antim · Melentije Pavlović · Petar Jovanović · Mihailo Jovanović · Teodosije Mraović · Inokentije Pavlović · Dimitrije Pavlović Metropolitans of Montenegro (1484–1920) 1484–1697 Visarion · Vavila · Roman · German · Romu · Vasilije · Makarije · Dionisije · Romil · Pahomije · Đerasim · Venijamin · Stefan · Rufim I · Mardarije · Pajsije · Rufim II · Visarion Borilović-Bajica · Sava Očinić 1697–1852 1852–1920 Petrović-Njegoš Danilo · Sava · Vasilije · Arsenije Plamenac · Petar I · Petar II · Danilo II Nikanor Ivanović · Ilarion Roganović · Visarion Ljubiša · Mitrofan Ban Serbian Orthodox monasteries Serbia Kosovo Banjska · Devič · Gračanica · Peć · Saint Archangels · Visoki Dečani Central Serbia Bukovo · Ćelije · Crna Reka · Đurđevi stupovi · Gornjak · Gradac · Kalenić · Kastaljan · Koporin · Ljubostinja · Manasija · Mileševa · Nimnik · Pokajnica · Prohor Pčinjski · Pustinja · Rača · Rajinovac · Ravanica · Rukumija · St. Nicholas · Sopoćani · Studenica · Suvodol · Tronoša · Tuman · Vitovnica · Zemun · Žiča Vojvodina Fruška Gora Beočin · Bešenovo · Divša · Grgeteg · Jazak · Krušedol · Kuveždin · Mala Remeta · Novo Hopovo · Privina Glava · Petkovica · Rakovac · Staro Hopovo · Šišatovac · Velika Remeta · Vrdnik-Ravanica Others Bavanište · Bođani · Fenek · Hajdučica · Kovilj · Mesić · Holy Trinity · St. Melanija · Sombor · Središte · Vojlovica Montenegro Bijela · Cetinje · Dajbabe · Dobrilovina · Donje Brčele · Duljevo · Đurđevi Stupovi · Gradište · Kom · Kosijerevo · Miholjska Prevlaka · Morača · Moračnik · Ostrog · Piva · Podmaine · Podmalinsko · Praskvica · Reževići · Savina · Stanjevići · Starčeva Gorica · Svetog Nikole–Obod · Vranjina Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska Bišnja · Dobrićevo · Dobrun · Duži · Glogovac · Gomionica · Hercegovačka Gračanica · Klisina · Knežina · Krupa · Liplje · Lomnica · Lovnica · Moštanica · Ozren · Papraća · Petropavlov · Sase · Stuplje · Svetog Arhangela Gavrila · Svetog Nikole · Svetog Vasilija Ostroškog · Tavna · Tvrdoš · Uspenja Bogorodičinog Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Rmanj · Veselinje · Vozuća · Zavala · Žitomislić Croatia Dragović · Gomirje · Komogovina · Krka · Krupa · Lepavina · Sv. Lazarica · Sv. Nedjelje · Sv. Petke · Sv. Vasilija Ostroškog Mount Athos Hilandar List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries Serbian Orthodox churches Belgrade Temple of Saint Sava · Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel · Ružica · St. Mark's Church Vojvodina Saint George's Cathedral Kosovo Our Lady of Ljeviš · Church of Virgin Hodegetria Montenegro Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ Bosnia and Herzegovina Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos · Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel · Church of the Holy Transfiguration Serbian saints St. Basil of Ostrog · St. Danilo II · St. Hélène d'Anjou · St. Jovan Vladimir · St. Prince Lazar / St. Princess Milica · St. Nikodim I · St. Nikolaj Velimirović · St. Peter of Cetinje · St. Sava · St. Sava II · St. Simeon the Monk · St. Simeon the Myrrh-flowing · St. Stefan Lazarević · St. Stefan Štiljanović · St. Stefan Uroš · St. Stephen of Dečani · St. Stefan the Blind · St. Stephen of Piperi · St. Vladislav · St. Vukašin

Autocephalous and Autonomous Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy Autocephalous Churches Four Ancient Patriarchates: Constantinople · Alexandria · Antioch · Jerusalem Russia · Serbia · Romania · Bulgaria · Georgia · Cyprus · Greece · Poland · Albania · Czech Republic and Slovakia · America* Autonomous Churches Sinai · Finland · Estonia* · Japan* · China* · Ukraine · Ohrid · Western Europe* · Bessarabia* · Moldova* · ROCOR** * Autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized. ** Semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church whose autonomy is not universally recognized.

Categories: Serbian Orthodox Church | Eastern Orthodox church bodies and patriarchates | Members of the World Council of Churches | Members of the National Council of Churches | National churches

 

 

See Also:

• Churchill: Quotes
• Church: Dictionary
• National Church: Encyclopedia
• Eastern Orthodoxy: Encyclopedia
• Established Church: Encyclopedia

 

What Links Here:

 

Recently Viewed Pages:

• Chats and Forums: Toc
• Chats and Forums: Shopping
• Sitemap
• Referrers
• House Churches: Blogs
• Umbanda: Blogs
• Seicho-No-Ie: Images
• Palo, Congo, Inkisi: Blogs
• Patanjali: News
• Bulletin Boards: News

 

Most Popular Pages:

• Kartu Undangan: Blogs
• Chats and Forums: Shopping (200 Ok) ACCEPTED
• Patanjali: Images
• Siti Jenar: Blogs
• Chats and Forums: Shopping
• Abbasid: Videos
• Lowongan Kerja Hukum: Blogs
• Umbanda: Blogs
• Serbian Orthodox Church: Web Search
• Salah Satu Program Rw: Blogs

Related 'Serbian Orthodox Church' Searches:

related terms:	Serbian Orthodox Church	Serbia	Serbian Orthodox	Church
	Europe	Autocephalous	Kosovo	Orthodox
	Croatia	Serbian Church	Serbian Churches	Montenegro

---

top user searches:	►

---

or search for "Serbian Orthodox Church" in:		Web:		The Entire Web	Related Sites	Web Directories
		This Site:		Page Titles	Karr Network Sites*
		News:		Headlines	Weather	Events	Blogs
		Reference:		Encyclopedia	Dictionary	eTexts	Quotes
				Local Map	Answers
		Multimedia:		Images	Videos
		People:		Discussion Groups	Social Networking
		Shopping:		General Merch.	Consumer Opinion	Auctions	Classifieds

 

---

The Entire Web Web Directories Related* Sites Karr Network Sites* Page Titles Headlines Weather Events Blogs Encyclopedia Dictionary eTexts Quotes Answers Local Map Videos Images Social Networking Discussion Groups General Items Auctions Classifieds Consumer Opinion

Sitemap News Dictionary Encyclopedia Blogs Answers Videos Images Shopping Directory More…