Moscow and Patras, Greece, March 12, 2024
Bp. Hierotheos (left), Bp. Antonije (right)
Two hierarchs of the Orthodox Church reposed in the Lord yesterday, March 11.
His Grace Bishop Antonije of Moravica, 54, vicar of the Serbian Patriarch and head of the Serbian Orthodox representation in Russia reposed in Moscow, reports the Serbian Orthodox Church.
He represented the Serbian Church to the Russian Church from 2002 until his repose. He served as a hierarch since 2006.
His Grace Bishop Hierotheos of Efkarpia of the Patriarchate of Constantinople also reposed in the Lord yesterday, reports Romfea.
He served as abbot of the St. Irene Monastery in Astoria, New York, and the last 7 years of his life in the episcopal dignity. He had been undergoing cancer treatments in Patras, Greece, for the past several months.
His funeral will be served on Thursday, March 14, at Holy Trinity Church in Patras, followed by his burial in his native region of Aetolia-Acarnania.
May the memories of Bishops Antonije and Theophilos be eternal!
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Bp. Antonije’s biography from the site of the Serbian Orthodox Church:
Bishop Antonije was born on July 23, 1970, on the feast day of Saint Anthony of the Kiev Caves, in Valjevo, to father Radovan and mother Jelka (née Milićević). He completed elementary school in Pričević near Valjevo, after which he enrolled in the Theological Seminary of the Holy Three Hierarchs at the Krka Monastery, which he successfully completed in 1991. On September 23, 1989, whilst he was a seminarian, he was tonsured into the small schema at the Krka Monastery, by Bishop Stefan of Žiča, who also ordained him a hierodeacon on December 10, 1989, at the Žiča Monastery, and a hieromonk on January 5, 1991, also at the Žiča Monastery. Upon the recommendation of Bishop Stefan of Žiča and with the blessing of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Hieromonk Antonije enrolled in the Moscow Theological Academy at the Holy Trinity–Saint Sergius Lavra (Sergiyev Posad) in 1992. He graduated in the academic year 1995/96. He successfully defended his candidate dissertation (Department of History of Local Churches) on the topic “History of the Serbian Orthodox Church from 1945 to 1995.” As the best student in his generation, he obtained a scholarship of the Moscow Theological Academy. By the decision of the Academic Council of the Moscow Theological Academy, Hieromonk Antonije was awarded the academic title of Candidate of Theology of Moscow University on May 31, 1996.
Upon his return from Russia in 1996, he was elevated to the rank of syncellus and appointed as the dean and treasurer of the Studenica Monastery, from where he later transferred to the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia and was received as a brother at the Dobrun Monastery. Upon the recommendation of Metropolitan Nikolaj of Dabar-Bosnia, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church appointed Syncellus Antonije as a professor at the Theological Seminary of Saint Peter of Dabar-Bosnia in Foča in 2000. In the same year, he also taught at the Music Academy of the University of Eastern Sarajevo. At the same time, he served as the dean of the Cathedral Church in Sarajevo, where he was promoted to the rank of Protosyncellus on Christmas 2001. Upon the recommendation of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the Holy Synod of Bishops elected Protosyncellus Antonije in 2002 as the dean of the Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow. On the basis of the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops, Metropolitan Nikolaj elevated Protosyncellus Antonije to the rank of archimandrite on March 17, 2002, at the chapel of the Spiritual Academy of Saint Vasilije of Ostrog in Foča. At the recommendation of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at its regular meeting in 2006, elected Archimandrite Antonije as the Vicar Bishop of the Serbian Patriarch with the title Bishop of Moravica. The consecration took place on July 23, 2006, in the Cathedral Church of Saint Archangel Michael in Belgrade, by the Serbian Patriarch Pavle and with the concelebration of eighteen Bishops.
He obtained the degree of Magister of Theology at the Russian Orthodox Institute of Saint John the Theologian in Moscow by successfully defending his magisterial thesis on the topic “Divine Service Traditions in the Serbian Orthodox Church.” He successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled “Divine Services in the Churches of Pre-Chalcedonian Tradition” before the International Academic, Accreditation and Attestation Committee (IAAAC), obtaining the title of Doctor of Theology. Since 2003, Bishop Antonije taught at the Russian Orthodox Institute of Saint John the Theologian in Moscow, where he served as the administrator of the Department of Liturgical Theology until his appointment as dean in 2018. By the decision of the Academic Council of the Moscow Orthodox University of Saint John the Theologian in 2018, Bishop Antonije was appointed dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology of the Moscow Orthodox University in Moscow. He held this position until July 1, 2022. In 2019, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled “Relations Between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church During the Period Between 1944 and 1950, Based on Materials From the Archives of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church” at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Prešov (Slovakia). He was the holder of high ecclesiastical and state awards. He is the author of the following books and monographs: Lord, Visit This Vineyard; Orthodox Moscow (A Guide Through the Orthodox Holy Sites of the Russian Capital); Relations Between the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches Based on Documents From Russian Archives; The Saints of Serbia; In the Embrace of the City of the Mother of God, and Witness of History and Living Voice of Tradition. He translated the following books: Expanding the Boundaries of the Heart by Metropolitan Ambrose (Ermakov) of Tver and Kashin, What Orthodox Christians Believe by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Budapest and All Hungary, Let’s Ask About the Future of Humanity by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, and The Mystery of Wonderful Deeds by Metropolitan Ambrose of Tver and Kashin. He authored articles and papers published in the Russian edition of the Orthodox Encyclopedia, as well as in the works of the Pilgrimage Agency Path of Faith and the Publishing Institution of the Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Moscow.
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Bp. Hierotheos was born in Thermo in the Aetolia-Acarnania Prefecture in Greece.
He studied theology at the Theological School in Athens. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood by Metropolitan Nikodimos of Patras. He served as chancellor of the Metropolis of Patras.
In 2012, he was appointed abbot of the stavropegial St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery in Astoria, New York.
He was consecrated as titular Bishop of Efkarpia at the Patriarchial Church of St. George in Constantinople on March 5, 2017.
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