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New Martyr20th century

Hieromartyr Joanikije Metropolitan of Montenegro

1890–1945 (birth year given variously as 1880 or 1890)

Also known as Joanikije Lipovac · Joannicius of Serbia

Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coast, numbered among the Serbian new-martyrs of the Second World War period.

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Commemorated as

The Holy Hieromartyr Joanikije, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral

Life

Joanikije (born Jovan Lipovac) was a hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church who served as Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral during the Second World War. He was executed by Yugoslav Partisans in 1945 and is numbered among the Serbian new-martyrs of that period.

He was canonized by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1999. His commemoration is kept on June 4. The Orthodox Church in America's synaxarion lists him among the saints of that date as 'Hieromartyr Joanicus, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coast.'

His glorification followed circumstances that the historical sources describe as controversial, owing to his conduct during the wartime occupation of Yugoslavia and the manner of his death.

Timeline7 momentsReadHide
  1. 1890 (or 1880)Birth in StolivBorn Jovan Lipovac in Stoliv, in the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), then part of the Kingdom of Dalmatia in Austria-Hungary, to Špiro and Marija (née Damjanović) Lipovac. Sources differ on the year, giving February 16 of either 1880 or 1890.
  2. 1912OrdinationOrdained deacon on November 8, 1912, and priest on November 10, 1912. He served as a chaplain in Kotor from 1912 to 1918, and afterward as a parish priest in Laštva.
  3. 1919–1940Years of teachingHe served in educational posts at Cetinje (1919–1925) and then as a professor in Belgrade (1925–1940), including at the First Male Grammar School.
  4. 1939–1940Episcopal consecrationFollowing his wife's death, he was elected auxiliary bishop with the title Bishop of Budimlja, took monastic vows with the name Joanikije, and was consecrated bishop on February 11, 1940.
  5. December 10, 1940Metropolitan of Montenegro and the LittoralHe was elevated to Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral shortly before the April War brought the Second World War to Yugoslavia and the Italian governorate of Montenegro was established.
  6. May–June 1945Capture and martyrdomAs the war ended he led a column of clergy and Montenegrin Chetniks attempting to escape Yugoslavia. He was captured by Yugoslav Partisans on May 12, 1945, near Celje, transported to Zagreb and then Belgrade, and executed at Bukovik near Aranđelovac on June 18, 1945.
  7. 1999CanonizationHe was canonized by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Contributions & Legacy

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Life and Ministry

Joanikije was born Jovan Lipovac in Stoliv, on the Bay of Kotor, into the family of Špiro and Marija Lipovac. He received his elementary education in Prčanj and Kotor, studied Orthodox theology in Zadar, and continued his studies in Belgrade. After his ordination in 1912 he served in pastoral roles at Kotor and Laštva.

From 1919 he held teaching posts, first at Cetinje and then in Belgrade, where he worked as a professor until 1940. Following the death of his wife, he entered monastic life and was elected auxiliary Bishop of Budimlja in 1939, being consecrated in February 1940. In December of that year he was elevated to Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.

According to the sources, he maintained the seminary at Cetinje during the war years.

Wartime Conduct and Death

The Second World War reached Yugoslavia shortly after Joanikije became metropolitan, with the establishment of the Italian governorate of Montenegro. Historical accounts state that during the occupation he collaborated with the Axis occupying forces and supported the activities of the Serbian Chetniks. These circumstances are described by the sources as controversial.

As the war concluded, he led a column of clergy and Montenegrin Chetniks attempting to escape Yugoslavia. Yugoslav Partisans captured him near Celje in May 1945 and, after he was moved to Zagreb and Belgrade, he and accompanying priests were executed at Bukovik near Aranđelovac on June 18, 1945. The location of his remains is reported as unknown.

Canonization and Veneration

The Serbian Orthodox Church canonized Joanikije in 1999, numbering him among the new-martyrs notwithstanding the controversy surrounding his wartime collaboration and execution. He is commemorated on June 4, and the Orthodox Church in America's synaxarion lists him among the saints of that day.

This entry rests on a limited body of sources; the wartime period and the circumstances of his death warrant careful historical and clergy review.

Member ofReadHide
The Serbian New Martyrs of the Second World War
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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints