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Life of His Holiness Patriarch of Serbia Pavle.

More than fifty years, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle served the Church in episcopal orders. He became the author of numerous books, lectured, was a liturgical scholar, builder of temples. Above all, remember the Orthodox world for its simplicity and accessibility.


Childhood and education

Gojko Stoychevich - the future Patriarch Pavle - born September 11, 1914, on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist in the village Kuchantsy (territory of Austria-Hungary, now - Croatia) in a peasant family. He graduated from high school in Belgrade and six-digit seminary in Sarajevo, studied at the Theological Faculty in Belgrade.
The boy soon left without parental care: the father went to work in the United States, where tuberculosis and returned home to die after the death of his father, in 1918, died and his mother. Worries about the education of Gojko assumed aunt. Since Gojko was very weak, the sick child, he was released from the rural concerns and allowed to receive education.
Primary school future Patriarch graduated in his native village. Then came the move to Tuzla to teach in secondary schools from 1925 to 1929., Where a friend of his youth became Mesha Selimovic.
Although Gojko was, he said, tends to the technical sciences (predmetima where no memorishe mora da su kao INTO mathematics and physics), as the catechism had a low score, under the influence of relatives, the choice was made in favor of a theological seminary. He studied at the six-digit seminary in Sarajevo from 1930 to 1936. When he was at the Theological Faculty of the Belgrade Theological Academy, although in the early entered the Medical Faculty. One time was his students of the Theological Faculty.
Before the war, Gojko Stoychevich was Secretary to the Minister of Church Affairs, Vojislav Janjic. In 1940 joined the army in a military medical Zazhichare. During the German occupation, he lived first in Slavonia, then returned to Belgrade.

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Monasticism

 From 1941 to 1942 the future Patriarch lived in Belgrade and worked as a foreman to clear the ruins.

Poor health led him to Trinity Monastery in Ovcara, where he survived the times of the Bulgarian occupation. In 1943 he worked as a teacher and preacher of refugee children in Banja Koviljaca. Doctors discovered he had tuberculosis, the forecast was pessimistic: to live remained three months. In these three months Gojko Vudzhansky went to a monastery in the village Prislonitsa, where he remained until 1945. In the monastery there was recovery, and in gratitude to the future Patriarch gave the ancient monastery of the Cross. Healing prompted him in 1946 to take monastic vows in the monastery Blagovedescheniya, as soon as the consecration of a deacon.

From 1949 to 1955 ierodiakon Paul was the inhabitant of a monastery Raca. In 1950-1951. during the school year teaching at the Theological School of St. Cyril and Methodius in Prizren. In 1957 he was ordained a celibate priest. In the same year he became protosingelom, and in 1957 he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.
From 1955 to 1957 was a graduate student of the New Testament and liturgical Faculty of Theology at Athens, where the protection of the degree of Doctor of Divinity. According to one legend, when one of the dignitaries of the Serbian Church inquired about a new graduate of Athens University, then received the following reply: "If our Greek Church had at least five of these priests, like your Paul, do not be afraid for their future, but it was would be the most powerful church in the world.

The Bishop of Raska and Prizren

 At the regular meeting of May 29, 1957 the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church said the young doctor of theology, and elected Bishop of Raska and Prizren. The news caught up with him during his pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The consecration was performed Sept. 22, 1957 in Belgrade Cathedral group of bishops headed by the patriarch Vikenty (Prodanova). At the faculty of Bishop of Raska-Prizren Bishop Paul was erected on October 13 that same year in the cathedral of Prizren. As primate of Raska and Prizren Diocese, he organized the construction of new churches and work on the restoration and preservation of Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and Metohija. Cared for the lord of the Prizren Seminary, where sometimes held lectures on the church singing and Slavic languages. Traveled around the diocese for ministry. Diocese drove alone, with no staff, nor the Secretary nor the car. Always move around either on foot or by public transport.

As Bishop of Raska and Prizren served in the UN on the issue of inter-ethnic relations in Kosovo and Metohija. During this period the problem of inter-ethnic relations in Kosovo and Metohija was particularly acute. Numerous biographies and testimonies tell us about the daily struggle of the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija for their national rights. Prizren Bishop wrote to the authorities of Church and State, urging them to visit remote churches and monasteries edge, to develop policies that could prevent conflict. The fact that he personally takes the intimidation and harassment by Albanians, he did not say never. No reaction to government appeals and letters of lord followed.

The Patriarchate

In November 1990 decision of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Church was elected Primate of the Church in the place of the sick Patriarch Herman. Enthronement 44-th of the Serbian Patriarch took place on Dec. 2, 1990 in Belgrade.
 He was selected after eight laps unsuccessful vote. Envelope with his name pulled Archimandrite Anthony Djordjevic, abbot Tronosha. Paul ascended the throne on December 2, 1990 at the Cathedral Church in Belgrade, and on the historical throne of the Patriarchs in the Pec Patriarchate Peć on an ancient tradition - only 2 May 1994.
Turning to the electoral Cathedral, the newly elected Patriarch Pavle said: "My powers are weak, you know all this. I hope they are not. I hope for your help, I say and I repeat, to the aid of God, which He called me up to now supported. Let it be (patriarchate) God the glory and the benefit of His Church and our suffering people in these difficult times. "

During the service of His Holiness Patriarch Paul resumed and open new diocese and seminary (Cetinjski - 1992, Kragujevac and the Theological Academy of St. Basil of Ostrog in Foca - 1997). There was also an information office of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Paul - the oldest among the Serbian patriarchs, he was elected patriarch in 76 years. He visited every continent and every diocese of the Serbian Church. In the 91st year of life went to Australia for two weeks. Visited most of the local Orthodox Churches, as well as many European countries and other regions of the world.

Patriarch Pavle for many years was chairman of the Commission of the Holy Synod of the translation of the New Testament. This translation is the first, which was formally approved by the church, and was published in 1984, reprinted in 1990. In addition, the Serbian Patriarch was president of the liturgical commission of the Holy Synod, which was prepared and published Missal in the Serbian language.

On November 13, 2007 was an inpatient at the hospital of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade.

Because of his poor health, which opened on May 15, 2008 in Belgrade, the Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to temporarily transfer the Primate of the Holy Synod headed by Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Primorsky Amfilokhiev (Risto Radovic).

November 11, 2008 opened the meeting of the Bishops' Council, which considered the question of the possibility of electing a new Primate of the Church. The first item on the agenda of the Council was to consider the petition Patriarch Paul of 8 November on his resignation due to illness and old age. Council did not accept the resignation of Patriarch Pavle, 12 November, it was decided that the Synod will continue to perform the functions of the Patriarch, more powers will be given the chairman of the Synod of Metropolitan Amfilohije. The next day, November 13, 2008, officially reported that Patriarch Pavle, after meeting with bishops agreed to remain head of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

His Holiness Patriarch Pavle died on Sunday, November 15, 2009 in Belgrade, at 10 hours and 45 minutes after the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

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