Orders, decorations, and medals of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Orders, decorations, and medals of Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian: Одликовања Српске православне цркве) represents a system of decorations awarded by Holy Synod of Bishops of Serbian Orthodox Church as a general church or dioceses as their own decorations. In the Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church (Article 55, item 10) from 1957 provides that church decorations and decorations are awarded by Serbian Patriarch, according to the decree prescribed by Holy Synod of Bishops. Proposals for the decoration of clergy are given by diocesan archbishops (archbishop, metropolitans, bishops), and the decision is made by Holy Synod of Bishops. Also, it is envisaged that Archbishops may decorate persons themselves, with those decorations whose award is within their competence, i.e. with diocesan decorations Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Article 108, item 12).

History

Serbian Orthodox Church did not award special decorations before 1945. With the coming to power of the communism in Yugoslavia, that is, the fall of the monarchy and the introduction of complete separation of state and church, there was a need for the introduction of special church recognitions in the form of decorations.

The first decoration Serbian Orthodox Church appeared in 1946, on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the rise of the Serbian church from the archbishopric to the patriarchate, or the enthronement of the first Serbian Patriarch Joanikije. The "Order of the Holy Patriarch Ioannicius" was awarded only to dioceses in North America.

The Bishop of Raška and Prizren Artemije Radosavljević established the first modern church decoration in the country, and that was the Medal of Mother Jugović, which was awarded to mothers with several children.

 

Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije decorates Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, with the Order of Saint Sava (October 20, 2013)

Since 1985 Holy Synod of Bishops Serbian Orthodox Church awards Order of Saint Sava, which was originally established as a state decoration, by decree king Milan Obrenović from 23 January 1883 and was awarded until 1945 when he continued to award it to the elder royal family Karađorđević as a dynastic decoration, so that today there are two orders of St. Sava: church and royal.

General church decorations by importance

1. Order of Saint Sava
2. Order of the Holy King Milutin – Awarded for patronage and charity.
3. Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje – Awarded for missionary work, peacemaking, evangelization and personal feat.
4. Order of the Holy Stefan Lazarević – Awarded for science, culture, literature, translation and humanities.
5. Order of the Holy Empress Milica (Reverend Nun Evgenija) – It is awarded for acts of philanthropy.
6. Order of Saint Simeon the Myrrh-flowing – It is awarded to improve the relationship between church and state. It was once awarded by the Bishop of Šumadija, but it became a general church order.
7. Order of the Holy Emperor Constantine – Awarded for contribution to freedom of religion and human rights.
8. Order of Saint John Vladimir^[1]

Diocesan decorations

Archbishopric of Montenegro and the Littoral

1. Golden figure of St. Peter the Second Lovćenski Tajnovidac (unbearable recognition)

Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia

1. Order of Saint Peter

Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubliana

1. Order of Cantacuzino Katarina Branković

Diocese of Banat

1. Order of Saint Teodr of Vršac

Diocese of Budva-Nikšić

1. Jubilee Monument (Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery) - with the image of The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer George

Eparchy of Valjevo

1. Order of Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Diocese of Valjevo)

Diocese of Vranje

1. Order of the Venerable Prohor Pčinjski

Diocese of Upper Karlovac

1. Order of the Holy Martyrs of Karlovac

Diocese of Dalmatia

1. Order of Dr. Nikodim Milas

Diocese of Žiča

1. Order of Saint Simeon the Monk - established by Bishop of Žička by Stefan the First-Crowned

Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla

1. Order of the Holy King Dragutin – Venerable Theoctist

Eparchy of Mileševo

1. Order of the White Angel

Diocese of Nis

1. Order of Saint Constantine
2. Order of Saint Roman

Diocese of Osijek-Polje and Baranja

1. Order of the Holy Prince Stefan Štiljanović

Diocese of Raška and Prizren

1. Order of the Holy Prince Lazar
2. Mother Jugović Medal

Diocese of Srem

1. Order of Prince Daniel the First
2. Order of Saint Arsenije Sremec
3. Order of Saint Maxim Branković

Diocese of Šabac

1. Order of Saint Nicholas of Serbia

Diocese of Šumadija

1. Order of Crusader Karađorđe

Orthodox Theological Faculty of St. Vasilije Ostroški in Foča

1. Medal of Saint Vasilije Ostroški

Former decorations

Order of Saint Simeon the Myrrh-flowing was once awarded by Bishop of Šumadija, but it has been translated into general church decorations.

Until the separation of Diocese of Šabac and Valjevo, the Diocese of Šabac and Valjevo awarded the Order of St. Nicholas of Serbia. After the separation of the two dioceses, both continued to award this order, with the same name but a different stylistic solution.^[2]

References

1. "The newly established Order of St. Jovan Vladimir is the work of archpriest-staurophore Dragan Mitrovic and archdeacon Vladimir Jaramaz". Mitropolija zagrebačko-ljubljanska. 29 September 2016.
2. Acović, Dragomir (26 January 2018). "Six centuries of decorations among Serbs: Current time". Politikin Zabavnik. 3342: 29.