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Serbian Orthodox Church

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is the largest and most influential religious institution in Serbia. It also is the most privileged of the seven "traditional" religious communities recognized by the 2006 law on religion. Public opinion polls consistently demonstrate that the Church is by far the most respected and trusted institution in society. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is an autocephalous ("self-headed" or "self-governed") Orthodox Christian church that includes bishoprics (dioceses) in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, and overseas, including in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Among autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, the SOC ranks sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey), Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Syria), Jerusalem (Israel), and Moscow (Russia).

Various estimates place the number of SOC adherents worldwide at between 7 and 11 million. According to Serbia's 2002 census, 85% of the population, or 6.3 million people, identified themselves as Orthodox. Approximately five percent of the population was Roman Catholic and another three percent was Muslim. Protestant groups represented slightly more than one percent of the population. In addition, more than 97% of ethnic Serbs responded that they were Orthodox. Although some NGOs and minority religious communities dispute this last figure, Orthodoxy clearly is the predominant religion in Serbia.

There is no state religion in Serbia; however, the 2006 law on churches and religious communities, which the USG has criticized as discriminatory and requiring amendment, recognized seven "traditional" religious communities: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Islamic community, and Jewish community. As a "traditional" community, the SOC was exempt from an invasive and burdensome registration process and enjoys preferential treatment such as tax exemptions. The government also subsidizes salaries for Serbian Orthodox clergy working in other countries.

The tyranny of the Austro-Hungarian Empire against Orthodox in Serbia that sparked off the First World War. The origins of Serbian Christianity are thoroughly Latin, and, indeed, Roman. According to the imperial historian, Constantino Porphyrogennetos, the Emperor Heraclius (610-641) intrusted to Roman priests the task of baptizing the Serbs, and teaching them the Christian faith. These Serbians near the shores of the Adriatic were the first to abandon their idols, and to be drawn within the fold of Christ. Croatia contributed also to spread Christianity in Serbia. The early period of Serbian evangelization extends from 642 to 731, while the second begins with Basil I. (867-886).

During the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Serbian Church developed under the sway of Rome. The names of the Serbian princes (Zupany) are derived from Latin Christianity. The fragmentary inscriptions of the most ancient Serbian churches and monasteries are Latin, and Latin words are scattered through Serbian liturgical books. The Russian historian of the Serbian Church, Eugenius Golubinsky, declares that the Popes exerted their jurisdiction upon the Serbian territory. The western portion of the Balkanic peninsula, down to the reign of Leo, the Isaurian (717-741), was placed under the jurisdiction of the Popes, and even the diocese of Saloniki was administered by a vicar of the Holy See. Now and then, the Serbian Kings proposed to Rome the union of their independent Church with the Holy See. These propositions, however, were suggested only by political reasons, and therefore, invariably failed.

Under the most celebrated among the Serbian Kings, Stephen Urosh Duchan (1331-1385), the Serbian Orthodox Church proclaimed her independence from Byzantium. In 1345 or 1346, the king convoked a synod of the Serbian clergy. Symeon, the Bulgarian Patriarch of Tyrnovo, and the Bulgarian bishops, as well as the superiors (hegumonoi) of the Greek monasteries on Mount Athos, were invited to attend to it. The synod took place in the town of Skopia (Uskub), and it may be considered as the first alignment of the religious forces of Slavism against the Greek Church. Joanniki, Archbishop of Ipek, was elected Patriarch. Thus by the will of the King, the Serbian metropolis became a patriarchate.

The Serbian Patriarchate endured four centuries. In 1389, Serbia lost her independence after the disaster of Kossovo, and became a province of Turkey. The Serbian Church, however, kept her organization. The dioceses founded by Stephen Duchan were not abolished. But after the fall of Constantinople, the conditions of the Church grew worse. The Slavic clergy at one time faced two enemies: Mohammedan intolerance and Greek nationalism. The Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople strove to hellenize the Slavic peoples of the Balkans and, at the end of the seventeenth century, its efforts met with success.

In 1557 the Serbian Church had a short period of prosperity, thanks to the protection granted her by Mohammed Sokolovic, a Serbian who had apostatized from the Christian faith. His brother, Macarius, a monk in Mount Athos, was elected Patriarch, and set about organizing the Serbian dioceses in Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Croatia, Hungary and Transylvania. Churches and monasteries that had been destroyed were rebuilt. Mohammed died in 1574, and thereafter the Greeks renewed their attempts to subject Serbia to their religious influence.

In 1766 Samuel Khantzeris, Patriarch of Constantinople, thought the moment had arrived to extirpate the Slavic Patriarchates of Ochrida and Ipek. In September of that year, he convoked a synod of Greek bishops and proclaimed the abolition of the latter Patriarchate. In vain, the Serbian bishops raised their protest. They were expelled from their dioceses, and replaced by Greek bishops. Ecclesiastically, the Serbian dioceses passed under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch and of the Greek aristocracy of Constantinople - the so-called Phanariotes.

The energetic support of Russia saved Serbia from a new catastrophe. In 1830 she was recognized by the Sublime Porte as an independent State. A special paragraph of the proclamation of her independence (hatty-sherif), set forth that "the Metropolitan and the bishops of the Serbian nation shall be confirmed in their dignities by the Patriarch of Constantinople, without any obligation on their part personally to visit him." In order to avoid annoyance from the Greek Hierarchy, in 1832, the Serbian Government formulated a convention with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, by virtue of which the Serbian Church was accorded entire freedom in the election of its bishops. The Archbishop of Belgrade assumed the title of Metropolitan of Serbia.

The political reunion of all the Southern Slavs under the political sway of Serbia made necessary a reorganization of the Serbian Church on broader lines, and a new alignment towards the Catholic faith. Before the Great War, the Orthodox population of the Serbian Kingdom amounted to 2,880,000. With her new territorial conquests, the Serbian Church embraced about six millions of Orthodox within the limits of Jugo-Slavia. Therefore, the first task of the Serbian Church was the religious unification of all Serbians. This problem was discussed in the meeting of all the Serbian bishops, held at Belgrade, May 26, 1919. At the end of the same year, the Patriarch consented to renounce his jurisdiction over ten Metropolitan Sees of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Old Serbia and Macedonia upon the payment of an indemnity equivalent to $300,000. At the same time, the Serbian Government negotiated the exemption of the Metropolitan Sees of Zara and Cattaro from the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Cernowitz.

The reestablishment of the Patriarchate was seen as an historic necessity for the Serbian Church, because the Patriarch would be the centre of unity for all the Orthodox of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. According to a proclamation issued by the regent, Alexander, and Paul Marinkovic, Minister of Worship, "the Patriarchate of Serbia is restored. Its titular, the successor of St. Sava, Arsenius, Daniel I., Joanniki, Macarius, Gabriel, Arsenius and other illustrious hierarchs will bear the name of Serbian Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of the Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian Kingdom."" The restoration of the Patriarchate took place on August 30th (September 12th). Of course, the Serbian press expects from the change of a title the best results for the united Serbian Orthodox Church, and a renewal of religious life.

In the early 20th Century the churches of this body represented the immigration into the United States, not merely from Serbia proper, but from Macedonia and the Slavic communities of the Balkan Peninsula antecedent to the coming of the Bulgarians; and from the southern part of Austria-Hungary. They used the Slavic liturgy in their services, and were under the general supervision of the archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in the United States. In doctrine and polity they were in harmony with the Russian Orthodox Church.

The SOC is headed by a Patriarch, who is considered the first among equals, and whose full title is Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch. The Patriarch is elected for life during a session of the Sabor, or Holy Assembly of Bishops. Pavle, the 95-year old 44th Serbian Patriarch, died on 15 November 2009 after 19 years as Patriarch. His Holiness Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, late Serbian Patriarch Pavle was the oldest living leader of an Eastern Orthodox church. He called for peace and reconciliation in the 1990s during the inter-ethnic conflicts that resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The SOC constitution allots 90 days for the election of a new Patriarch, and it was announced on November 25 that an electoral session of the Sabor would begin on January 22 following observance of the traditional 40 days of mourning. Most commentators believed that the Sabor would like to install the new Patriarch by January 27, which is the Day of Saint Sava, the founder and first Archbishop of the SOC.

Bishop Irinej of Nis was elected the 45th head of the Serbian Orthodox Church on 22 January 2010. Bishop Irinej is one of the most influential hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church. A monk for half a century, he has been a bishop for 35 years and is much respected not only within his Diocese of Nis where he served for 34 years, but among Serbian Church bishops in general.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops, or Sabor, brings together all SOC bishops. Under the SOC constitution, the Sabor is required to meet on a yearly basis, but in recent times it has held bi-annual sessions in the spring and fall. The Holy Assembly of Bishops is the highest body in the Church hierarchy and as such is empowered to take binding decisions concerning faith, worship, and internal discipline. The Sabor selects the heads of Orthodox seminaries, approves the curriculum for secondary school Orthodox religion classes, and is responsible for "the moral upbringing of youth." It also oversees the Holy Synod, or Church government, and acts as the highest Church judicial authority in disputes between archbishops and on canonical errors by archbishops or the Patriarch.

The Holy Synod, a five-person body headed by the Patriarch, essentially governs the Church on a daily basis. The Sabor appoints members to the Synod for two-year terms with half of the Synod changing each year. The Holy Synod is responsible for "supporting dogmatic and canonical unity and continual contacts with all autocephalous churches" and for advancing the Christian faith. Currently headed by Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands, who also is caretaker of the SOC following Pavle's death, the Synod oversees the work of the bishops, handles a host of administrative functions, and acts as a judicial body for disputes between bishops. The other members of the Holy Synod currently are Bishop Irinej of Backa, Bishop Irinej of Nis, Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia, and Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina. Both Irinejs and Grigorije are considered front-runners, along with Amfilohije, to be the next Patriarch.

Election procedures are complicated. At least two-thirds of the 44 bishops must be present for the Sabor session to be considered valid. Through repeated rounds of voting, bishops identify three "finalists," who must have served five years or more as a bishop to be nominated. Retired bishops cannot be nominated or vote. In order to advance to the final round, a nominee must be supported by at least half of the bishops. The final choice is a "blind draw" or "apostolic choice" in which the oldest monk with the title of archimandrite, representing the "hand of God," chooses the Patriarch by selecting one of three sealed envelopes containing the candidates' names. The new Patriarch typically is installed in the Cathedral Church in Belgrade the day after his election, while the final ceremony takes place in the old seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Pec Patriarchy (Kosovo). Although long considered by SOC analysts to be the frontrunner to succeed Patriarch Pavle, Metropolitan Amfilohije steadily lost ground to potential contenders Bishop Irinej of Backa and Bishop Grigorije.

Public opinion polls consistently have shown that the SOC enjoys the public's trust, especially in comparison to governmental institutions, and some observers believe this trend generally has held true over the past 20 years. The results of a poll presented by Balkan Monitor on 02 December 2009 showed that 67% of respondents expressed confidence in the SOC and other religious institutions, as opposed to 37% in the courts, 35% in the government, and 22% in political parties.

The outpouring of emotion following the Patriarch's death, while also attributable to his humility and monasticism, further reinforced the impression that the SOC remains a respected force in society. More than 600,000 people from across Serbia and the region turned out in the streets on the day of Pavle's funeral, and many thousands stood wordlessly in miles-long lines throughout the night during the three-day mourning period to pay their last respects. Embassy observers were struck by the solemnity that marked these events, in particular the respectful silence, punctuated only by the sound of shoes slapping the ground, during the funeral procession throughout usually bustling downtown Belgrade. With the exception of Bishop Grigorije who rode by car as master of the procession, Metropolitan Amfilohije and the top church leadership walked the entire funeral route, as did leaders from across the political spectrum, including Serbian Progressive Party president Tomislav Nikolic and Liberal Democratic Party president Cedomir Jovanovic. President Tadic and his entire cabinet attended the funeral, which was broadcast live on public television in its entirety.

In a November 5 meeting, pensioned (but still a member of the Sabor) Bishop Lavrentije of Sabac, who presided over the January 2010 Sabor as the longest-serving bishop, painted an optimistic picture of the SOC's future. Arguing that the Church emerged from World War II "as an invalid" but was all the stronger for the 60 years that it suffered under socialism, Lavrentije told us that there has been an "awakening" since 2000. The number of christenings has risen dramatically, and, most importantly, those who have returned to the Church have remained. Asked to explain the level of popular support for the SOC, Lavrentije replied that the Church has been above politics and therefore is not seen as responsible for problems currently faced by the population. "For centuries, the Church has been seen as a guardian," he said, explaining that historically Serbs, due to their experiences with the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, have never seen the state as their own.

During 2009 there was a noticeable uptick in government efforts to engage with the Church, perhaps in an attempt to capitalize on the SOC's standing and popularity. President Tadic attended Orthodox Christmas Mass at Belgrade's Saint Sava Cathedral in January 2009 and pointedly stood among the parishioners instead of taking his spot in the VIP section. The President and Foreign Minister Jeremic on several occasions met with the Holy Synod, ostensibly to discuss preservation of cultural and Church heritage in Kosovo. Following the Patriarch's death, the President observed the emergency Holy Synod session, drawing criticism from civil society, and he spoke at the funeral. In a December 10 article in the daily "Vecernje Novosti," Protosyncellus Metodije (Ostojic), assigned by Metropolitan Amfilohije to care for Patriarch Pavle, described how the President, upon arriving at the Military Medical Academy after the Patriarch died, reportedly asked rhetorically "What will I do now? On whom will I rely?"

The Church also has sought to reassert itself in the political arena. During 2009, the SOC, in particular Metropolitan Amfilohije, Bishop Irinej of Backa, and Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren, spoke out publicly on political hot-button issues such as the draft Vojvodina statute and draft anti-discrimination law, the Pride Parade, and the status of Kosovo. Even though some of these statements crossed the line of apostolic advocacy, the government countered criticism by arguing that the Church was entitled to express its stance. Critics of Amfilohije argue that the Church should spend more time teaching the tenants of Christianity to a Serbian public traumatized by decades of communism and war, rather than advocating for government policies.

Although it stagnated during Pavle's two-year illness, the Serbian Orthodox Church retains its prominent role in Serbian society. It, however, faces a number of challenges - both internal and external - as it seeks to ensure its continued relevance and adapt to the 21st century. The campaign to succeed the Patriarch will sharpen competing directions for the Church's future. The new Patriarch will need to unify the Church and undertake a missionary role in re-introducing Christianity to Serbia's Orthodox. He also will need to find the correct balance in addressing Serbia's serious social issues while not blurring the line between church and state.