Belgrade, May 31, 2021
Photo: mitropolija.com
Meeting under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije in Belgrade last week, the Bishops’ Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected a successor to the beloved Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro, who reposed in the Lord in October.
The new head of the Montenegrin Metropolis is His Grace Bishop Joanikije of Budimlja and Nikšić, who has been the locum tenens since Met. Amfilohije’s repose, the Metropolis reports.
Bp. Joanikije, together with Met. Amfilohije and other clergy of the Church in Montenegro, was persecuted by authorities during last year’s struggle against the government’s anti-Orthodox law.
His Grace was detained on May 12 for 3 days along with the priests of his diocese following the procession in honor of St. Basil of Ostrog, who is especially revered by the Serbian Orthodox faithful. The arrest sparked a wave of protests throughout the country, with believers taking to the streets to express their disagreement with the arbitrariness of the authorities.
Upon his release, Bp. Joanikije was festively greeted by hundreds of believers in the city of Berane.
Conversely, the new Montenegrin government, which came into power in December, honored Bp. Joanikije for his brave defense of Serbian Orthodox holy sites.
At its sessions last week, the Bishops’ Council also elected His Grace Bishop Metodije of Diokleia, vicar of the Metropolis and abbot of Cetinje Monastery, to replace Bp. Joanikije in the See of Budimlja and Nikšić.
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The elected Metropolitan Joanikije was born on April 20, 1959, in the Montenegrin village of Velimlje. He studied philosophy at the University of Belgrade, and in 1990, he graduated from the Faculty of Theology at the same university.
He was tonsured a monk at the Celija Piperska Monastery on October 30, 1990. He was ordained as a hierodeacon on February 7 the next year, and as a hieromonk on February 17. He was then appointed abbot of Savina Monastery in the city of Herceg Novi.
On September 1, 1992, he became the abbot of the famous Cetinje Monastery and chief educator of the newly-formed St. Peter of Cetinje Seminary.
On May 14, 1999, he was elected as vicar bishop of Budimlja, vicar of the Montenegrin Diocese, and confirmed as rector of the Cetinje Seminary. He was consecrated on June 3 by His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, His Eminence Met. Amfilohije, and 12 other bishops of the Serbian Church.
In May 2002, he was elected ruling bishop of the newly-created diocese of Budimlja and Nikšić.
He initiated the restoration and construction of more than 60 churches and monasteries in the diocese, introducing a cenobitic typikon in the monasteries.
Bp. Joanikije is also known for his published studies and articles in the fields of theology, Serbian Church history, and Serbian Church literature.
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