Metropolitanate of Skopje

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Metropolitanate of Skopje

Митрополија скопска
Μητρόπολις Σκόπιάς
Location
TerritoryRegion of Skopje
HeadquartersSkopje, North Macedonia
Information
DenominationEastern Orthodox
Sui iuris churchSerbian Orthodox Church – autonomous Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
Established4th Century
LanguageChurch Slavonic
Current leadership
BishopJovan Vraniškovski (2002–2023)
Website
Metropolitanate of Skopje
Eparchies of Serbian Orthodox Church, including Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
Serbian Patriarch Varnava Rosić (1930–1937), who previously was Metropolitan of Skopje from 1920 to 1930
Archbishop Jovan Vraniškovski of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje

The Metropolitanate of Skopje (Serbian: Митрополија скопска; Greek: Μητρόπολις Σκόπιάς) is an Eastern Orthodox eparchy, formerly under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, an autonomous and canonical branch of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North Macedonia. Its seat is in Skopje. It is a metropolitan diocese of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric, headed by Archbishop Jovan Vraniškovski of Ohrid, who is also styled Metropolitan of Skopje.[1]

History[edit]

The see of Skopje is one of the oldest sees in the region. The modern name of the city of Skopje was derived from the name of its predecessor, the ancient Roman city of Scupi.[2] It was one of the most important cities in the Roman province of Moesia Superior and since the end of the 3rd century the capital of its successor province of Dardania.[3] The ancient Bishopric of Scupi was situated near the modern town of Skopje, where the remains of an episcopal basilica have been found and excavated. The exact date of the foundation of the Bishopric of Scupi is not known, but it already existed by the beginning of the 4th century. In that time, the bishop of ancient Scupi was also the Metropolitan of Dardania.[4]

After the division of the Roman Empire in 395, the city of Scupi, with the rest of Dardania, remained part of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire.[5] Up to the beginning of the 6th century, the episcopal see of Scupi was already under supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Thessaloniki. In 535, by the decree of emperor Justinian I (527–565), it was transferred to newly created Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima. Byzantine rule in that region finally collapsed at the beginning of the 7th century, and the church life was later renewed after the Christianization of Serbs.[6]

After the successful Byzantine campaigns of 1018 and the reestablishment of imperial rule in Bulgarian and Serbian lands, by the order of emperor Basil II an autonomous Archbishopric of Ohrid was created in 1019, under the supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.[7] Imperial charters of 1019 and 1020 mention the Bishopric of Skopje among eparchies under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid.[8] In 1282, the region of Skopje was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia, and the see of Skopje was placed under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church.[9][10][11] In 1346, the Bishop of Skopje was granted the honorary title of Metropolitan, on the occasion of the proclamation of the Serbian Patriarchate.[12] In 1392, the city was conquered by Ottoman Turks,[13] and soon after the see was returned under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid.[14]

In 1557, when the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć was restored, the Metropolitanate of Skopje was returned under its ecclesiastical jurisdiction.[15][16] The Epachy of Skopje was one of the most important sees of the Serbian Patriarchate. In 1711, Metropolitan Atanasije I of Skopje was elected Serbian Patriarch. In 1747, Metropolitan Atanasije II of Skopje was also elected Serbian Patriarch. Since 1766, when the Serbian Patriarchate was abolished, the Eparchy of Skopje came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 1912, the Serbian army liberated Skopje from Ottoman rule.[17] Soon after that, negotiations were initiated with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and in 1920 the entire region was again returned to the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church.[18] In 1930, Metropolitan Varnava Rosić of Skopje was elected Serbian Patriarch.

In 1959, the Serbian Orthodox Church granted ecclesiastical autonomy to eparchies in the Republic of Macedonia. After the unilateral and uncanonical proclamation of autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church in 1967, ecclesiastical order was disrupted for a long time. When the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia) proclaimed its independence from Yugoslavia in 1992, the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to place all eparchies in Macedonia under special administration. In 1993, auxiliary bishop Jovan Mladenović of Tetovo (in the region of Polog near Skopje) was appointed administrator of all eparchies in the Republic of Macedonia. The following year, he was transferred to another see and administration of eparchies in the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia) was given to Bishop Pahomije Gačić of Vranje. In 2002, the Eparchy of Skopje was placed under the administration of Bishop Jovan Vraniškovski of Veles, as an exarch of the Serbian patriarch. In 2005, he was confirmed as Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje.[19]

Heads[edit]

Early bishops of ancient Scupi (Dardania)

Name Original name in Greek Notes
Dacus Δάκος Attended First Council of Nicaea in 325.[20]
Paregorius Παρηγόριος Attended Council of Serdica in 343.[20]
Ursilius Ουρσίλιος Mentioned in 458, in a letter of Emperor Leo I.[20]
Johannes Ιωάννης Mentioned from 490 to 495, in letters of Pope Gelasius I.[20]

Metropolitans of Skopje (since 1766, list incomplete)

Picture Name
(Tenure)
Notes
Anthimos (1767—1775) Άνθιμος
Zacharias (1775—1799) Ζαχαρίας
Anthimos (1799—1820) Άνθιμος
Joasaph (1820—1823) Ιωάσαφ
Ananias (1823—1828) Ανανίας
Neophytos (1828—1830) Νεόφυτος
Gennadios (1831—1832) Γεννάδιος
Gavril (1832—1843) Γαβριήλ (d. 1843)
Joachim (1844—1868) Ιωακείμ (d. 1868)
Paisios (1868—1891) Παΐσιος (d. 1891)
Methodios Papaemmanouil (1891—1896) Μεθόδιος Παπαεμμανουήλ (d. 1896)
Amvrosios Stavrianos (1896—1899) Αμβρόσιος Σταυρινός (b. 1854 - d. 1931)
Firmilijan Dražić (1902—1903) Фирмилијан Дражић (Serbian)
Sevastijan Debeljković (1904—1905) Севастијан Дебељковић (Serbian)
Vićentije Krdžić (1905—1915) Вићентије Крџић (Serbian). Murdered by Bulgarians in 1915
Varnava Rosić (1920—1930) Варнава Росић (Serbian)
Josif Cvijović (1932—1957) Јосиф Цвијовић (Serbian)
Dositej Stojković (1959—1967) Доситеј Стојковић. Since 1967, head of self-proclaimed "Macedonian Orthodox Church"
Jovan Mladenović 1993—1994 Administrator
Pahomije Gačić 1995—2002 Administrator
Jovan Vraniškovski (2005—2023) Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Biography of the Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje
  2. ^ Papazoglu 1978, p. 198-251.
  3. ^ Petrović 2007, p. 11, 16–17, 19, 23.
  4. ^ Harnack 1905, p. 371, 375.
  5. ^ Mócsy 2014, p. 350.
  6. ^ Curta 2001, pp. 125, 130.
  7. ^ Stephenson 2000, pp. 74–75.
  8. ^ Bulić 2013, pp. 221–222.
  9. ^ Slijepčević 1958, pp. 60–61.
  10. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 261.
  11. ^ Ćirković 2004, pp. 49, 51.
  12. ^ Ćirković 2004, pp. 64.
  13. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 412.
  14. ^ Ćirković 2004, pp. 86, 92, 102.
  15. ^ Slijepčević 1958, pp. 77–78.
  16. ^ Sotirović 2011, pp. 143–169.
  17. ^ Ćirković 2004, pp. 245.
  18. ^ Kiminas 2009, pp. 22, 28.
  19. ^ Tomos on the church autonomy of the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric
  20. ^ a b c d Zeiller 1918, pp. 160–161, 599.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]