Timeline of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Last updated March 07, 2019

Middle Ages

15 August 1219: Autocephaly of the Serbian Church (Archbishopric).
January 1235: Death of Saint Sava.
1253: Seat moved from Žiča to Peć.
16 April 1346: Elevation to Patriarchate.
1463: de facto abolishment of Serbian Church, under Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Saint Sava, known as The Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law, and a diplomat. Sava, born as Rastko, was the youngest son of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in 1190–92. He then left for Mount Athos where he became a monk, with the name Sava (Sabbas). At Athos, he established the monastery of Hilandar, which became one of the most important cultural and religious centres of the Serbian people. In 1219 he was recognized as the first Serbian Archbishop by the Patriarchate exiled in Nicea, and in the same year he authored the oldest known constitution of Serbia, Zakonopravilo, thus securing full independence; both religious and political. Sava is regarded the founder of Serbian medieval literature.

Early Modern period

1557: Restoration of autocephaly.
1594: Burning of St. Sava's relics.
1691: Establishment of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci
1766: Abolishment of the Patriarchate by the Ottoman government.
1766: Establishment of the Metropolitanate of Belgrade.

The Metropolitanate of Karlovci was a metropolitanate of the Serbian Orthodox Church that existed between 1708 and 1848 (1920). Between 1708 and 1713 it was known as the Metropolitanate of Krušedol, and between 1713 and 1848 as the Metropolitanate of Karlovci. In 1848, it was transformed into the Patriarchate of Karlovci, which existed until 1920, when it was merged with Metropolitanate of Belgrade and other Serbian church provinces to form the united Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Metropolitanate of Belgrade was a metropolitanate of the Serbian Orthodox Church that existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territory of Principality and Kingdom of Serbia. It was formed in 1831, when Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople granted church autonomy to the Principality of Serbia. Territorial enlargement and full canonical autocephaly was gained in 1879. The Metropolitanate of Belgrade existed until 1920, when it was merged with Patriarchate of Karlovci and other Serbian ecclesiastical provinces to form the united Serbian Orthodox Church. The seat of the Metropolitanate was in Belgrade, Serbia.

Modern period

1848: Elevation to Patriarchate of Karlovci.
1879: Official autocephaly in Serbia after international recognition.
1920: Unification of the Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian Patriarchate).
1945–80s: Suppression of Church by Communist regime.
1967: Unilateral establishment of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
1993: Uncanonical establishment of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.

The Patriarchate of Karlovci or Serbian Patriarchate of Sremski Karlovci, was a patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church that existed between 1848 and 1920. It was formed in 1848, when Metropolitanate of Karlovci was elevated to the rank of patriarchate. The Patriarchate of Karlovci existed until 1920, when it was merged with Metropolitanate of Belgrade and other Serbian ecclesiastical provinces to form the united Serbian Orthodox Church. The seat of the Patriarchate was in Karlovci.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches. It is the second-oldest Slavic Orthodox Church in the world.

The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric, or simply the Macedonian Orthodox Church, is the largest body of Christians in the Republic of North Macedonia. It claims ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Republic of North Macedonia and is also represented in the Macedonian diaspora. In 1959, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church granted autonomy to the Macedonian Orthodox Church in the then-Socialist Republic of Macedonia as the restoration of the historic Archbishopric of Ohrid, and it remained in canonical unity with the Serbian Church under their Patriarch. In 1967, on the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, the Macedonian Holy Synod unilaterally announced its autocephaly and independence from the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Serbian Holy Synod denounced the decision and condemned the clergy as schismatic. Thenceforth, the Macedonian Church has remained unrecognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and all the other canonical Orthodox churches in defense of Serbian opposition. Since May 2018 however, the Church′s status has been under examination by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church is the Metropolitan of Skopje and Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia and of Justiniana Prima.

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