List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Patriarch of Peć and the Serbs
Bishopric
orthodox
Incumbent: Patriarch Irinej
Style	His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch
First incumbent	Sava (Archbishop) Joanikije II (Patriarch)
Formation	1219 (Archbishopric) 1346 (Patriarchy)
Website	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 Church under the 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. Patriarch Irinej acceded to this position on 23 January 2010.

The Archdiocese of Peć was founded in 1219 by Saint Sava, under the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople. In 1346, when Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia proclaimed himself Emperor, he also elevated Peć to a patriarchate. This was only recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1379.

After the Ottoman conquest of the Serbian Despotate in 1459, the Patriarchate gradually lost its importance. At times the church was forced by the Ottoman government to install Greeks in the office. From 1766 to 1920 the patriarchate was abolished and all ecclesiastical jurisdiction was given to 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 lineage of the throne of Saint Sava in Peć. The Patriarch holds ecclesiastical authority over the Orthodox Church in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and also over Serbian Orthodox Christians in Western Europe, Australia, North America, 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	Reigned from	Reigned until	Place of birth	Notes
1	Sava Сава Sabbas		1219	1233	Stari Ras	First Archbishop of Autocephalous Serbian Church Born as Rastko Nemanjić / Растко Немањић
Archbishops of the Autocephalous Orthodox Archdiocese of Peć (1233–1346)
Regnal title: Metropolitan of Peć and Archbishop of Serbs
No.	Primate	Portrait	Reigned from	Reigned until	Place of birth	Notes
2	Arsenije I Арсеније I Arsenius I		1233	1263	Syrmia	First Archbishop of the See of Peć
3	Sava II Сава II Sabbas II		1263	1271	Stari Ras	Nephew to Sava I Born as Predislav Nemanjić / Предислав Немањић
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 Никодим I Nicodemus I		1316	1324
11	Danilo II Данило II Daniel II		1324	1337
12	Joanikije II Јоаникије II Joannicius II		1338	1346	Prizren	Elevated to Patriarch

Patriarchs, 1346–1766

Patriarchs of the Holy Patriarchal See of Peć (1346–1766)
First Patriarchate of Peć (1346–1463)
Regnal title: Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of all Serb Lands and the Maritime
No.	Primate	Portrait	Personal name	Reigned from	Reigned until	Place of birth	Notes
1	Joanikije II Јоаникије II Joannicius II			1346	1354	Prizren	First Serb Patriarch installed during the coronation of Emperor Dušan
2	Sava IV Сава IV Sabbas IV			1354	1375
3	Jefrem Јефрем Ephraem			1375	1380		First tenure
4	Spiridon Спиридон Spyridon			1380	1389
--	Jefrem Јефрем Ephraem			1389	1390		Second tenure
5	Danilo III Данило III Daniel III			1390	1396
6	Sava V Сава V			1396	1406
7	Danilo IV Данило IV Daniel IV			1406
8	Kirilo I Кирило Cyril I			1407	1419
9	Nikon Никон			1420	1435
10	Teofan Теофан Theophanes			1435	1446		For unknown reasons not listed as an official Patriarch of the church
11	Nikodim II Никодим II Nicodemus II			1446	1455
12	Arsenije II Арсеније II Arsenius II			1457	1463
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 John I			1508			Title was Archbishop of Serbs
vacant from 1508 to 1524 due to Ottoman Empire's 2nd abolishment
--	Marko Марко Mark			1524			Title was Serb Metropolitan
vacant from 1524 to 1527 due to Ottoman Empire's 3rd abolishment
--	Pavle (I) Павле (I) Paul			1527	1535		Title was Metropolitan of Smederevo
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 Macarius		Makarije Sokolović Макарије Соколовић	1557	1571	Višegrad
14	Antonije Антоније Anthony		Antonije Sokolović Антоније Соколовић	1571	1575
15	Gerasim Герасим Gerasimus		Gerasim Sokolović Герасим Соколовић	1575	1586
16	Savatije Саватије Sabbatios		Savatije Sokolović Саватије Соколовић	1586		Prijepolje
17	Nikanor Никанор Nicanor			?
18	Jerotej Јеротеј Hieroteos			1589	1590
19	Filip Филип Philip			1591	1592
20	Jovan II Kantul Јован John II Kantul			1592	1613
21	Pajsije I Пајсије I Paisius			1615	1648	Janjevo
22	Gavrilo I Гаврило I Gabriel I			1648	1655	Štitkovo
23	Maksim I Максим Maxim			1655	1672	Skopje
24	Arsenije III Арсеније III Arsenius III		Arsenije Čarnojević Арсеније Чарнојевић	1672	1690	Cetinje, Montenegro	Patriarch that lead the Serbs to migration into the Habsburg Monarchy. Created independent church in Hungary.
25	Kalinik I Калиник I Callinicus I			1691	1710	Skopje	Maintained Peć in turbulent times after the mass exodous of Serbs from the Ottoman Empire.
26	Atanasije I Атанасије I Athanasius I			1711	1712
27	Mojsije Мојсије Moses			1712	1726
28	Arsenije IV Арсеније IV Arsenius IV		Arsenije Jovanović Šakabenta Арсеније Јовановић Шакабента	1726	1737	Peć
29	Joanikije III Јоаникије III Joannicius III			1739	1746		Ethnic Greek Patriarch
30	Atanasije II Gavrilović Атанасије II Гавриловић Athanasius II		Gavrilović Гавриловић	1746	1752	Skopje
31	Gavrilo II Sarajevac Гаврило II Сарајевац Gabriel II the Sarajevan		Mihajlović Михајловић	1752		Sarajevo
32	Gavrilo III Гаврило III Gabriel III			1755
33	Vikentije I Викентије Vicentius I			??	??
34	Pajsije II Grk Пајсије II Грк Paisius II the Greek			??	??		Ethnic Greek Patriarch
35	Gavrilo IV Grk Гаврило IV Грк Gabriel IV the Greek			??	??		Ethnic Greek Patriarch
36	Kirilo II Кирило II Cyril II			1758	1763
37	Vasilije Василије Basil		Vasilije Brkić Василије Бркић	1763	1765
38	Kalinik II Grk Калиник II Грк Callinicus II the Greek			1765	1766		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 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 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, 1920–present

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 Dimitrius		Dimitrije Pavlović Димитрије Павловић	12 September 1920	6 April 1930	Požarevac, Principality of Serbia	First Patriarch of the reunified Serbian church
40	Varnava Варнава Barnabas		Petar Rosić Петар Росић	12 May 1930	23 July 1937	Pljevlja, Principality of Montenegro	Some believe he may have been poisoned
41	Gavrilo [V] Гaврилo Gabriel (V)		Gavrilo Dožić Гaврилo Дoжић	21 February 1938	7 May 1950	Vrujci, Principality of Montenegro	Known unofficially as Gavrilo V Dožić-Medenica
42	Vikentije [II] Викентије Vicentius (II)		Vitomir Prodanov Витомир Проданов	1 July 1950	5 July 1958	Bačko Petrovo Selo, Austria-Hungary	Not known as Vikentije II but entered just as Vikentije. Some believe he may have been second poisoned Patriarch
43	German Герман Herman		Hranislav Đorić Хранислав Ђорић	14 September 1958	30 November 1990	Jošanička Banja, Kingdom of Serbia	Longest reigning Patriarch and only retired Patriarch during his life
44	Pavle [II] Павле Paul		Gojko Stojčević Гојко Стојчевић	1 December 1990	15 November 2009	Kućanci, Austria-Hungary	Not known as Pavle II but entered just as Pavle
45	Irinej Иринеј Irenaeus		Miroslav Gavrilović Мирослав Гавриловић	23 January 2010	Present	Vidova, Kingdom of Yugoslavia

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