Dimitrije (Pavlovic) of Serbia

His Holiness Dimitrije (Pavlović) (in Serbian:Његова светост Димитрије патријарх српски) was the first Patriarch of all Serbs after 1766.

Early life

He was born in Požarevac in 1846 into the family of Stojan and Milosava Pavlović. He finished primary and high school in Belgrade. He graduated from the Old Seminary in Belgrade in 1868. He was a teacher until 1870, when he was ordained a priest and appointed as a chaplain in Lapovo.

After being widowed in 1873, he continued his education in Belgrade University (in this time called the Grand School) . He graduated with a degree in philology. Fr. Dimitrije was then a teacher in Belgrade Seminary from 1878 to 1884.

On November 8, 1884, he was elected Bishop of Niš, as part of the so-called uncanonical hierarchy. Fr. Dimitrije was tonsured. He remained in this see until 1898. When Metropolitan Mihilo came back in Serbia, all bishops from this uncanonical hierarchy retired their sees. Bishop Dimitrije left for France, where he continued his studies.

Bp. Dimitrije came back to Serbia in 1899, becoming state advisor and later Bishop of Šabac. He was elected Metropolitan of Belgrade and the Kingdom of Serbia on August 19, 1905. Metropolitan was forced to leave Serbia together with the king, government, and Serbian army when they were overpowered by the joint forces of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria in 1915. He returned to Serbia in 1918 with the victorious forces of Field Marshall Petar Bojović and the Regent Aleksandar.

Pariarch

After the Serbian church was unified, Metropolitan Dimitrije was elected "Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch". His enthronement took place on October 31, 1930. During his tenure three new dioceses were created (Češko-moravska, Bihaćko-petrovačka and Američko-Kanadska), and an old one reestablished (Braničevska). He also consecrated 16 new bishops.

He also opened a Patriarchal Printing House in the Rakovica Monastery. Archimandrite Platon (a future hieromartyr) helped him. Patriarch Dimitrije wrote a Service to "Saint Stefan the Despot", whom he canonized, in 1927.

He was also a translator from Church Slavonic. He is the author of one of the best translations of Hilandar Typikon. He established "Bogoslovlje", the magazine of Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade.

Patriarch Dimitrije founded a foundation for the support of orphans of priests and the Churches of Saint Demetrius in Ratkovići (where he was a teacher), and of the Holy Mother of God in Belgrade.

Patriarch Dimitrije died on April 6, 1930 in Belgrade. He was buried in Rakovica Monastery according to his wishes.

Succession box: Dimitrije (Pavlovic) of Serbia
Preceded by: Viktor	Bishop of Niš 1884-1889	Succeeded by: Jeronim
Preceded by: Samuilo	Bishop of Šabac 1898-1905	Succeeded by: Sergije
Preceded by: Inokentije	Metropolitan of Belgrade and Kingdom of Serbija 1905-1930	Succeeded by: himself as Patriarch
Preceded by: none	Patriarch of Serbia 1920-1930	Succeeded by: Varnava

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