On the occasion of the anniversary of Patriarch German of blessed repose
His Grace Bishop Georgije of Canada and the elected Bishop Justin of Hvosno celebrated the Holy Liturgy and the commemoration on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of the Serbian Patriarch German in the St. Mark Church in Belgrade, on August 27, 2021.
German Djoric, Serbian Patriarch (1958-1990; †1991)
Patriarch German was born on August 7, 1899 in Jošanička Banja to father Mihailo and mother Cveta. His father was a teacher and later he was ordained to the rank of deacon and presbyter. He was baptized as Hranislav. He studied elementary school in Velika Drenova and Kruševac, and he started the ninth grade seminary in Belgrade and finished in Sremski Karlovci in 1921. He studied law in Paris for a while, and then enrolled at the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, graduating in 1942.
He was ordained to the rank of deacon by Bishop Jefrem of Žiča, who appointed him clerk of the Spiritual Court in Čačak. At the same time, he taught religious education at a high school in Čačak. Due to health reasons, he left the church-administrative service and after he was ordained to the rank of presbyter, in 1927, he was appointed parish priest in Miokovci. He remained in this parish until 1931, when he was transferred to Vrnjačka Banja. After the election of Patriarch Gavrilo, in 1938, he was appointed a referent of the Holy Synod of Bishops. On this duty, he was elected Vicar Bishop of Moravica on June 12, 1951.
У чин ђакона рукоположио га је Епископ жички Јефрем поставивши га за писара Духовног суда у Чачку. У исто време је предавао веронауку у чачанској гимназији. Из здравствених разлога напустио је црквено-административну службу и пошто је рукоположен у чин презвитера, 1927. године, постављен је за пароха у Миоковцима. На овој парохији је остао до 1931. године, а тада је премештен у Врњачку Бању. После избора патријарха Гаврила, 1938. године, постављен је за референта Светог Архијерејског Синода. На овој дужности га је затекао избор за викарног Епископа моравичког 12. јуна 1951. године.
After the death of his wife, he was ordained a monk in the Studenica monastery by Bishop Valerijan of Šumadija, who gave him the name German. He was promoted to the rank of archimandrite by Bishop Vasilije of Banja Luka. The act of hierarchical ordination was performed by Serbian Patriarch Vikentije with the participation of Bishops Valerijan of Šumadija Valerian, Nikanor of Srem and Vasilije of Banja Luka on July 15, 1951. At the same time, by the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops, the newly elected Bishop German accepted the duty of General Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops. He performed this duty until the election for the Bishop of Žiča in 1956. At the same time, he edited Glasnik, the official gazette of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
At the session of the Holy Synod of Bishops in 1952, Bishop German was elected Bishop of Budim. The enthronement never took place, because the consent of the Hungarian civil authorities was never obtained. After the death of Bishop Nikolaj of Žiča, in 1956, Bishop German, who was the administrator of the Žiča diocese, was elected Bishop of Žiča. As Bishop, he administered the Diocese of Budmlje-Polim from 1955 to 1956 and the Diocese of Raska and Prizren from 1956 to 1957.
He succeeded Patriarch Vikentije on the patriarchal throne on September 13, 1958. The archpastorate of Patriarch German falls at a very difficult time for the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which was terribly persecuted at that time. Everything that was achieved at that time was done with great effort and enormous obstacles. In addition, the publishing activity gained new momentum, and the construction activity depended on various factors that were not in the mood towards the Church. Nevertheless, the buildings of the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade and the Theological Seminary in the Krka Monastery were erected. One of the greatest merits of Patriarch German is that he managed to fight for the continuation of the construction of the Saint Sava Cathedral church in Belgrade. After decades of struggle, the construction was approved in 1984. It is noted that Patriarch German submitted requests and held talks with various instances of government 88 times until he managed to continue the construction after 26 years of his ministry. The construction of the church began again when, on May 12, 1985, the Hierarchical Liturgy was celebrated and a charter was set up.
During the 32-year administration of the Serbian Church of Patriarch German, new dioceses were established: Easter America and Canada, Central West America and West America in 1963, West Europe and Australia in 1969, Vranje in 1975, Canada in 1983 and Bihać-Petrovac in 1990.
During that period, there were two schisms in the Serbian Church. The dioceses of Skopje, Zletovo-Strumica and Ohrid-Bitola, with the great support of the state authorities, forcibly separated from the Serbian Orthodox Church into the "independent" so-called Macedonian Orthodox Church, which is not recognized by any Orthodox Church in the world. During the founding of new dioceses in the United States and Canada, in 1963, Bishop Dionisije of America-Canada did not recognize the decisions of the Holy Synod of Bishops, went into a schism and asked for the protection of civil courts. The Supreme Court of the USA passed a verdict in favor of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch German worked very hard to open seminaries and to publish church papers for religious enlightenment of his people. The number of seminaries was increased by the efforts of the competent bishops and Patriarch German by opening seminaries in the Krka Monastery and Sremski Karlovci and a monastic school, first in the Transfiguration Monastery, and then in the Ostrog Monastery. Patriarch German had a special love for monasteries, which he also helped financially.
Patriarch German passed away on August 27, 1991. He was buried in the church of St. Mark in Belgrade.
