Pavle, Patriarch of Serbia

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Paul Павле
His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Patriarch of Serbs
Church	Serbian Orthodox Church
See	Belgrade
Enthroned	December 1, 1990
Ended	Incumbent
Predecessor	German
Born	September 11, 1914 Kućanci, Austria-Hungary

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Patriarch Pavle (b. 11 September 1914) is the spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church.^[1] His full title is His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch Pavle. He was born Gojko Stojčević (Serbian Cyrillic: Гојко Стојчевић) on 11 September 1914, in the village of Kućanci, near Donji Miholjac (then in Austria-Hungary, today in Croatia) and educated at a Belgrade high school, a seminary in Sarajevo and the Serbian Orthodox Theological College in Belgrade. He is currently in a clinic due to poor health, 93 years old, his duties carried out by Metropolitan Amfilohije.

[edit] As a religious leader

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He was tonsured a monastic in 1948 and that same year he was ordained a hierodeacon. In 1954, he was ordained a hieromonk and elected to the rank of protosingelos. He was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in 1957 by Bishop Emilian of Slavonia. On 29 May 1957, the Holy Assembly of Bishops elected Archimandrite Pavle as Bishop of Raška-Prizren.

He has written and warned of the present exodus of Serbs from Kosovo, the attacks of the Albanians on Serbian monasteries, the rape of nuns, terrorizing of pedestrians, the desecration of Serbian cemeteries and overall suffering of the Orthodox in Kosovo. In 1989, the then-bishop Pavle was beaten by several Albanian youths in Kosovo. The extent of his injuries required nearly three months of hospitalization. However, in the spirit of Christian forgiveness, he refused to press charges.^{[citation needed]}

Pavle has been referred to by some as the "saint who walks" based on his simple lifestyle and personal humility. All of the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church have an automobile, which they use to travel through their dioceses, except Pavle. When asked why he never obtained an automobile, he replies: "I will not purchase one until every Albanian and Serbian household in Kosovo and Metohija has an automobile."

In his tenure as the patriarch he has healed the schism with the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, now known as the New Gračanica Metropolitanate, and he has made efforts to heal the current schism in Macedonia with the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which is considered uncanonical by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Eastern Orthodox churches.

Currently Patriarch Pavle is the oldest Patriarch among all Patriarchs.

He is very fond of the words of the Apostle Paul (after whom he was named Pavle), whom he often quotes and expresses admiration for.

On April 27th 2007 Holy Synod announced that it has named Metropolitan of Zagreb, Ljubljana and All Italy Jovan as the Guardian of the throne (taking over the Patriarch's duties temporarily) while patriarch Pavle is on rehabilitation in Sveti Sava hospital. He was discharged from hospital at May, 1st and returned to his duties at May, 14th.

Patriarch's health increasingly worsened as he lost the strength to walk, bound to a wheelchair. On 13 November 2007 Paul was institutionalized in a medical clinic and Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radović as the oldest Bishop, was elected by the Holy Synod to conduct the duties of the Patriarch. On 20 November 2007 it was announced that his present condition is difficult and his life is at threat. Currently his health is much better and he will be able to return to his duties. [1] On 17 May 2008 the Holy Synod took over all Patriarch Pavle’s duties owing to his inability to carry out his functions following a long illness.[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Serbian Orthodox Church.com