Serbian Orthodox Church

	Literature Music Art Cuisine Religion Kinship Dress History Sport Cinema

The Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian Cyrillic: Српска православна црква; SPC, SOC) or the Church of Serbia is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia. It exercises jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in Serbia and surrounding Slavic and other lands, as well as exarchates and patriarchal representation churches around the world. The Patriarch of Serbia serves as first among equals in his church; the current patriarch is His Holiness Pavle.

The Serb Patriarch's full title is "Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbs."

History

Main article: History of the Serbian Orthodox Church

The Serbian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, member of the Orthodox communion, located primarily in Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia. Since many Serbs have emigrated to foreign countries, there are now Serbian Orthodox communities worldwide.

Patriarchate of Peć (Serbia)
Founder	Apostle Andrew, St. Sava I
Independence	1219 (lost in 1459), again in 1832
Recognition	1219 by Constantinople, again in 1879
Primate	Patriarch Pavle
Headquarters	Belgrade, Serbia
Territory	Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Republic of Macedonia (disputed)
Possessions	United States, Canada, Europe, Australia
Language	Church Slavonic and Serbian
Population	15,000,000
Website	Church of Serbia

Origins

St. Sava I - The First Archbishop of Serbia

The Serbs were converted to Christianity not long after their arrival in the Balkans, before the Great Schism split the Christian Church into rival Latin-speaking (Roman Catholic) and Greek-speaking Eastern Orthodox Churches. During the early Middle Ages, the religious allegiance of the Serbs was divided between the two churches.

The various Serbian principalities were united ecclesiastically in the early 13th century by Saint Sava, the son of the Serbian ruler and founder of the Serbian medieval state Stefan Nemanja and brother of Stefan Prvovencani, the first Serbian king. Sava persuaded the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church to establish the Church in Serbia as an autocephalous body, with Sava himself as its archbishop, consecrated in 1219.

The status of the Serbian Orthodox Church grew along with the growth in size and prestige of the medieval kingdom of Serbia. When King Stefan Dusan assumed the imperial title of tsar in 1346, the Archbishopric of Pec was correspondingly raised to the rank of Patriarchate. In the century that followed, the Serbian Church achieved its greatest power and prestige.

Ottoman rule

In 1459, the Ottoman Empire conquered Serbia and made much of the former kingdom a pashaluk (province) of under the rule of a Turkish governor. Although the Empire was run on Islamic principles, Christians were treated fairly tolerantly under the millet system and not subjected to Muslim faith or law. Although many Serbs did convert to Islam, most continued their adherence to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

'The Moving of the Serbs', portrays the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Arsenije III Carnojevic, surrounded by soldiers, flocks of sheep and women with babies, leading some 36,000 families from his seat in Pec, Kosovo and Southern Serbia to what is now Vojvodina and further to Hungary in 1690, after Serbian revolts failed.

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. Macarios, brother of the famous Mehmed Pasha Sokolovic, was elected Patriarch in Peć.

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 uprisals against the Turkish occupators 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 Constintinople. This period of so called "Phanariots" was a period of great spiritual decline because the Greek bishops had very little understanding for 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 southern Hungary where they had been granted autonomy. The seat of the archbishops was moved from Pec to Karlovci. Its 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 1815 onwards. The Serbian Orthodox Church finally regained its independence and became autocephalous in 1879, the year after the recognition by the Great Powers of Serbia as an independent state.

Serbia and Yugoslavia

After World War I all the Orthodox Serbs were united under one ecclesiastical authority, and the Patriarchate was reestablished in 1920 with the election of Patriarch Dimitry. 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 Vatican.

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 Croatia, which sought to create a "Croatian Orthodox Church" which Orthodox Serbs were forced to join. Several hundred thousand 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 Communist 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 Patriarchate of Pec is the seat of the SOC. It is located in Kosovo.

The gradual demise of Yugoslav communism 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 by the Yugoslav authorities 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 recognise the independence of its Macedonian counterpart. Campaigns for an independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church have also gained ground in recent years.

Yugoslav wars

The Yugoslav wars gravely impacted several branches of the Serb Orthodox Church.

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 Republic of Serbian Krajina was established. The eparchy of Slavonia had its see moved from Pakrac to Daruvar. Prior to the Operation Storm, two 7-8 centuries old monateries were destroyed - Krupa of King Stefan Milutin and Emperor Stefan Dušan from 1317 and Krka of Dušan's sister, Banatess Jelena Nemanjić Šubić of Croatia from 1346. Krka was heavily raided - but mostly repaired by now, while Krupa was burned down by the Croats.

The eparchies of Bihać-Petrovac, Dabar-Bosnia and Zvornik-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 stabilized in both countries. Most of the property of the Serb Orthodox Church was again put in 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. Many Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were damaged or destroyed during the 2004 unrest in Kosovo.

Structure

The supreme authority of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the Holy Synod, a "parliament" composed of all its bishops, who meet once a year. A permanent synod of four members carries out the administration of the day-to-day affairs of the church.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is divided into 40 dioceses each headed by its own Metropolitan, Archbishop or Bishop:

Dioceses are further divided into episcopal deaneries, each consisting of several church congregations and 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

• Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch PAVLE

• Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana JOVAN
• Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands AMPHILOHIJE
• Metropolitan of Midwestern America CHRISTOPHER
• Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosna NIKOLAJ

• Bishop of Sabac-Valjevo LAVRENTIJE
• Bishop of Nis IRINEJ
• Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla VASILIJE
• Bishop of Syrmia VASILIJE
• Bishop of Banja Luka JEFREM
• Bishop of Budim LUKIJAN
• Bishop of Canada GEORGIJE
• Bishop of Banat NIKANOR
• Bishop for America and Canada (New Gracanica Metropolitanate) LONGIN
• Bishop of Eastern America MITROPHAN
• Bishop of Zica CHRYSOSTOM
• Bishop of Backa IRINEJ
• Bishop of Great Britain and Scandinavia DOSITEJ
• Bishop of Ras and Prizren ARTEMIJE
• Retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina ATANASIJE
• Bishop of Bihac and Petrovac CHRYSOSTOM
• Bishop of Osijek and Baranja LUKIJAN
• Bishop of Central Europe CONSTANTINE
• Bishop of Western Europe LUKA
• Bishop of Timok JUSTIN
• Bishop of Vranje PAHOMIJE
• Bishop of Sumadija JOVAN
• Bishop of Slavonia SAVA
• Bishop of Branicevo IGNATIJE
• Bishop of Milesevo FILARET
• Bishop of Dalmatia FOTIJE
• Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic JOANIKIJE
• Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina GRIGORIJE
• Bishop of Australia and New Zealand MILUTIN
• Bishop of Gornji Karlovci GERASIM
• Vicar Bishop of Hvostno ATANASIJE
• Vicar Bishop of Jegar PORFIRIJE
• Vicar Bishop of Lipljan TEODOSIJE
• Vicar Bishop of Dioclea JOVAN
• Vicar Bishop of Hum MAKSIM

• Metropolitan of Veles-Povardarje and Exarch of Ohrid JOVAN
• Bishop of Velika and Polog-Kumanovo JOAKIM
• Bishop of Dremvica and Bitola MARKO

Architecture of Churches

wooden church in Drven Grad

Wooden Church

The original style of Serbian Orthodox Church was the church built out of wood. This church built in Drven Grad, which means "Wood City", is a classic example of a wooden church. As the church is made purely of wood. This 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 Macedonian, Epirus and Thessaly up to the Aegean Sea. On these new territories Serbian art was even more influenced by the Byzantine art tradition.

Cathedral of St. Mark in Belgrade is built in Serbo-Byzantine style

Gracanica, 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 KING'S CHURCH in Studenica,

Church of King Peter in Belgrade

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.

Western Influences

During the 17th Century many of the Serbian Orthodox Churches that were built in Belgrade took all the characteristics of German baroque protestant (Lutheran) churches built in the Austrian occupied regions where Serbs lived. The churches usually had a two-storied bell tower, and a single naved building with the iconostasis inside the church covered with Renaissance-style paintings instead of the typical Orthodox frescos. These churches can be found in Belgrade, which was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the 17th to the 20th century.

Icons

The painted not fresco iconclasts of King Peter Church

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.

Icons are not considered by the Orthodox to be "graven images" or idols, and prohibitions against three-dimensional statuary are still in place. 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 the individual shown.

Interior of the Church of St. George in Uzice, Serbia

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.

Our Lady of St Theodore (10th century), the protectress of Kostroma, following the same Byzantine "Tender Mercy" typeIcons 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.

Autocephalous Orthodox Churches

• Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Patriarchate of Alexandria
• Patriarchate of Antioch
• Patriarchate of Jerusalem
• Russian Orthodox Church
• Serbian Orthodox Church
• Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
• Romanian Orthodox Church
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Church of Cyprus
• Church of Greece
• Polish Orthodox Church
• Albanian Orthodox Church
• Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Church in America (autocephaly not universally recognized)

References

• Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Kosovo)
• Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia: An Encyclopedia, John B. Allcock et al, 1998
• Encyclopædia Britannica, 2005
• Serbia Info
• Churches of Serbia

External links

• Official website (in Serbian and English)
• Office of the External Affairs of the SOC in the US and Canada
• List of Serb Orthodox shrines abroad
• www.svetosavlje.org "Saint Savahood" (in Serbian)
  • List of eparchies
  • List of saints
  • List of church leaders

Dioceses

• Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia
• Metropolitanate of Montenegro and Littoral
• Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana
• Diocese of Backa
• Diocese of Banja Luka
• Diocese of Bihac and Petrovac
• Diocese of Branicevo
• Diocese of Budimlje and Niksic
• Diocese of Canada
• Diocese of Central Europe (in German and Serbian)
• Diocese of Dalmatia
• Diocese of Eastern America
• Diocese of Nis
• Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Kosovo)
• Diocese of Srem
• Diocese of Sumadija
• Diocese of Temisvar
• Diocese of Timok
• Diocese of Western America
• Diocese of Western Europe
• THE ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID

This article is part of the Eastern Christianity Portal — Learn more about Eastern Christianity

The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serb_Orthodox_Church under GFDL