In 395, the Empire was divided, and its eastern half later became theEastern (Byzantine) Empire. In 535, emperorJustinian I created theArchbishopric of Justiniana Prima, centered in the emperor's birth-city ofJustiniana Prima, near modernLebane in Serbia. The archbishopric had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over all provinces of theDiocese of Dacia.[12] By the beginning of the 7th century, Byzantine provincial and ecclesiastical order in the region was destroyed by invadingAvars andSlavs. The church life was renewed in the same century in the province ofIllyricum andDalmatia after a more pronounced Christianization of the Serbs and other Slavs by theRoman Church.[13] In the 7th and mid-8th century the area was not under jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.[14]
The history of the early medievalSerbian Principality is recorded in the workDe Administrando Imperio (DAI), compiled by the Byzantine EmperorConstantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r. 913–959). The DAI drew information on the Serbs from, among others, a Serbian source.[15] The Serbs were said to have received the protection of EmperorHeraclius (r. 610–641), and Porphyrogenitus stressed that the Serbs had always been under Imperial rule. According to DAI, the Serbs at first received their baptism fromRome.[16] His account on the first Christianization of the Serbs can be dated to 632–638; this might have been Porphyrogenitus' construction, or may have encompassed a limited group of chiefs, with lesser reception by the wider layers of the tribe.[17] From the 7th until mid-9th century, the Serbs were under influence of the Roman Church.[18] The initial ecclesiastical affiliation with a specific diocese is uncertain, probably was not an Adriatic centre.[19] Early medieval Serbs are accounted as Christian by 870s,[20] but it was a process that ended in the late 9th century during the time ofBasil I,[21] and medieval necropolises until the 13th century in the territory of modern Serbia show an "incomplete process of Christianization" as local Christianity depended on the social structure (urban and rural).[22]
The expansion of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople over thePraetorian prefecture of Illyricum is considered to have begun in 731 by EmperorLeo III when he annexedSicily andCalabria,[23][24] but whether the Patriarchate also expanded into the eastern parts of Illyricum and Dalmatia is uncertain and a matter of scholarly debate.[25] The expansion most definitely happened since the mid-9th century,[14] when the Byzantines emperors and patriarch demanded that the Church administrative borders follow political borders.[18] In the same century, the region was also politically contested between theCarolingian Empire and Byzantine Empire.[26] The most influential and successful was emperor Basil I, who actively worked on gaining control over all of Illyricum.[27] Basil I likely sent at least one embassy toMutimir of Serbia,[28] who decided to maintain the communion of Church in Serbia with the Patriarchate of Constantinople whenPope John VIII invited him to return to the jurisdiction of the bishopric ofSirmium (see alsoArchbishopric of Moravia) in a letter dated to May 873.[29]
Seal of Serbian princeStrojimir from the late 9th century,[30] one of the oldest artifacts on the Christianization of Serbs.
Alexis P. Vlasto argued that theEparchy of Ras was founded during Mutimir's rule, as a bishopric of Serbia, atRas with thechurch of Saint Apostles Peter and Paul,[31] as part of the general plan of establishing bishoprics in the Slav lands of the Empire, confirmed by theCouncil of Constantinople in 879–880,[31] most significantly related to the creation of the autonomous Archbishopric for Bulgaria of which Roman Church lost jurisdiction.[32][33] However, according to Predrag Komatina, there is no mention of any bishopric in Serbia. In early medieval Europe, the existence of a Christian church without a bishop in a specific land was not uncommon, and being placed under the Pannonian Bishop implies that there was no local Serbian bishop at the time.[34]Tibor Živković concluded, based on primary sources of the Church of Constantinople, that there was no information regarding the establishment of any new ecclesiastical center and organization in Serbia, that the Serbian ecclesiastical center and capital was atDestinikon, while Ras in the mid-9th century was only a border fort which became the ecclesiastical center of the bishopric by 1019-1020.[35] The imperial charter ofBasil II from 1020 to theArchbishopric of Ohrid, in which the rights and jurisdictions were established, has the earliest mention of the Bishopric of Ras, stating it belonged to theBulgarian autocephalous church during the time ofPeter I (927–969) andSamuel of Bulgaria (977–1014).[36][37] It was of a small size.[38] It is considered that it was possibly founded by the Bulgarian emperor,[39][40] but most probably it represented the latest date in which it could have been integrated into the Bulgarian Church.[41] The Ras bishopric was probably part of the Bulgarianmetropolis of Morava, but certainly not ofDyrrhachium.[42] If it was in Serbian territory, it seems that the Church in Serbia or part of the territory of Serbia became linked and influenced by the Bulgarian Church between 870 and 924.[43]
With Christianization in the 9th century, Christian names appear among the members of Serbian dynasties (Petar, Stefan, Pavle, Zaharije).[44] PrincePetar Gojniković (r. 892–917) was evidently a Christian ruler,[44] and Christianity presumably was spreading in his time.[45] Since Serbia bordered Bulgaria, Christian influences and perhaps missionaries came from there, increasing during the twenty-year peace.[46] The Bulgarian annexation of Serbia in 924 was important for the future direction of the Serbian church. By then, at the latest, Serbia must have received the Cyrillic alphabet and Slavic religious text, already familiar but perhaps not yet preferred to Greek.[31]
Serbian princeRastko Nemanjić, the son ofStefan Nemanja, took monastic vows atMount Athos asSava (Sabbas) in 1192.[51][52] Three years later, his father joined him, taking monastic vows asSimeon. Father and son asked the Holy Community to found a Serbian religious centre at the abandoned site ofHilandar, which they renovated. This marked the beginning of a renaissance (inarts,literature andreligion). Sava's father died at Hilandar in 1199 and was canonized as St. Simeon.[52] Saint Sava stayed for some years, rising in rank, then returned to Serbia in 1207, taking with him the remains of his father, which he interred at theStudenica monastery, after reconciling his two quarrelling brothersStefan Nemanjić andVukan.[53] Stefan asked him to remain in Serbia with his clerics, which he did, providing widespread pastoral care and education to the people. Saint Sava founded several churches and monasteries, among them theŽiča monastery. In 1217, Stefan was proclaimedKing of Serbia, and various questions of the church reorganization were opened.[54]
Saint Sava returned to the Holy Mountain in 1217/18, preparing for the formation of anautocephalous Serbian Church. He was consecrated in 1219 as the firstArchbishop of the Serbian Church, and was givenautocephaly byPatriarch Manuel I of Constantinople, then in exile atNicaea.[55][56] In the same year, Saint Sava publishedZakonopravilo (St. Sava's Nomocanon). Thus the Serbs acquired both forms of independence: political and religious.[57] After this, in Serbia, Sava stayed in Studenica and continued to educate the Serbian people in their faith. Later he called for a council outlawing theBogomils, whom he considered heretics. Sava appointed several bishops, sending them around Serbia to organize their dioceses.[58] To maintain his standing as the religious and social leader, he continued to travel among the monasteries and lands to educate the people. In 1221 a synod was held in the Žiča monastery, condemningBogomilism.[59]
The following seats were newly created in the time of Saint Sava:
In 1229/1233, Saint Sava went on a pilgrimage toPalestine and inJerusalem he met with Patriarch Athanasios II. Saint Sava sawBethlehem whereJesus was born, theJordan River whereChrist was baptized, and the Great Lavra of SaintSabbas the Sanctified (Mar Saba monastery). Sava asked Athanasios II, his host, and the Great Lavra fraternity, led byhegoumenos Nicolas, if he could purchase two monasteries in theHoly Land. His request was accepted and he was offered the monasteries of Saint John the Theologian onMount Sion and St. George's Monastery atAkona, both to be inhabited by Serbian monks. The iconTrojerucica (Three-handed Theotokos), a gift to the Great Lavra fromSt. John Damascene, was given to Saint Sava and he, in turn, bequeathed it toHilandar.
Saint Sava died inVeliko Tarnovo, capital of theSecond Bulgarian Empire, during the reign ofIvan Asen II of Bulgaria. According to hisBiography, he fell ill following theDivine Liturgy on theFeast of the Epiphany, 12 January 1235. Saint Sava was visiting Veliko Tarnovo on his way back from theHoly Land, where he had founded ahospice for Syrian pilgrims inJerusalem and arranged for Serbian monks to be welcomed in the established monasteries there. He died ofpneumonia in the night between Saturday and Sunday, 14 January 1235, and was buried at theCathedral of the Holy Forty Martyrs in Veliko Tarnovo where his body remained until 6 May 1237, when his sacred bones were moved to the monasteryMileševa in southern Serbia.
In 1253 the see was transferred to theMonastery of Peć by archbishop Arsenije.[60] The Serbian primates had since moved between the two.[61] Sometime between 1276 and 1292 theCumans burned the Žiča monastery, and KingStefan Milutin (1282–1321) renovated it in 1292–1309, during the office ofJevstatije II.[62] In 1289–1290, the chief treasures of the ruined monastery, including the remains ofSaint Jevstatije I, were transferred to Monastery of Peć.[63] During the rule of the same king, theMonastery of Gračanica was also renewed,[64] and during the reign of KingStefan Uroš III (1321–1331), theMonastery of Dečani was built,[65] under the supervision of ArchbishopDanilo II.[66]
The status of the Serbian Orthodox Church grew along with the expansion and heightened prestige of theSerbian kingdom. After KingStefan Dušan assumed the imperial title oftsar, the Serbian Archbishopric was correspondingly raised to the rank ofPatriarchate in 1346. In the century that followed, the Serbian Church achieved its greatest power and prestige. In the 14th century Serbian Orthodox clergy had the title ofprotos atMount Athos.
On 16 April 1346 (Easter), Stefan Dušan convoked a grand assembly atSkopje, attended by the Serbian ArchbishopJoanikije II, ArchbishopNicholas I of Ohrid, PatriarchSimeon of Bulgaria and various religious leaders of Mount Athos. The assembly and clergy agreed on, and then ceremonially performed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the status of Patriarchate. The Archbishop was from now on titledSerbian Patriarch, although some documents called himPatriarch of Serbs and Greeks, with the seat atPatriarchal Monastery of Peć. The new Patriarch Joanikije II now solemnly crowned Stefan Dušan as "Emperor andautocrat ofSerbs andRomans" (seeEmperor of Serbs). The Patriarchal status resulted in raising bishoprics to metropolitanates, as for example theMetropolitanate of Skopje. The Patriarchate took over sovereignty on Athos and the Greek archbishoprics under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (the Archbishopric of Ohrid remained autocephalous), which resulted in Dušan's excommunication by PatriarchCallistus I of Constantinople in 1350.[67]
In 1375, an agreement between the Serbian Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Constantinople was reached.[68] TheBattle of Kosovo (1389) and its aftermath had a lasting influence on medieval legacy and later traditions of the Serbian Orthodox Church.[69] In 1455, when Ottoman Turks conquered the Patriarchal seat in Peć, Patriarch Arsenije II found temporary refuge inSmederevo, the capital city ofSerbian Despotate.[70]
Among cultural, artistic and literary legacies created under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church during the medieval period werehagiographies, known in Serbian asžitije (vita), that were written as biographies of rulers, archbishops and saints from the 12th up to the 15th century.[71][72][73]
TheOttoman Empire conquered theSerbian Despotate in 1459, theBosnian Kingdom in 1463,Herzegovina in 1482 andZeta in 1496. All of the conquered lands were divided intosanjaks. Although some Serbs converted toIslam, most continued their adherence to the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church itself continued to exist throughout the Ottoman period, though not without some disruption. After the death of Serbian PatriarchArsenije II in 1463, a successor was not elected. The Patriarchate was thusde facto abolished, and the Serbian Church passed under the jurisdiction ofArchbishopric of Ohrid and ultimately theEcumenical Patriarchate which exercised jurisdiction over all Orthodox of the Ottoman Empire under themillet system.
After several failed attempts, made from c. 1530 up to 1541 by metropolitanPavle of Smederevo to regain theautocephaly by seizing the throne of Peć and proclaiming himself not only Archbishop of Peć, but also Serbian Patriarch, the Serbian Patriarchate was finally restored in 1557 under theSultanSuleiman I, thanks to the mediation ofpashaMehmed Sokolović who was Serbian by birth. His cousin, one of the Serbian Orthodox bishopsMakarije Sokolović was elected Patriarch in Peć. The restoration of the Patriarchate was of great importance for the Serbs because it helped the spiritual unification of all Serbs in the Ottoman Empire. The Patriarchate of Peć also included some dioceses in western Bulgaria.[74]
In the time of Serbian PatriarchJovan Kantul (1592–1614), the Ottoman Turks took the remains of Saint Sava from monasteryMileševa to theVračar hill inBelgrade where they were burned bySinan Pasha on a stake to intimidate the Serb people in case of revolts (seeBanat Uprising) (1594). TheTemple of Saint Sava was built on the place where his remains were burned.[75]
After consequent Serbian uprisings against Ottoman rule in which Serbian clergy had a leading role, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate once again in 1766.[7] The Serb-inhabited territories came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
During this period, Christians across the Balkans were under pressure to convert to Islam to avoid severe taxes imposed by the Turks in retaliation for uprisings and continued resistance. The success of Islamization was limited to certain areas, with the majority of the Serb population keeping its Christian faith despite the negative consequences. To avoid them, numerous Serbs migrated with their hierarchs to theHabsburg monarchy where their autonomy had been granted. In 1708, an autonomous Serbian OrthodoxMetropolitanate of Karlovci was created, which would later become apatriarchate (1848–1920).[76]
During the reign ofMaria Theresa (1740-1780), several assemblies of Orthodox Serbs were held, sending their petitions to the Habsburg court. In response to that, several royal acts were issued, such asRegulamentum privilegiorum (1770) andRegulamentum Illyricae Nationis (1777), both of them replaced by the royalDeclaratory Rescript of 1779, that regulated various important questions, from the procedure regarding the elections of Serbian Orthodox bishops in the Habsburg Monarchy, to the management of dioceses, parishes and monasteries. The act was upheld in force until it was replaced by the "Royal Rescript" issued on 10 August 1868.[77]
The church's close association with Serbian resistance to Ottoman rule led to Eastern Orthodoxy becoming inextricably linked with Serbian national identity and the new Serbian monarchy that emerged from 1815 onwards. The Church in thePrincipality of Serbia gained itsautonomy in 1831 and was organized as theMetropolitanate of Belgrade, remaining under theecclesiastical jurisdiction of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.[9] Serbia gained full political (de jure) independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, and soon after those negotiations were initiated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, resulting in canonical recognition of full ecclesiastical independence (autocephaly) for the Metropolitanate of Belgrade in 1879.[78]
At the same time, Serbian Orthodox eparchies inBosnia and Herzegovina remained under the supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but after theAustro-Hungarian occupation (1878) of those provinces, local eparchies gained internal autonomy, regulated by the Convention of 1880, signed by representatives of Austro-Hungarian authorities and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.[79][80]
After the liberation and political unification achieved through creation of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918), all Orthodox Serbs were united under one ecclesiastical authority, and all Orthodox ecclesiastical provinces and eparchies were united into the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1920.[10] The first primate of the united SOC wasSerbian Patriarch Dimitrije (1920–1930). The SOC gained great political and social influence in the inter-warKingdom of Yugoslavia, during which time it successfully campaigned against the Yugoslav government's intentions of signing aconcordat with theHoly See.
The Serbian Orthodox Church kept under its jurisdiction theEparchy of Buda in Hungary. In 1921, the Serbian Orthodox Church created a new eparchy for theCzech lands, headed by bishopGorazd Pavlik. At the same time, the Serbian Church among the diaspora was reorganized, and theeparchy (diocese) for the United States and Canada was created.[83] In 1931 another diocese was created, called theEparchy of Mukačevo and Prešov, for the Eastern Orthodox Christians inSlovakia andCarpathian Ruthenia.
During theSecond World War the Serbian Orthodox Church suffered severely from persecutions by the occupying powers and the rabidlyanti-SerbianUstaše regime ofIndependent State of Croatia (NDH), which sought to create a "Croatian Orthodox Church" which Orthodox Serbs were forced to join. Many Serbs were killed, expelled or forced to convert to Catholicism during theSerbian Genocide; bishops and priests were singled out for persecution, and many churches were damaged or destroyed.[84] Out of the 577 Serbian Orthodox priests, monks and other religious dignitaries in the NDH, between 214 and 217 were killed and 334 were exiled toGerman-occupied Serbia.[85] Some of them were brutally tortured and mutilated by the Ustaše prior to being killed.[86] In the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 71 Orthodox priests were killed by the Ustaše, 10 by thePartisans, 5 by the Germans, and 45 died in the first decade after the end of WWII.[87]
After the war, the church was suppressed by thecommunist government ofJosip Broz Tito, which viewed it with suspicion due to the church's links with the leadership from the period of Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the nationalistChetnik movement. According toDenis Bećirović, aside from theLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia's ideological differences with the Church, this negative attitude was also influenced by the fact that some priests during the war supported theChetnik movement which are mentioned in Documents of the Commission for Religious Affairs where is stated that among other things, that the majority of priests during the war supported and cooperated with the movement ofDraža Mihailović, and that the church spread "hostile propaganda" against theYugoslav Partisans and appointed persons in the administration of church institutions who were convicted of collaborating with the occupier.[87] Along with other ecclesiastical institutions of all denominations, the church was subject to strict controls by the Yugoslav state, which prohibited the teaching of religion in schools, confiscated church property and discouraged religious activity among the population.[88]
In 1963, the Serbian Church among the diaspora was reorganized, and the eparchy for the United States and Canada was divided into three separate eparchies. At the same time, some internal divisions sparked in the Serbian diaspora, leading to the creation of the separate "Free Serbian Orthodox Church" underBishop Dionisije. Division was healed in 1991, and Metropolitanate of New Gračanica was created, within the united Serbian Orthodox Church.[89] In 1983, a fourth eparchy in North America was created specifically for Canadian churches: theSerbian Orthodox Diocese of Canada.[90]
The gradual demise of Yugoslav communism and the rise of rival nationalist movements during the 1980s also led to a marked religious revival throughout Yugoslavia, not least in Serbia. TheSerbian Patriarch Pavle supported the opposition toSlobodan Milošević in the 1990s.
Since the establishment of the Yugoslav federal unit of "Macedonia" (1944), communist authorities restricted the activities of SOC in that region, favoring the creation of a separate church.[91] TheMacedonian Orthodox Church was created in 1967, effectively as an offshoot of the Serbian Orthodox Church in what was then theSocialist Republic of Macedonia, as part of the Yugoslav drive to build up aMacedonian national identity. This was strongly resisted by the Serbian Church, which did not recognize the independence of its Macedonian counterpart.[92]
Similar plans for the creation of an independent church in the Yugoslav federal unit ofMontenegro were also considered, but those plans were not put into action before 1993, when the creation of theMontenegrin Orthodox Church was proclaimed. The organization was not legally registered before 2000, receiving no support from the Eastern Orthodox communion, and succeeding to attract only a minority of Eastern Orthodox adherents in Montenegro.[93][94]
TheChurch of Saint Sava is one of the largestOrthodox churches in the world, built at the site where the relics of Saint Sava were incinerated by the Ottomans.
Many churches inCroatia were damaged or destroyed during the war in Croatia (1991–95). The bishops and priests and most faithful of the eparchies ofZagreb, ofKarlovac, ofSlavonia and ofDalmatia became refugees. The latter three were almost completely abandoned after the exodus of the Serbs from Croatia in 1995 (Operation Storm). The eparchy of Dalmatia also had its see temporarily moved toKnin after the self-proclaimedproto-stateRepublic of Serbian Krajina was established. The eparchy of Slavonia had its see moved fromPakrac toDaruvar. AfterOperation Storm, theKrupa monastery was particularly damaged and theKrka monastery was looted.
The eparchies of Bihać and Petrovac, Dabar-Bosnia and Zvornik and Tuzla were also dislocated due to thewar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The eparchy see of Dabar-Bosnia was temporarily moved toSokolac, and the see of Zvornik-Tuzla toBijeljina. Over a hundred Church-owned objects in the Zvornik-Tuzla eparchy were destroyed or damaged during the war.[citation needed] Many monasteries and churches in the Zahumlje eparchy were also destroyed.[citation needed] Numerous faithful from these eparchies also became refugees.[citation needed]
By 1998, the situation had stabilized in both countries. The clergy and many of the faithful returned; most of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church was returned to normal use and damaged and destroyed properties were restored. The process of rebuilding several churches is still underway,[when?] notably the cathedral of theEparchy of Upper Karlovac inKarlovac.[citation needed]
Owing to theKosovo War, after 1999 numerous Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo left occupied only by clergy. Since the arrival ofNATO troops in June 1999, 156 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been damaged or destroyed.[98] In the aftermath of the 2004unrest in Kosovo, 35 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were burned or destroyed by Albanian mobs, and thousands of Serbs were forced to move from Kosovo due to the numerous attacks of Kosovo Albanians on Serbian churches and Serbs.[99]
The process of church reorganization among the diaspora and full reintegration of the Metropolitanate of New Gračanica was completed from 2009 to 2011. By that, full structural unity of Serbian church institutions in the diaspora was achieved.
Based on the official census results in countries that encompass the territorial canonical jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church (the Serb autochthonous region of Western Balkans), there are more than 8 million adherents of the church. Orthodoxy is the largest single religious faith inSerbia with 5,387,426 adherents (81% of the population) according to the 2022 census,[104] and inMontenegro with around 320,000 (51% of the population). It is the second-largest faith inBosnia and Herzegovina with 31.2% of the population, and inCroatia with 4.4% of the population. Figures for eparchies abroad (Western Europe, North America, and Australia) are unknown although some estimates can be reached based on the size of theSerb diaspora, which numbers over two million people.
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, thepatriarch, also serves as the head (metropolitan) of the Metropolitanate ofBelgrade and Karlovci. The current patriarch,Porfirije, was inaugurated on 19 February 2021. Serbian Orthodox patriarchs use the styleHis Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch.
The highest body of the Serbian Orthodox Church is theBishops' Council. It consists of the Patriarch, theMetropolitans,Bishops, andVicar Bishops. It meets annually – in spring. The Bishops' Council makes important decisions for the church and elects the patriarch.
The executive body of the Serbian Orthodox Church is theHoly Synod. It has five members: four bishops and the patriarch.[105]The Holy Synod takes care of the everyday operation of the church, holding meetings on regular basis.
Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbian autochthonous region ofWestern Balkans
Dioceses are further divided into episcopaldeaneries, each consisting of severalchurch congregations orparishes. Church congregations consist of one or more parishes. A parish is the smallest church unit – a communion of Orthodox faithful congregating at theHoly Eucharist with the parish priest at their head.
Liturgical traditions and practices of the Serbian Orthodox Church are based on theEastern Orthodox worship.[109] Services cannot properly be conducted by a single person but must have at least one other person present. Usually, all of the services are conducted on a daily basis only in monasteries and cathedrals, while parish churches might only do the services on the weekend and major feast days. TheDivine Liturgy is the celebration of the Eucharist. The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays during the preparatory season ofGreat Lent. Communion is consecrated on Sundays and distributed during the week at theLiturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Services, especially the Divine Liturgy, can only be performed once a day on any particular altar.[citation needed]
A key part of the Serbian Orthodox religion is theSlava, a celebration of the family patron saint, placed into the Serbian Orthodox canon by Archbishop Sava.
The Serbian Orthodox Church upholds traditional views on modern social issues,[110] such asseparation of church and state (imposed since the abolition of monarchy in 1945), andsocial equality.[111] Since all forms of priesthood are reserved only for men, the role of women in church administration is limited to specific activities, mainly in the fields of religious education and religious arts, including the participation in various forms of charity work.[112]
During the 17th-century, many of the Serbian Orthodox churches that were built inBelgrade took all the characteristics ofbaroque churches built in the Habsburg-occupied regions where Serbs lived. The churches usually had a bell tower, and a single nave building with the iconostasis inside the church covered withRenaissance-style paintings. These churches can be found in Belgrade and Vojvodina, which were occupied by theAustrian Empire from 1717 to 1739, and on the border with Austrian (laterAustria-Hungary) across the Sava and Danube rivers from 1804 when Serbian statehood was re-established.
Icons are replete with symbolism meant to convey far more meaning than simply the identity of the person depicted, and it is for this reason that Orthodox iconography has become an exacting science of copying older icons rather than an opportunity for artistic expression. The personal, idiosyncratic and creative traditions of Western Europeanreligious art are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the 17th century, whenRussian and Serbian icon painting was influenced by religious paintings and engravings from Europe.
Large icons can be found adorning the walls of churches and often cover the inside structure completely. Orthodox homes often likewise have icons hanging on the wall, usually together on an eastern facing wall, and in a central location where the family can pray together.
TheSerbian tricolour with aSerbian cross is used as the official flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as defined in the Article 4 of the SOC Constitution.[105]
A number of other unofficial variant flags, some with variations of the cross, coat of arms, or both, exist.[clarification needed]
^.Vukic, Neven. 2021. “The Church in a Communist State: Justin Popovic (1894–1979) and the Struggle for Orthodoxy in Serbia/Yugoslavia.”Journal of Church & State 63 (2): 278–99.
^Mihic, Svetlana; Andrejevic, Aleksandar; Supic, Dejan (2014). "Religious Tourism and Serbian Orthodox Church".Pilgrimage and Sacred Places in Southeast Europe: History, Religious Tourism and Contemporary Trends.14: 203–.
^Panić-Surep, Milorad (1965).Yugoslavia: Cultural Monuments of Serbia. Turistička štampa. p. 12.the Raška school.. began with the formation of the state at the end of the 12th century, lasted throughout the 13th century..
^McDonald, Gordon C. (1973).Area Handbook for Yugoslavia. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 191.Examples of Raska architecture may be found at Studenica, where the major work of Stephen Nemanja's reign was completed around 1191, and at Zica...
Prinzing, Günter (2012). "The autocephalous Byzantine ecclesiastical province of Bulgaria/Ohrid. How independent were its archbishops?".Bulgaria Mediaevalis.3:355–383.ISSN1314-2941.
Živković, Tibor; Bojanin, Stanoje; Petrović, Vladeta, eds. (2000).Selected Charters of Serbian Rulers (XII-XV Century): Relating to the Territory of Kosovo and Metohia. Athens: Center for Studies of Byzantine Civilisation.
^The ROCsevered full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2018, and later severed full communion with theprimates of the Church of Greece, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Church of Cyprus in 2020.
^abcdefghiAutocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.
^UOC-MP was moved to formally cut ties with the ROC as of May 27th 2022.
^Semi-autonomous part of theRussian Orthodox Church whose autonomy is not universally recognized.
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