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
editSerbian 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.
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
edit- Order of Saint Sava
- Order of the Holy King Milutin – Awarded for patronage and charity.
- Order of Saint Peter of Cetinje – Awarded for missionary work, peacemaking, evangelization and personal feat.
- Order of the Holy Stefan Lazarević – Awarded for science, culture, literature, translation and humanities.
- Order of the Holy Empress Milica (Reverend Nun Evgenija) – It is awarded for acts of philanthropy.
- 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.
- Order of the Holy Emperor Constantine – Awarded for contribution to freedom of religion and human rights.
- Order of Saint John Vladimir[1]
Diocesan decorations
editArchbishopric of Montenegro and the Littoral
edit- Golden figure of St. Peter the Second Lovćenski Tajnovidac (unbearable recognition)
Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia
edit- Order of Saint Peter
Metropolitanate of Zagreb-Ljubliana
editDiocese of Banat
edit- Order of Saint Teodr of Vršac
Diocese of Budva-Nikšić
edit- Jubilee Monument (Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery) - with the image of The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr and Trophy-bearer George
Eparchy of Valjevo
edit- Order of Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Diocese of Valjevo)
Diocese of Vranje
edit- Order of the Venerable Prohor Pčinjski
Diocese of Upper Karlovac
edit- Order of the Holy Martyrs of Karlovac
Diocese of Dalmatia
edit- Order of Dr. Nikodim Milas
Diocese of Žiča
edit- Order of Saint Simeon the Monk - established by Bishop of Žička by Stefan the First-Crowned
Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla
edit- Order of the Holy King Dragutin – Venerable Theoctist
Eparchy of Mileševo
edit- Order of the White Angel
Diocese of Nis
edit- Order of Saint Constantine
- Order of Saint Roman
Diocese of Osijek-Polje and Baranja
edit- Order of the Holy Prince Stefan Štiljanović
Diocese of Raška and Prizren
edit- Order of the Holy Prince Lazar
- Mother Jugović Medal
Diocese of Srem
edit- Order of Prince Daniel the First
- Order of Saint Arsenije Sremec
- Order of Saint Maxim Branković
Diocese of Šabac
edit- Order of Saint Nicholas of Serbia
Diocese of Šumadija
edit- Order of Crusader Karađorđe
Orthodox Theological Faculty of St. Vasilije Ostroški in Foča
edit- Medal of Saint Vasilije Ostroški
Former decorations
editOrder 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
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ Acović, Dragomir (26 January 2018). "Six centuries of decorations among Serbs: Current time". Politikin Zabavnik. 3342: 29.