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Saint The holy [[hieromartyr]] '''Platon of Banja Luka (1874-1941) ''', (in Serbian: , Свети свештеномученик Платон Бањалучки)''' is an Orthodox hieromarytr. He was the third [[Church of Serbia|Serbian Orthodox]] [[bishop]] of Banja Luka.

Saint Platon was born in Belgrade, on [[September 29]], 1874. His parents Ilija Jovanović and Jelka (maiden name SokolovicSokolović) were from Herzegovina. He attended primary school in Vranje and Nis, and then continued his education in the Seminary in Belgrade. Milivoje took [[monasticism|monastic ]] vows as the third-grade pupil of the Belgrade Seminary. Having completed [[Seminaryseminary]], he was [[ordination|ordained ]] a [[deacon]] and afterwards [[presbyter]]. In 1896, he was sent in the Serbian mission in Moscow, where he continued his theological education at the [[Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary|Moscow Theological Academy, where he ]]. He completed his studies in 1901.Having returned Returning from Russia, he was appointed the head of the Rakovica Monastery, and soon in Belgrade. Soon afterwards the he was appointed professor in Belgrade. He worked as professor in Aleksinac and Jagodina, and during that this period he obtained was raised to the ranks of syncellos, protosyncellos , and [[archimandrite]]. In 1912, during the war, [[Archimandrite]] Platon was assigned as a brigade [[priest, and in ]]. During World War I , he was assigned as a military priest. For a short period of time Platon was an Administrator administrator of the Ochrid Diocese. He spent the period of occupation in Serbia, and with the help of his acquaintances abroad, he managed to render aid to all the people who suffered afflictions - especially orphans and widows. From 1932 to 1938 he was the manager of the Monastery monastery printing office in Sremski Karlovci, as well as the editor of the " Glasnik Srpske Patriaršije". Archimandrite Platon was also the head of the Krusedol Monastery. He In 1936, he was elected Moravian auxilary Bishop in 1936of moravice. Platon was consecrated bishop by [[Patriarch ]] [[Varnava ordained him (Rosic) of Serbia|Varnava]], Metropoliatan Dositej of Zagreb, Metropolitan Anastasije, head of ROCOR, bishop Irinej of Bačka, bishop Makarije of Boston (he was also from ROCOR) and auxilary bishop of Srem [[Sava of Gornji Karlovac|Sava]] October 4/17, 1936 in Sremski Karlovci that same year. In June 22/July 5 1938 , he was elected the Bishop of Ochrid-Ohrid and Bitolj, and a year later he . He was transferred to see of Banja LukaDecember 8/21 1939. Platon was the Bishop of Banja Luka when the World War II came in Yugoslavia.

The teritory territory of his [[diocese]] became part of so-called Independent State of Croatia. Since he was a Serb born in Serbia, not in Bosnia, he was told to leave Banja Luka. He wrote-back: "The authorities appointed me the Bishop of Banja Luka lawfully, according to canon law; having such a position I took the obligation before God, Church , and people, thereat that inseparably binding my life and my destiny with the life and destiny of my spiritual flock, to take care of my spiritual flock permanently and firmly, regardless of any events, and to stay on its spiritual path all the time of my life given to me by God, persevering in my staying with the flock as a good shepherd who gives his soul for his sheep…" He asked a Roman Catholic Bishopbishop, Dr. Jozo Garić (who was a Croat like Ustašas) to intervene with the authorised authorized military officer and let him stay for two or three days more so that he could prepare for the departure. This Bishop told him to be calm and peaceful. However, the Ustaše arrested Bishop Platon the very next night (, [[May 5]], 1941) , and took him, together with priest Dušan Subotić - , who was hierarchal administrator from Bosanska Gradiska, somewhere out of Banja Luka. The two of them were killed there and their corpses were cast into the Vrbanja River. Ustasa Asim Celic committed this repulsive deed. BishopThe bishop's corpse, which was scarred and disfigured, was found in the village of Kumsale, on [[May 23]], 1941. He had first been was buried in a military graveyard in Banja Luka, and . Then in 1973 , his remains were transported to the Banja Luka Cathedralfor reburial.

At the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1998, Bishop Platon of Banja Luka was canonized and was then included into on the list of the saints of the Serbian Orthodox Church. His feast is on [[April 22]] on the [[Julian calendar]] ([[May 5]] on the [[Gregorian calendar]])

before= [[Nikolai Velimirovic|St. Nikolaj]]|title= Bishop of Ochrid and Ohrid-Bitola|

before= Metropoliten [[Vasilije (Popović) of Banja Luka|Vasilije (Popović)]]|title=[[List of Metropolitans and Bishops of Banja Luka|Bishop of Banja Luka]]|

after= [[Vasilije (Kostić) of Banja Luka|Vasilije]]}}