Biography of Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral

His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije (Micovic) of Montenegro and the Littoral was born on 20 April 1959 in Velimlje (Banjani). He finished Grammar school in Niksic. He graduated at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade in 1990 and was senior undergraduate at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade in the speciality of philosophy.

He was tonsured on October 30, 1990 in the monastery of Celija Piperska. He was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon on February 7, 1991, and to the rank of hieromonk on February 17, 1991, when he was appointed acting head of the Savina monastery. He was appointed head of the Cetinje Monastery, teacher and head educator in the newly renovated Cetinje seminary on September 1, 1992. In September 1995, he was promoted to the rank of protosynchellos and appointed acting rector of the Cetinje seminary.

He was elected Vicar Bishop of Budimlje by the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church at a regular session in May 1999. Serbian Patriarch Pavle consecrated him with the concelebration of Metropolitan Amfilohije and 12 other hierarchs in Cetinje, on June 3, 1999.

On its May session in 2001, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church established the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic with its seat in the monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi and appointed Vicar Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksics as its administrator. At the May session in 2002, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected him Bishop of Budimlje-Niksic, and the enthronement took place in the Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery on August 4, 2002, which was the ancient seat of the Bishopric of Budva founded by Saint Sava in 1220.

After the death of Metropolitan Amfilohije, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church appointed Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic as the administrator of the vacant Diocese of Montenegro and the Littoral, on October 30, 2020.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, at its regular session from May 24 to 29, 2021, elected Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic as Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.

Since the election for Bishop of Budimlje-Niksic, Bishop Joanikije has initiated the reconstruction of the destroyed and the construction of new churches and monasteries in the Diocese entrusted to him, more than 60 shrines, most of which have already been completed and consecrated. With the renewal of the shrines, he began the renewal of monasticism according to monastic coenobitic statutes. He started the diocesan newspaper "Svevidje" and the publishing activity in the Diocese. Until now, he was a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in two terms: from 2005 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2014. He publishes studies and articles in the field of theology, history of the Serbian Orthodox Church and literature in church magazines and civic periodicals. On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of his episcopal ministry (1999-2019), his book "A Light Shines in the Darkness" was published.