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List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church

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Summary

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Field	Value
titleoverride	Archbishop of
archbishopric	Peć and Serbian Patriarch
border	Eastern Orthodox
image	Patr.Porfirije (crop).jpg
incumbent	Porfirije
incumbent_note	since 19 February 2021
style	His Holiness
province	Belgrade and Karlovci
residence	Palace of the Patriarchate, Belgrade
established	1219 (Archbishopric)
1346 and 1920 (Patriarchate)
first_incumbent	Sava (Archbishop)
Joanikije II (Patriarch)
website

1346 and 1920 (Patriarchate) Joanikije II (Patriarch)

This is a list of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the establishment of the church as an autocephalous archbishopric in 1219 to today's patriarchate. The list includes all the archbishops and patriarchs that led the Serbian Orthodox Church under the Serbian Archbishopric and Serbian Patriarchate of Peć. Today, the church is unified under a patriarch who is officially styled as Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch ().

According to the current constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the patriarch is elected by a special convocation of the Bishops' Council, and serves as the chairman of the Holy Synod.

The current patriarch is Porfirije, elected on 18 February 2021. He acceded to this position the next day, following his enthronement in the St. Michael's Cathedral in Belgrade. Porfirije was formally enthroned to the ancient throne of the Serbian patriarchs in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć on 14 October 2022.

The autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric was founded in 1219 by Sava, under the authority of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. In 1346, when Stefan Dušan proclaimed himself emperor, he also elevated the archiepiscopal see of Peć to the rank of a patriarchate, creating the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć. This was only recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1375.

After the Ottoman conquest of the Serbian Despotate in 1459, the patriarchate gradually lost its importance. At times the church was forced by the Ottoman government to install Greeks in the office. From 1766 to 1920 the patriarchate was abolished and all ecclesiastical jurisdiction was given to the patriarch of Constantinople. A metropolitan see was maintained in Belgrade from 1766 afterwards. There were also independent Serbian Orthodox sees based in Karlovci and in Montenegro.

In 1920, the church was reunified and the patriarchy was reestablished with the see moving to Belgrade, but retaining the lineage of the throne of Saint Sava in Peć. The patriarch holds ecclesiastical authority over the Orthodox Church in the territory of the former Yugoslavia (with the exception of Macedonia), and also over the Serbian Orthodox diaspora in Western Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

Styles

Currently, the style of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church is "Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch" (архиепископ пећки, митрополит београдско-карловачки и патријарх српски). The short title is "Serbian Patriarch" (патријарх српски). Historically, various styles have been used.

Archbishop Sava (s. 1219–33) was styled "Archbishop of Serb Lands" and "Archbishop of Serb Lands and the Littoral" in the Vranjina charter, while Domentijan ( 1253) used the style "Archbishop of all the Serbian and coastal lands" when speaking of Sava. The fresco of Sava at Mileševa calls him "the first Archbishop of All Serb and Diocletian Lands". Archbishop Sava III (s. 1309–16) was styled "Archbishop of All Serb and Littoral Lands".

Legend

Archbishops, 1219–1346

Serbian Archbishopric (1219–1346)	No.	Primate	Portrait	Reign
1	Sava IСава I
Sabbas I	[[File:Saint Sava, fresco from Mileševa.jpg	70px]]	1219–1233	First Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church.
Seated at Žiča.
Styled "Archbishop of Serb Lands and the Littoral".
Born at Ras as Rastko Nemanjić / Растко Немањић.
2	Arsenije IАрсеније I
Arsenius I	[[File:Saint Arsenije I Sremac.jpeg	70px]]	1233–1263	Disciple of Sava I.
Moved the seat to Peć amid Hungarian invasion.
Born in Syrmia.
3	Sava II
Сава II
Sabbas II	[[File:Loza Nemanjica Decani e 5.jpg	70px]]	1263–1271	Nephew of Sava I.
Born at Ras as Predislav Nemanjić / Предислав Немањић.
4	Danilo I
Данило I
Daniel I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1271–1272	Replaced due to unknown reason.
5	Joanikije I
Јоаникије I
Joannicius I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1272–1276	Disciple of Sava II. Buried at Sopoćani.
Seat vacant 1276–1279
6	Jevstatije I
Јевстатије I
Eustathius I	[[File:Свјетлопис живописа Светог Јевстатија превлаког и надвладике србског у капели у порти храма Св. Јована Владимира у Бару.jpg	70px]]	1279 – 4 January 1286	Moved the seat to Žiča in 1285.
Relics buried at Patriarchate of Peć.
Born in Budimlje.
7	Jakov
Јаков
Jacob	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1286–1292	Moved the seat to Peć in 1291 amid foreign invasion, likely final transfer.
8	Jevstatije II
Јевстатије II
Eustathius II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1292–1309	Established seven new eparchies.
9	Sava III
Сава III
Sabbas III	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1309–1316	Styled "Archbishop of All Serb and Maritime Lands".
10	Nikodim I
Никодим I
Nicodemus I	[[File:Stefan Decanski Coronation.jpg	70px]]	1316–1324	Co-founder of the Vratna monastery.
11	Danilo II
Данило II
Daniel II	[[File:DaniloII.jpg	70px]]	1324–1337	Hagiographer.
12	Joanikije II
Јоаникије II
Joannicius II	[[File:Joanikije II.jpg	70px]]	3 January 1338 – 6 April 1346	Elevated to Patriarch.
Born in Prizren.

Patriarchs, 1346–1766

First Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (1346–1463)	No.	Primate	Portrait	Reign
1	Joanikije II
Јоаникије II
Joannicius II	[[File:Joanikije II.jpg	70px]]	6 April 1346 – 3 September 1354	First Patriarch of the Serbian Church.
Elevated during the coronation of Emperor Dušan.
Seated at Peć.
Styled "Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of all Serb Lands and the Maritime".
Born in Prizren.
2	Sava IV
Сава IV
Sabbas IV	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1354–1375
3	Jefrem I
Јефрем I
Ephraem I	[[File:Serbian Patriarch Jefrem.jpg	70px]]	3 October 1375 – 1380	First tenure.
4	Spiridon I
Спиридон I
Spyridon I	[[File:Serbian Patriarch Spiridon.jpg	70px]]	1380 – 11 August 1389
(3)	Jefrem I
Јефрем I
Ephraem I	[[File:Serbian Patriarch Jefrem.jpg	70px]]	1389–1390	Second tenure.
5	Danilo III
Данило III
Daniel III	[[File:Serbian Patriarch Danilo III.jpg	70px]]	1390–1396
6	Sava V
Сава V
Sabbas V	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1396–1406
7	Danilo IV
Данило IV
Daniel IV	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1406
8	Kirilo I
Кирило I
Cyril I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1407–1419
9	Nikon I
Никон I
Nicon I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1420–1435
10	Teofan I
Теофан I
Theophanes I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1435–1446
11	Nikodim II
Никодим II
Nicodemus II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1446–1455
12	Arsenije II
Арсеније II
Arsenius II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1457–1463
Seat vacant due to Ottoman abolition and transfer of jurisdiction to Archbishopric of Ohrid
	Pavle I
Павле I
Paul I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1526–1541	Styled "Metropolitan of Smederevo".
Attempted to restore Serbian Patriarchate on few occasions between 1526 and 1541, succeeding briefly.
13	Makarije I
Макарије I
Macarius I	[[File:Makarije Sokolovic.jpg	70px]]	1557–1571	Seated at Peć.
Full style "Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs and Bulgarians"
Basic style "Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch".
Born in Višegrad, surnamed Sokolović (Соколовић).
14	Antonije I
Антоније I
Anthony I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1571–1575	Surnamed Sokolović (Соколовић).
15	Gerasim I
Герасим I
Gerasimus I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1575–1586	Surnamed Sokolović (Соколовић).
16	Savatije I
Саватије I
Sabbatios I	[[File:Savatije Sokolović.jpg	70px]]	1586	Born in Prijepolje, surnamed Sokolović (Соколовић).
17	Nikanor I
Никанор I
Nicanor I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1588	Records lacking
18	Jerotej I
Јеротеј I
Hieroteos I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1589–1590
19	Filip I
Филип I
Philip I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1591–1592
20	Jovan II
Јован II
John II	[[File:Jovan Kantul, by Georgije Mitrofanović.jpg	70px]]	1592–1613	Surnamed Kantul (Кантул).
21	Pajsije I
Пајсије I
Paisius I	[[File:PatrijarhPajsije.jpg	70px]]	1614–1647	Born in Janjevo.
22	Gavrilo I
Гаврило I
Gabriel I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1648–1655	Born in Štitkovo, surnamed Rajić (Рајић).
23	Maksim I
Максим I
Maxim I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1655–1674	Born in Skopje.
24	Arsenije III
Арсеније III
Arsenius III	[[File:Arsenije III.jpg	70px]]	1674–1690 (1706)	Leader of the First Serbian Migration into the Habsburg monarchy. After 1690, reorganized and headed the branch of the Serbian Church in the Habsburg Monarchy.
Born in Cetinje, surnamed Crnojević (Црнојевић).
25	Kalinik I
Калиник I
Callinicus I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1691–1710	Ethnic Greek.
Maintained the Serbian Patriarchate in turbulent times after the First Serbian Migration from the Ottoman Empire.
Born in Skopje.
26	Atanasije I
Атанасије I
Athanasius I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1711–1712
27	Mojsije I
Мојсије I
Moses I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1712–1724	Surnamed Rajović (Рајовић), died in 1730.
28	Arsenije IV
Арсеније IV
Arsenius IV	[[File:Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta.jpg	70px]]	1724–1737	Leader of the Second Serbian Migration into the Habsburg monarchy.
Born in Peć, surnamed Jovanović Šakabenta (Јовановић Шакабента).
29	Joanikije III
Јоаникије III
Joannicius III	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1739–1746	Ethnic Greek.
Afterwards reigned as Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, from 1761 to 1763.
Surnamed Karadža (Караџа).
30	Atanasije II
Атанасије II
Athanasius II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1746–1752	Born in Skopje, surnamed Gavrilović (Гавриловић).
31	Gavrilo II
Гаврило II
Gabriel II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1752	Born in Sarajevo, surnamed Mihajlović (Михајловић).
32	Gavrilo III
Гаврило III
Gabriel III	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1752–1758	Bynamed Nikolin (Николин).
33	Vikentije I
Викентије I
Vicentius I	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1758	Surnamed Stefanović (Стефановић).
34	Pajsije II
Пајсије II
Paisius II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1758	Ethnic Greek.
35	Gavrilo IV
Гаврило IV
Gabriel IV	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1758	Ethnic Greek.
36	Kirilo II
Кирило II
Cyril II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1758–1763	Ethnic Greek.
37	Vasilije
Василије
Basil	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1763–1765	Surnamed Jovanović-Brkić (Јовановић-Бркић).
38	Kalinik II
Калиник II
Callinicus II	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	1765–1766	Ethnic Greek.
Resigned as Patriarch, effectively abolishing the post and relegating it to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
After the Ottoman Empire abolished the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć for the second and final time in 1766, the Serbian Orthodox population within the Ottoman Empire was subject to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until 1920. Due to the Great Turkish War between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, a large number of Serbs migrated to the Habsburg monarchy in 1690. This caused the establishment of a metropolitanate in Karlovci in 1708. This see was elevated to a patriarchate in 1848, as a reward to Serbs who supported the Habsburgs during the 1848–49 revolutions. After the founding of the Principality of Serbia, the autonomous Metropolitanate of Belgrade was created in 1831, under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It gained full autocephaly in 1879 and merged in 1920 with the Patriarchate of Karlovci and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro to form the unified Serbian Orthodox Church.

Patriarchs, 1920–present

Serbian Patriarchate of Belgrade (Peć) (1920–present)	No.	Primate	Portrait	Reign	Notes
39	Dimitrije
Димитрије
Demetrius	[[File:Димитрије (Павловић).jpg	70px]]	12 September 1920	6 April 1930
40	Varnava
Варнава
Barnabas	[[File:Патриарх Варнава.jpg	70px]]	12 May 1930	23 July 1937
41	Gavrilo V
Гaврилo V
Gabriel V	[[File:Патријарх Гаврило (Дожић).jpg	70px]]	21 February 1938	7 May 1950
42	Vikentije II
Викентије II
Vicentius II	[[File:Vikentije Prodanov.jpg	70px]]	1 July 1950	5 July 1958
43	German
Герман
Herman	[[File:Patrijarh Srpski German by Stevan Kragujevic (cropped).JPG	70px]]	14 September 1958	30 November 1990
44	Pavle
Павле
Paul	[[File:Patrijarh Pavle.jpg	70px]]	1 December 1990	15 November 2009
45	Irinej
Иринеј
Irenaeus	[[File:Патриарх Сербский Ириней 2019.jpg	70px]]	url=http://arhiva.spc.rs/eng/bishop_nis_irinej_elected_new_patriarch_serbia.html	title=Bishop of Nis Irinej elected for a new Patriarch of Serbia	website=spc.rs	date=22 January 2010	access-date=19 February 2021}}	url=http://arhiva.spc.rs/eng/serbian_patriarch_irinej_reposed_lord.html	title=Serbian Patriarch Irinej reposed in the Lord	website=spc.rs	date=20 November 2020	access-date=14 February 2021}}
46	Porfirije
Порфирије
Porphyrios	[[File:Patr.Porfirije (crop).jpg	70px]]	19 February 2021	Incumbent

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:30 right:135 left:20 AlignBars = early

Define $now =

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1920 till: TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1920 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:5 start:1920

Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) id:PT value:rgb(1,0.8,0)

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData = barset:Popes

PlotData = width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:Popes

from: 1920 till: 1930 color:PT text:"Dimitrije (1920–1930)" from: 1930 till: 1937 color:PT text:"Varnava (1930–1937)" from: 1938 till: 1950 color:PT text:"Gavrilo V (1938–1950)" from: 1950 till: 1958 color:PT text:"Vikentije II (1950–1958)" from: 1958 till: 1990 color:PT text:"German (1958–1990)" from: 1990 till: 2009 color:PT text:"Pavle (1990–2009)" from: 2010 till: 2020 color:PT text:"Irinej (2010–2020)" from: 2021 till: $now color:PT text:"Porfirije (2021–present)"

barset:skip

Annotations

The Ottomans did not recognize the official title of "Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch". However, church records still record these three men as Patriarchs even though they did not serve in full title. They were still known as the guardians or protectors of the "throne of Saint Sava".
The patriarchs hold the title of Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch and are considered the successors to the Patriarchal throne of Peć. However, the Patriarchy is based in Belgrade, Serbia.

References

Sources

References

Article 43 of the Constitution of 1957.
Article 58 of the Constitution of 1957.
(18 February 2021). "Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana elected for a new Patriarch of Serbia".
(18 February 2021). "Mitropolit Porfirije je novi patrijarh srpski". RTS.
(19 February 2021). "His Holiness Porfirije, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch enthroned".
(19 February 2021). "Patrijarh srpski Porfirije ustoličen u Sabornoj crkvi u Beogradu". RTS.
(14 October 2022). "Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije enthroned in the Patriarchate of Peć".
(14 October 2022). "Patrijarh Porfirije ustoličen u Pećkoj patrijaršiji". RTS.
(1993). "Serbs in European civilization". Nova.
Svetislav Mandić. (1986). "Velika gospoda sve srpske zemlje i drugi prosopografski prilozi". Srpska književna zadruga.
(7 April 1930). "DR. PAVLOVITCH DIES; SERBIAN PATRIARCH; Head of National Church of Yugoslavia Stricken at the Age of 84 Years.". The New York Times.
(8 May 1950). "PATRIARCH GAVRILO OF SERBIAN CHURCH; Wartime Foe of Axis, Prisoner at Dachau Dies--Urged Clergy to Support Tito". The New York Times.
(2 July 1950). "CHURCH IN YUGOSLAVIA PICKS NEW PATRIARCH". The New York Times.
(16 November 2009). "Patriarch Pavle, Serbian Church Leader, Dies at 95". The New York Times.
(22 January 2010). "Bishop of Nis Irinej elected for a new Patriarch of Serbia".
(23 January 2010). "Enthronement of Patriarch Irinej of Serbia".
(20 November 2020). "Serbian Patriarch Irinej reposed in the Lord".

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