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Patriarch of Serbs
Patriarchate
Coats of arms of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Patrijarhirinej01
Incumbent:
Patriarch Irinej

Style: His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch
Residence: Belgrade, Serbia
Formation: 1219, 1346
Website: www.spc.rs

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 Patriarch who is known officially as Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch. The current holder of the title is His Holiness, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, since 23 January 2010.

The episcopal see was founded as an archdiocese in 1219 by St. Sava under the autocephaly of the Patriarchs of Constantinople. In 1346 it unilaterally declared itself as a patriarchate in Peć in response to the declaration of a Serbian Empire. This was only recognized by Constantinople in 1379.

After the Ottoman conquest of Serbian Despotate in 1459, the Patriarchate gradually lost its importance. At times the church was forced by the Porte to install Greeks to the office. From 1766–1920 the patriarchate was abolished and all ecclesiastical jurisdiction was placed under 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 linage of the descendants of the throne of St. Sava in Peć. The Patriarch rules over the territory of the former Yugoslavia and holds possessions abroad in Western Europe, Australia, and North and South America.

Legend[]

     venerated to sainthood      also served as Metropolitan of Karlovci
     also served as Metropolitan of Belgrade      Current Serbian Patriarch

Archbishops, 1219–1346[]

Archbishop of the Autocephalous Orthodox Archdiocese of Žiča (1219–1233)
Regnal title: Metropolitan of Žiča and Archbishop of Serbs
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
1 Sava
Сава
Der Heilige Sava von Serbien Rastko Nemanjić
Растко Немањић
1219 1233 Stari Ras First Archbishop of Autocephalous Serbian Church
Archbishops of the Autocephalous Orthodox Archdiocese of Peć (1233–1346)
Regnal title: Metropolitan of Peć and Archbishop of Serbs
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
2 Arsenije Sremac
Арсеније Сремац
Arsenios 1266 Arsenius I of Srem
Арсеније Сремац
1233 1266 Syrmia First Archbishop of the See of Peć
3 Sava II
Сава II
Predislav Nemanjić
Предислав Немањић
1263 1271 Stari Ras Nephew to Sava I
4 Danilo I
Данило I
1271 1272 Was replaced after a year for an unknown reason
English name: Daniel I
5 Joanikije I
Јоаникије I
1272 1276 Disciple of Sava II
English name: Joannicius I
Archdiocese throne vacant from 1276–1279
6 Jevstatije I
Јевстатије I
1279 4 January 1286 Budimlje Relics buried at Patriarchate of Peć
English name: Eustatius I
7 Jakov I
Јаков I
1286 1292 English name: Jacob I
8 Jevstatije II
Јевстатије II
1292 1309 English name: Eustatius II
9 Sava III
Сава III
1309 1316
10 Nikodim I
Никодим I
1316 1324 English name: Nikodemus I
11 Danilo II
Данило II
DaniloII 1324 1337 English name: Daniel II

Patriarchs, 1346–1766; 1920–present[]

Patriarchs of the Holy Patriarchal See of Peć (1346–1766)
First Patriarchate of Peć (1346–1463)
Regnal title: Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Maritime and all Serb Lands
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
1 Joanikije II
Јоаникије II
1338 (Archbishop)
1346 (Patriarch)
1346 (Archbishop)
1354 (Patriarch)
First Serb Patriarch installed during the coronation of Emperor Dušan
English name: Joannicius II
2 Sava IV
Сава IV
1354 1375
3 Jefrem
Јефрем
1375 1380 Tarnovo, Bulgarian Empire First tenure
English name: Ephraem
4 Spiridon
Спиридон
1380 1389 English name: Spirydon
-- Jefrem
Јефрем
1389 1390 Tsrnovo, Bulgarian Empire Second tenure
English name: Ephraem
5 Danilo III
Данило III
1390 1396 English name: Daniel III
6 Sava V
Сава V
1396 1406
7 Danilo IV
Данило IV
1406 English name: Daniel IV
8 Kirilo I
Кирило
1407 1419 English name: Cyril I
9 Nikon
Никон
1420 1435
10 Teofan
Теофан
1435 1446 For unknown reasons not listed as an official Patriarch of the church
English name: Theophanes
11 Nikodim II
Никодим II
1446 1455 English name: Nikodemus II
12 Arsenije II
Арсеније II
1457 1463 English name: Arsenius II
First Ottoman Intervention (1463–1557)[A]
vacant from 1463 to 1508 due to Ottoman Empire's 1st abolishment
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
-- Jovan I
Јован I
1508 Title of Archbishop of Serbs English name: John I
vacant from 1508 to 1524 due to Ottoman Empire's 2nd abolishment
-- Marko
Марко
1524 Title was Serb Metropolitan
English name: Mark
vacant from 1524 to 1527 due to Ottoman Empire's 3rd abolishment
-- Pavle (I)
Павле (I)
1527 1535 Title known as Metropolitan of Smederevo
English name: Paul
vacant from 1535 to 1557 due to Ottoman Empire's 4th abolishment
Second Patriarchate of Peć (1557–1766)
Regnal title: Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs and Bulgarians (1557–1572)
Regnal title: Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs (1572–1766)
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
13 Makarije
Макарије
Makarije Sokolovic Makarije Sokolović
Макарије Соколовић
1557 1571 Višegrad English name: Macarius
14 Antonije
Антоније
Antonije Sokolović
Антоније Соколовић
1571 1575 English name: Anthony
15 Gerasim
Герасим
Gerasim Sokolović
Герасим Соколовић
1575 1586 English name: Gerasimus
16 Savatije
Саватије
Savatije Sokolović
Саватије Соколовић
1587 English name: Sabbatios
17 Nikanor
Никанор
? English name: Nicanor
18 Jerotej
Јеротеј
1589 1590 English name: Hieroteos
19 Filip
Филип
1591 1592 English name: Philip
20 Jovan II Kantul
Јован
1592 1613 English name: John II Kantul
21 Pajsije I
Пајсије I
1615 1648 English name: Paisius
22 Gavrilo I
Гаврило I
1648 1655 English name: Gabriel I
23 Maksim I
Максим
1655 1672 Skoplje English name: Maxim
24 Arsenije III
Арсеније III
Arsenije III Arsenije Čarnojević
Арсеније Чарнојевић
1672 1690 Cetinje, Montenegro English name: Arsenius III
Patriarch that lead the Serbs to migration into Habsburg Monarchy. Created independent church in Hungary.
25 Kalinik I
Калиник I
1691 1710 Skoplje English name: Callinicus I
Maintained Peć in turbulent times after the mass exodous of Serbs from the Ottoman Empire.
26 Atanasije I
Атанасије I
1711 1712 English name: Athanasius I
27 Mojsije
Мојсије

1712 1726 English name: Moses
28 Arsenije IV
Арсеније IV
Arsenije IV jovanovic Arsenije Jovanović-Šakabenta
Арсеније Јовановић Шакабента
1726 1737 Peć English name: Arsenius IV
29 Joanikije III
Јоаникије II
1739 1746 English name: Joannicius III
ethnic Greek Patriarch
30 Atanasije II
Атанасије II
1746 1752 English name:Athanasius II
31 Gavrilo II
Гаврило II
1752 Sarajevo English name: Gabriel II
32 Gavrilo III
Гаврило III
1755 English name: Gabriel III
33 Vikentije I
Викентије
?? ?? English name: Vicentius I
34 Pajsije II Grk
Пајсије II Грк
?? ?? English name: Paisius II the Greek
ethnic Greek Patriarch
35 Gavrilo IV Grk
Гаврило IV Грк
?? ?? English name: Gabriel IV the Greek
ethnic Greek Patriarch
36 Kirilo II
Кирило II
1758 1763 English name: Cyril II
37 Vasilije
Василије
Vasilije Brkic
Василије Бркић
1763 1765 English name: Basil
38 Kalinik II Grk
Калиник II Грк
1765 1766 English name: Callinicus II the Greek
ethnic Greek Patriarch
Resigned as Patriarch, effectively abolishing the post and relegating it to the Patriarchate of Constantinople
Second Ottoman Intervention (1766–1920)
Ottoman Empire abolishes the Patriarchate of Peć for the Fifth and final time. During the period of 1766 to 1920, the Serbian Orthodox Christians within the Ottoman Empire are subjected to the Patriarch of Constantinople. However a metropolitan bishop remained in Belgrade.
See Patriarchs of Constantinople
For the Metropolitans of Belgrade, see Metropolitanate of Belgrade

There was also a see in Cetinje, Montenegro since the late 1400s. The Vladikas of Montenegro were Orthodox bishops that ran the tiny medieval Serb statlet of Montenegero. The Metropolitante of Montenegero was a part of three major dioceses that merged to form the reunited Serbian church in 1920 (the other were the Metropolitante of Belgrade and the Patriarchate of Karolvci).

See Metropolitans of Montenegro

Due to the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, a large number of Serbs migrated to Habsburg Monarchy in 1690. This caused the establishment of a Metropolitanate in Karlowitz (Sremski Karlovci). Later on the see was elevated to a patriarchate in 1848 as a reward to Serbs who supported the Habsburgs during the 1848/1849 revolution.

See Metropolitans of Karlovci
See Patriarchs of Karlovci
Patriarchs of the Holy Patriarchal See of Belgrade (Peć) (1920–present)
Regnal title: Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch[B]
No. Primate Portrait Personal name Reigned from Reigned until Place of birth Notes
39 Dimitrije
Димитрије
PatrijarhDimitrijePavlovic Dimitrije Pavlović 1920 6 April 1930 Požarevac, Serbia English name: Dimitrius
First Patriarch of the reunified Serbian church
40 Varnava
Варнава
Varnava Rosic Petar Rosić 1930 24 July 1937 Pljevlja, Montenegro Some believe he may have been poisoned
English name: Barnabas
41 Gavrilo [V]
Гaврилo
Gavrilo Dožić 21 February 1938 7 May 1950 Vrujci, Montenegro Known unofficially as Gavrilo V Dožić-Medenica
English name: Gabriel (Gabriel V)
42 Vikentije [II]
Викентије
Vikentije Prodanov Vitomir Prodanov
Витомир Проданов
1950 5 July 1958 Bačko Petrovo Selo, Austria-Hungary Not known as Vikentije II but entered just as Vikentije
English name: Vicentius (II)
43 German
Герман
Patrijarh german Hranislav Đorić 14 September 1958 27 August 1990 Jošanička Banja, Serbia Longest reigning Patriarch; nicknamed red patriarch by his opponents due to two schisms and suspected affiliations with the Communist government.
English name: Herman
44 Pavle [II]
Павле
Patrijarh Pavle Gojko Stojčević
Гојко Стојчевић
1 December 1990 15 November 2009 Kućanci, Austria-Hungary English name: Paul
Known as a man of humility and love for mankind; called during tenure as the "walking saint"
45 Irinej
Иринеј
Patrijarhirinej01 Miroslav Gavrilović
Мирослав Гавриловић
23 January 2010 Vidovo, Kingdom of Yugoslavia English name: Irenaeus

Notes[]

  • A The Ottomans did not recognize the official title of "Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs". However still church records still record these three men as Patriarchs even though they did not serve in full title. They were still known as the exrach and protector of the throne
  • B The patriarchs hold the title of Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of all Serbs and are considered the successors to the Patriarchal throne of Peć. However, the Patriarchy is based in Belgrade, Serbia.

See also[]

External links[]

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