Pavle, Serbian Patriarch

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Serbian Patriarch Pavle
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For the 16th century Patriarch of the same name, see Pavle I, Serbian Patriarch.
Rakovica monastery
SignaturePavle's signature
Styles of
Serbian Patriarch Pavle
His Holiness
Spoken styleYour Holiness
Religious stylePatriarch
Posthumous styleHis Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Blessed Repose

Pavle (

Eastern Orthodox church. Because of poor health, he spent his last years in the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, while his duties were carried out by Metropolitan Amfilohije
.

Early life

Pavle was born as Gojko Stojčević (Гојко Стојчевић) in the village of

ordained to the rank of hieromonk. The same year he was ordained as protosyncellus, and in 1957 as archimandrite
.

Between 1955 and 1957 Pavle took

University of Athens, Greece. He received a doctorate in New Testament and liturgy by the Theological Academy in Athens.[2] After returning from Greece, he was elected the Bishop of Ras and Prizren (the eparchy which includes all of Kosovo
) in 1957. He held that position for 33 years before he was elected Patriarch.

As a religious leader

As a bishop of Ras and Prizren Pavle built numerous new churches and helped the reconstruction of old ones. He spent a lot of time in traveling and meeting with people of his eparchy. He also wrote books and gave lectures in Church music and Church Slavonic language.[3]

Yugoslav Wars

After spending 34 years in Kosovo, Pavle was elected the

Mira Marković, but also with the leaders of the opposition. In 1993 Pavle wrote a letter to Milošević urging him to release Vuk Drašković from prison.[4]

During the Yugoslav Wars, the patriarch and the church gave support to the leaders of the

Bosnian Muslims and Croats.[who?] Pavle visited the cities of Knin, Pale while Serbian troops carried out a siege on Goražde.[5] Pavle met with Serb paramilitary leader, Arkan, who he claimed was justified in his actions and presented him with an autographed icon of Saint Nicholas; Arkan considered himself a favorite of Pavle and regarded the patriarch as his "commander", stating that "we are fighting for our religion, the Serbian Orthodox Church."[6]

On 13 December 1991, Pavle wrote a letter which circulated to all Orthodox churches urging for the protection of Croatian Serbs from "the Croatian neo-fascist regime - the successor of the Ustašas who massacred 700,000 Orthodox Serbs in World War II."[7] He openly referred to the Republic of Croatia as the "new Independent State of Croatia" and justified the war as "righteous".[8]

During the

rape camps that kept Muslim women, but accused Bosnian Muslims and Croats of the same thing.[9] A famous photograph from this time is that of Karadžić kissing Pavle's hand.[4] In May 1993, Pavle received a letter from Karadžić which thanked him for his "advice and support" in the Bosnian Serbs' "just battle". Karadžić regarded the Serbian Church as the "only spiritual force capable of uniting the Serb nation, regardless of borders."[10] In 1994, Pavle claimed that Serbs were native to Bosnia and Herzegovina and that Bosniaks had only arrived there when the Ottomans invaded.[11]

When a swift Croatian offensive in May 1995 put western

UN Security Council which demanded suspension of the proceedings against Karadžić before the Hague tribunal.[15] Pavle urged Belgrade not to give up Karadžić and Mladić, indicted for war crimes, to the ICTY.[16] He and other nationalist intellectuals also signed a declaration demanding their pardon.[17]

In 1998, Pavle was invited to Zagreb by Croatian Archbishop Josip Bozanić for talks on peace where he was snubbed by several leading Croatian party members and Christian groups for his and the Orthodox Church's role with the rebel Serbs during the war.[18]

After the launch of NATO deployment into Kosovo and Pristina in June 1999, Norwegian special force soldiers escorted Pavle from Pristina to the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć in the city of Peć. The escort mission was regarded to possibly be provocative so soon after the atrocities in the area in question and there were fears of a possible assassination. The patriarch and the Norwegian soldiers were attacked several times on their way.[19]

1996–1997 protests in Serbia

In 1997 Pavle took part in the

change of power in Serbia
, Pavle continued to cooperate with the government, and was a frequent guest at various political ceremonies.

Later years

Pavle with priests at Voljavča monastery, 2005.
Patriarch Pavle consecrates the cornerstone of the All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church in Canada, 1994.

Pavle was referred to by some as the "walking saint" based on his simple lifestyle and personal humility.

Greater Serbian
project, Pavle answered:

So I say: if a

Great Serbia should be held by committing crime, I would never accept it; may Great Serbia disappear, but to hold it by crime - no. If it were necessary to hold only a small Serbia by crime, I would not accept it. May small Serbia disappear, but to hold it by crime - no. And if there is only one Serb, and if I am that last Serb, to hold on by crime - I do not accept. May we disappear, but disappear as humans, because then we will not disappear, we will be alive in the hands of the living God.[21]

In his tenure as the Patriarch he healed the schism with the "Free Serbian Orthodox Church", now known as the

United Nations Headquarters in New York City and at the White House
.

Patriarch Pavle consecrates the Serbian Orthodox Church in Ljubljana, 2005

Patriarch Pavle was the oldest among all living Patriarchs. He was especially devoted to and fond of the words of the

Apostle Paul
(after whom he was named Pavle), whom he often quoted and expressed admiration for.

In October 2004, Pavle wrote an open letter in which he denounced the

elections in Kosovo and urged Serbs to boycott the polls.[15]

On 27 April 2007, the Holy Synod announced that it had named the Metropolitan of Zagreb, Ljubljana and all Italy, Jovan, as the Guardian of the throne (taking over the Patriarch's duties temporarily) while patriarch Pavle was recovering in Sveti Sava Hospital. He was discharged on 1 May and returned to his duties on 14 May. The Patriarch's health worsened and he was restricted to a wheelchair. On 13 November 2007 Pavle was admitted to a medical clinic, and the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radović, as the oldest member, was elected by the Holy Synod to conduct the duties of the Patriarch.[23] On 20 November 2007 it was announced that his life was in danger. On 17 May 2008 the Holy Synod took over all Patriarch Pavle's duties owing to his inability to carry out his functions.[24] On 12 October 2008 Pavle was reported to have asked the Holy Synod to accept his resignation because of declining physical ability.[25] On 11 November 2008, the Holy Synod decided to turn down his request and to ask him to remain on the throne for life.[26]

Death

Crowd in Belgrade during funeral
Rakovica monastery

Pavle died on 15 November 2009, after more than two years spent in the

Metropolitan Christopher of Prague and Roman Catholic Cardinal Angelo Sodano.[30]

The Government of Serbia announced three days of national mourning over the death of Patriarch Pavle,

Yugoslav Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro (President Filip Vujanović).[43] The Jewish community, both Islamic communities in Serbia, the Islamic community in Bosnia, and the Roman Catholic Church in Serbia sent condolences.[44]

He was succeeded by the bishop of

Irinej
in January 2010.

Postal stamp with the image of Serbian Patriarch Pavle, issued in 2014, on the occasion of one century since his birth

Awards and honors

  • Karađorđević dynasty
    ), 2007
  • Award of the Unity of Orthodox Nations Foundation, 2002 (for 2001)[45]
  • Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles of the First Degree (ROC), 2004[46]
  • Honorary Doctorate of Divinity (SOC), 1988

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Serbian Orthodox Church official site: History Archived 2009-04-18 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Fox 2009.
  3. ^ RTS: Život po jevanđelju (Life according to the Gospel), 15 Nov 2009
  4. ^ a b c d "Portret savremenika - patrijarh Pavle: Skromnost i tumačenja" (in Serbian). Vreme. 21 December 2005. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  5. ^ Velikonja (2003), p. 263
  6. ^ Velikonja (2003), p. 265
  7. ^ Perica (2004), pp. 160
  8. ^ Velikonja (2003), p. 264
  9. ^ Ramet & Pavlaković 2007, p. 135, 258.
  10. ^ Velikonja (2003), p. 267
  11. ^ Sells (1998), p. 83
  12. ^ Branson (1999), p. 212
  13. ^ Thomas (1999), p. 238
  14. ^ B92: Operation Storm marked in Croatia, 5 August 2006
  15. ^ a b Lovelace, David (21 December 2009). "Letter: Patriarch Pavle obituary". The Guardian.
  16. ^ Djukić (2001), pp. 116, 258
  17. ^ Perica (2004), p. 173
  18. ^ Ramet & Pavlaković 2007, p. 259.
  19. ^ "Generic Application Error Test JSP (Item)". Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  20. Montreal Gazette: Known as 'saint who walks' - Orthodox leader Restored Serb church's prominent role
  21. ^ Srpski Sabor "Dveri": Interview with Patriarch Pavle Archived March 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, 9 Dec 2007 (in Serbian)
  22. ^ "His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Serbia visits the Russian Orthodox Church". Archived from the original on 23 February 2016.
  23. ^ "Amfilohije: I am merely patriarch's assistant". b92. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  24. ^ B92: SPC relieves Patriarch of duties Archived 2008-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, 17 May 2008
  25. ^ "Patriarch's resignation "no done deal"". b92. 27 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  26. ^ "Pavle remains Serbian patriarch". b92. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  27. ^ "Serb Patriarch Pavle dies at the age of 95". Kathimerini. IHT edition. Associated Press. 16 November 2009. p. 2. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
  28. ^ B92: Serbia observes first day of mourning Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine, 16 November 2009
  29. ^ B92: Patriarch Pavle to be laid to rest on Thursday Archived 2009-11-21 at the Wayback Machine, 15 November 2009
  30. ^ B92: Ko sve dolazi na sahranu patrijarha (Who comes to the funeral of the patriarch), 17 Nov 2009 (in Serbian)
  31. ^ Serbia announced three days of mourning over Patriarch Pavle death Archived February 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ Government of Republika Srpska official site: Влада прогласила дан жалости због смрти патријарха српског Павла (The government declared a day of mourning for the death of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle), 16 Nov 2009 (in Serbian)
  33. ^ Градоначелник Брчко дистрикта БиХ донио је одлуку о проглашењу Дана жалости у Брчко дистрикту БиХ у четвртак, 19. новембра поводом смрти поглавара Српске православне цркве, патријарха српског, господина Павла. Archived June 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ Studio B: Četvrtak dan žalosti u Beogradu (Thursday a day of mourning in Belgrade) Archived 2009-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, 17 Nov 2009
  35. ^ Manila Bulletin: Serbian Orthodox Church patriarch Pavle dies, November 16, 2009
  36. ^ Russian Orthodox Church official site: Предстоятель Русской Церкви выразил соболезнования в связи с кончиной Святейшего Патриарха Сербского Павла (The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed his condolences over the demise of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle), 16 Nov 2010 (in Russian)
  37. ^ B92: Ruska crkva: Veliki gubitak (Russian Church: Great Loss), 15 Nov 2009 (in Serbian)
  38. ^ Regions.ru: ПАНИХИДУ ПО ПАТРИАРХУ ПАВЛУ ОТСЛУЖИТ ПАТРИАРХ ВАРФОЛОМЕЙ (Requiem for Patriarch Pavle served by Bartholomew), 16 Nov 2009 (in Russian)
  39. ^ Romanian Orthodox Church official site: His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel Expresses His Condolences to the Serbian Orthodox Church Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, 26 Nov 2009
  40. ^ Press: Papa Benedikt XVI izrazio saučešće zbog smrti patrijarha (Pope Benedict XVI expressed his condolences for the death of Patriarch), 18 Nov 2009 (in Serbian)
  41. ^ RTS:Други дан жалости у Србији (The second day of mourning in Serbia), 17 Nov 2009 (in Serbian)
  42. ^ President of Russia official site: Президент выразил соболезнования в связи с кончиной Святейшего Патриарха Сербского Павла (The President expressed his condolences over the passing away of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle), 16 Nov 2009 (in Russian)
    President of Belarus official site: Александр Лукашенко выразил соболезнования Президенту Сербии Борису Тадичу (Alexander Lukashenko expressed condolences to President of Serbia Boris Tadic) Archived 2011-06-14 at the Wayback Machine, 16 Nov 2009 (in Belarusian)
    Президент України висловив співчуття у зв'язку зі смертю Патріарха Сербії Павла Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
    "Zeleno svetlo" Angele Merkel
    Les condoléances de Sarkozy à Tadic à l’occasion de la mort du patriarche Pavle
  43. ^ Saučešća povodom smrti patrijarha
  44. ^ Religious leaders react to patriarch's passing Archived 2009-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ "Awards of the Unity of Orthodox Nations International Foundation". Archived from the original on 23 February 2016.
  46. ^ "Serbian Orthodox Church".

References

Books
News articles

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patriarch Pavle.
Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by
Serbian Patriarch

1990–2009 		Succeeded by
Irinej
Preceded by
Vladimir (Rajić)
 Bishop of Raška and Prizren
1957–1990 		Succeeded by
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