List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Patriarch of Peć and the Serbs
Patriarchate
Incumbent: Patriarch Irinej
Style:	H.H. The Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade & Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch
Residence:	Belgrade, Serbia
First Patriarch:	Sava (Archbishop) Joanikije II (Patriarch)
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, 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	In Office	Place of birth	Notes
1	Sava Сава Sabbas		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	In Office	Place of birth	Notes
2	Arsenije I Sremac Арсеније I Сремац Arsenius I of Syrmia			1233-1263	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 Daniel I			1271-1272		Was replaced after a year for an unknown reason
5	Joanikije I Јоаникије I Joannicius I			1272-1276		Disciple of Sava II
Archdiocese throne vacant from 1276–1279
6	Jevstatije I Јевстатије I Eustathius I			1279-4 January 1286	Budimlje	Relics buried at Patriarchate of Peć
7	Jakov I Јаков I Jacob I			1286-1292
8	Jevstatije II Јевстатије II Eustathius II			1292-1309
9	Sava III Сава III Sabbas III			1309-1316
10	Nikodim I Pećki Никодим I Пећки Nikodemus I of Peć			1316-1324
11	Danilo II Данило II Daniel II			1324-1337

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: Spyridon
--	Jefrem Јефрем			1389	1390	Tarnovo, 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)
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 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	Skopje	English name: Maxim
24	Arsenije III Арсеније 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	Skopje	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 Brkić 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 List of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople For the Metropolitans of Belgrade, see Metropolitanate of Belgrade There was also a see in Cetinje, Montenegro since the late 15th century. 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 Karlovci). See List of 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. For the Metropolitans of Karlovci, see Metropolitanate of Karlovci For the Patriarchs of Karlovci, see Patriarchate 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
No.	Primate	Portrait	Personal name	Reigned from	Reigned until	Place of birth	Notes
39	Dimitrije Димитрије		Dimitrije Pavlović Димитрије Павловић	12 September 1920	6 April 1930	Požarevac, Principality of Serbia	English name: Dimitrius First Patriarch of the reunified Serbian church
40	Varnava Варнава		Petar Rosić Петар Росић	12 May 1930	23 July 1937	Pljevlja, Principality of Montenegro	Some believe he may have been poisoned English name: Barnabas
41	Gavrilo [V] Гaврилo		Gavrilo Dožić Гaврилo Дoжић	21 February 1938	7 May 1950	Vrujci, Principality of Montenegro	Known unofficially as Gavrilo V Dožić-Medenica English name: Gabriel (Gabriel V)
42	Vikentije [II] 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 Хранислав Ђорић	14 September 1958	27 August 1990	Jošanička Banja, Kingdom of Serbia	Longest reigning Patriarch English name: Herman
44	Pavle [II] Павле		Gojko Stojčević Гојко Стојчевић	1 December 1990	15 November 2009	Kućanci, Austria-Hungary	Not known as Pavle II but entered just as Pavle English name: Paul
45	Irinej Иринеј		Miroslav Gavrilović Мирослав Гавриловић	23 January 2010	Present	Vidova, 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

• Serbian Orthodox Church
• Metropolitanate of Belgrade
• List of Metropolitans of Montenegro
• Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
• Metropolitanate of Karlovci
• Patriarchate of Karlovci
• Eparchy of Križevci
• Religion in Serbia

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