List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Patriarch of Serbs
Patriarchate
Incumbent: vacant after the death of Patriarch Pavle
Style:	His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch
Residence:	Belgrade, Serbia
First Patriarch:	Sava (Archbishop) Joanikije II (Patriarch)
Formation:	1219, 1346

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 position is currently vacant due to the death of Patriarch Pavle on 15 November 2009.

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

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		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		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			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			1337 (Archbishop) 1346 (Patriarch)	1346 (Archbishop) 1354 (Patriarch)		First Serb Patriarch installed during the crowning of Tsar Dusan English name: Joannicius II
2	Sava IV Сава IV			1354	1375
3	Jefrem Јефрем			1375	1380	Trnovo	First tenure English name: Ephraem
4	Spiridon Спиридон			1380	1389		English name: Spirydon
--	Jefrem Јефрем			1389	1390	Trnovo	Second tenure English name: Ephraem
5	Danilo III Данило III			1390	1396		English name: Daniel III
6	Sava V Сава V			1396	1407
7	Kirilo I Кирило			1407	1418		English name: Cyril I
8	Nikon Никон			1418	1435
--	Teofan Теофан			1435	1446		For unknown reasons not listed as an official Patriarch of the church English name: Theophanes
9	Nikodim II Никодим II			1446	1455		English name: Nikodemus II
10	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
11	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
12	Marko Марко			1524			Title was Serb Metropolitan English name: Mark
vacant from 1524 to 1527 due to Ottoman Empire's 3rd abolishment
13	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
14	Makarije Макарије		Makarije Sokolović Макарије Соколовић	1557	1571	Višegrad	English name: Macarius
15	Antonije Антоније		Antonije Sokolović Антоније Соколовић	1571	1575		English name: Anthony
16	Gerasim Герасим		Gerasim Sokolović Герасим Соколовић	1575	1586		English name: Gerasimus
17	Savatije Саватије		Savatije Sokolović Саватије Соколовић	1587			English name: Sabbatios
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 Čarnojević Арсеније Црнојевић	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 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 apart 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		Dimitrije Pavlović	1920	6 April, 1930	Požarevac, Serbia	English name: Dimitrius First Patriarch of the reunified Serbian church
40	Varnava Варнава		Petar Rosić	1930	24 July, 1937	Pljevlja, Montenegro	Some believe he may have been poisoned English name: Barnabas
41	Gavrilo 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 Викентије		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		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 affliations with the Communist government. English name: Herman
44	Pavle Павле		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"

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

• Eastern Orthodoxy
• Eparchy of Križevci
• Patriarchs
• Serbia
• Yugoslavia

External links

• Serbian Orthodox Church, history at spc.rs
• Pages on most of the Serbian Patriarchs (in Serbian)
• Kosovo.com: another list of Serbian Patriarchs
• Hierarchical Succession of the Patriarchal See of Serbia from the Orthodox Research Institute