Patriarch German II (Djoric)
Patriarch German II (Đorić) (1899-1991)
Hranislav may be spelt Khranislav, Chranislav.
German may be spelt Germain, Herman, Germanus.
Đorić (a form of the name George) may be spelt Djoric, Djorich.
Early life of Hranislav Đorić
On 19 August, 1899 (the Feast of the Transfiguration), Hranislav Đorić was born in the spa town of Jošanička Banja in the central part of the Kingdom of Serbia. He was born into the family of a teacher, who later was ordained to the Holy Priesthood. His father, Mihajlo Đorić of Velika Drenova, had graduated from the prestigious Belgrade Theological Seminary (in Serbian : "Београдска богословија") of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1895.
Higher education
Hranislav Đorić received a broad education, and he was amongst the most educated members of the Serbian clergy at the time. He attended primary school in Velika Drenova and Kruševac, after which he studied at the seminaries in Belgrade and Sremski Karlovci.
He graduated in 1921. He then studied law at the University of Paris (the Sorbonne).
Afterwards, he graduated from the University of Belgrade’s Orthodox Theology Faculty in 1942.
At some time during these years, Hranislav was married, but there is no record of his wife’s name or other particulars in the information available at this time.
Diaconal ordination, 1921
Hranislav Đorić was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Jefrem (Bojović) of Žiča in 1921.
Diaconal service
Deacon Hranislav Đorić was assigned to serve as the clerk of the Canon-law Court in Čačak, and also as a catechist in the Čačak high school.
Because of ill health, he was permitted to leave his administrative assignments.
Presbyteral ordination, 1927
In 1927, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.
Presbyteral service
In 1927, as a presbyter, Father Hranislav was assigned to serve in the parish of Miokovci.
In 1931, he was transferred to the parish in Vrnjačka Banja.
After the election of the Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo (Dožić) in 1938, Father Hranislav became a "referent" (consultant) of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He continued to serve as such until 1951.
Nazi invasion, 1941
In 1941, the invasion of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the German Nazi forces occurred, and they remained in control throughout World War II.
During part of this time, Patriarch Gavrilo was imprisoned (along with Saint Nikolaj (Velimirović)) by the Nazis.
Change of government, 1945
On 29 November, 1945, King Peter II Karađorđević of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was deposed by the communists, and Yugoslavia became a communist republic. On 13 January, 1953, Josip Broz (“Tito” was his “nom de guerre”, perhaps referring to the Roman Emperor Titus) became the president of the by then Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia.
Bereavement, 1950
In 1950, or early 1951, Father Hranislav’s wife fell asleep in the Lord.
Monastic tonsure, 1951
On 7 July, 1951, the Priest Hranislav was tonsured to be a monk in the Studenica Monastery (250 km/155 mi south of Belgrade), and he was given the name German.
It was the time when he served as "referent" of the Holy Synod that the Hieromonk German (Đorić) was elected by the Holy Synod to become a bishop.
Episcopal ordination, 1951
On 7 July, 1951, in Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, Patriarch Vikentije II (Prodanov) ordained him to the Holy Episcopate. He was assisted by Bishop Valerijan (Stefanović) of Šumadija ; Bishop Nikanor (Ilicić) of Bačka ; and Bishop Vasilije (Kostić) of Banja Luka.
Episcopal service
Bishop German (Đorić) was assigned to serve as the Vicar-Bishop of Moravica, which is a vicariate of the patriarch’s diocese.
At the same time, Bishop German was assigned to serve as Secretary General of the Holy Synod, and as the Chief Editor the “Glasnik” (the official gazette of the Serbian Orthodox Church).
In May, 1952, Bishop German was assigned by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church to serve as the Bishop of Budim (Budapest) in Hungary. However, since the Hungarian authorities neither accepted his appointment, nor allowed him to enter the country, he was never officially enthroned in his diocese. He continued to serve as before in Belgrade.
In May, 1956, Bishop German was assigned by the Holy Synod of Bishops to serve as the Bishop of Žiča. At that time, this diocese was (semi-officially) the second most important diocese in the Church of Serbia (after the patriarch’s diocese). In this capacity, Bishop German also served as the Administrator of the Budimlja-Polimlje and the Raška-Prizren eparchies.
On 5 July, 1958, Patriarch Vikentije II (Prodanov) fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly.
At this time, a considerable amount of disagreement arose amongst the bishops about who would become the next patriarch, and there was no agreement. Bishop German was not assigned to serve as the Guardian of the Patriarchal Throne (Locum Tenens) ; but rather, Bishop Hrizostom (Vojinović) of Braničevo was assigned to this responsibility. The disagreements about the succession continued.
Ultimately, the election of Bishop German (Đorić) was likely a compromise. Nevertheless, because of the poisonous political situation of the day, an alternative story was popularly told, which is that :
Aleksandar Ranković, the top Serbian Communist official at that time, and later Josip Broz Tito’s deputy, entered the Holy Synod’s session, bringing German inside, and saying : ‘This is your new patriarch !’
Such stories seem to be easily accepted by many people, but it does not seem to be possible to confirm the veracity of the allegation.
On 14 September, 1958, Bishop German (Đorić) was elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops to become the 43rd Patriarch of Peć.
Patriarch, 1958
Soon afterwards, on the same day, he was enthroned in Saint Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade, and then in Peć in Metohija.
There, he was given the title : "Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch".
Patriarch German
Although officially, Patriarch German was the 43rd patriarch, some others suggest a higher number. Historically, more than 12 persons occupied the throne of Peć, but these were neither officially elected nor recognised. Their number includes several rebel-patriarchs in the 16th century during the Ottoman occupation, and the “Patriarchs of Karlovci” during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s presence, which are not counted in the list of official patriarchs (especially not as Patriarchs of Peć), since they called themselves instead, simply, “Patriarch of the Serbs”.
Schisms
Whether or not the story about governmental interference in his appointment was true, or whether it was constructed later by his opponents, Patriarch German was labelled as a “red” patriarch from the beginning (especially in the dioceses abroad). This is perhaps unfair (because of how political polemics are waged). Regardless, this was one of the reasons used for the split from the patriarchate of the diocese of New Gračanica in North America in 1963, and for the subsequent assignment there of 2 bishops : one schismatic (Bishop Dionisije (Milivojevic)), and the other loyal to Patriarch German (Bishop Firmilian (Ocokoljic)).
This division was resolved in 1992, in the early period of Patriarch German’s successor, Patriarch Pavle II (Stojcevic), when the separated diocese rejoined the Serbian Orthodox Church. There may be an implication in this that the root of the division was likely more because of something personal or political, rather than a dogmatic dispute.
The schism of the Macedonian Orthodox Church is a much deeper and more complicated matter. It began in 1958, the very year of Patriarch German’s election, with a supposedly willing acceptance of the autonomy of the Ochrid Archbishopric, which was proclaimed by Archbishop Dositej (Stojković). However, this event was a great blow to Patriarch German’s authority and to the Serbian Orthodox Church, since it was, in fact, a forced acceptance, demanded by the Communist Party. During the next 9 years, the patriarch and the archbishop served together at several Divine Liturgies, and even with the heads of other Orthodox Churches.
Nevertheless, in 1967, Archbishop Dositej completely split his archbishopric (within the borders of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia) from the Mother Church. He did this, claiming heritage from the historic Archbishopric of Ochrid (Ohrid), which had been non-existent for 200 years. Patriarch German and the Serbian Orthodox Church, claiming the separation was forced and uncanonical (in other words, they deemed it a church established by the communists), ended any canonical communication with the Macedonian Orthodox Church. In turn, Patriarch German’s example was followed by all the other Orthodox Churches. In 2022, the situation remained unresolved. The difficult situation continued after Patriarch German, and after the breakup of Yugoslavia. It became a highly political concern, not only with the Serbian Orthodox Church, but also with the Church of Greece and with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch German
Revitalisation and consequences
Early in his patriarchal service, Patriarch German set about the work of revitalising the Serbian Orthodox Church, which was being greatly oppressed by the communist government. During his entire patriarchal service, he kept a low profile, yet he managed to achieve certain goals in this direction. Despite the harsh conditions, he managed to form 4 new dioceses : Western Europe (1969), Australia (1973), Vranje (1975) and Canada (1983).
Patriarch German supervised the completion of the construction of the new seminary’s complex of buildings in Belgrade (including the campus) in 1958. As a consequence, today, the entire neighbourhood surrounding the complex is known as “Bogoslovija” (Serbian for “seminary”). He also opened a new seminary in the Krka Monastery in the Socialist Republic of Croatia. He was very involved in the assignment of bishops. He staunchly pressed for his own candidates. This was especially so in the case of the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral after the communists arrested Metropolitan Arsenije (Bradvarović) in 1954. After this, Patriarch German managed to have his protegé, Bishop Danilo (Dajković) assigned to the metropolis in 1961. He also sent many priests to serve in the Socialist Republic of Montenegro, because any priestly presence and activity had almost completely ceased there after World War II.
In 1984, Patriarch German visited the site of the Jasenovac concentration (extermination) camp near Zagreb. During his visit, he spoke the now well-known line : “To forgive, we must [...] to forget, we must not” (“Опростити морамо, заборавити не смемо”).
Many consider Patriarch German’s greatest achievement to be his successful campaign for the resumption of the construction of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, which had been stopped in 1941. During the first 26 years after his enthronement, he urged the communist government in writing 88 times until they finally authorised the continuation of the construction in 1984. (Because it was such a huge project, the Temple was not completed until 2023.)
From the 1970s, the communist party in Yugoslavia became more decentralised and divided. This was because of a movement led by Croatia and Slovenia.
Patriarch German was a pragmatic religious leader in times that were very oppressive for any religion, but especially for Orthodox Christians.
After the death of Josip Broz Tito in 1980, Patriarch German slowly pressed Church concerns forward at a time when Yugoslav society was changing and nationalism was growing amongst the various peoples. Ultimately, he became universally popular amongst the Serbs, and he had become a part of the Serbian social elite.
Retirement, 1990
In June, 1989, Patriarch German broke his hip. This was followed by a series of surgeries and repeated injuries. As a consequence, the already old patriarch was unable to fulfil his responsibilities. Indeed, he fell into a prolonged coma. Therefore, on 30 November, 1990, the Holy Synod declared him to be incapacitated.
At that time, the Holy Synod assigned Metropolitan Jovan (Pavlović) of Zagreb and Ljubljana to serve as the Guardian of the Throne until the enthronement of the next patriarch. The new patriarch, Pavle (Stojcević), was elected on 1 December, 1990. His enthronement took place on 2 December, 1990.
Repose, 1991
Patriarch German (Đorić) fell asleep in the Lord in the VMA (Military Medical Academy) Hospital in Belgrade on 27 August, 1991, at the age of 92. In the Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch were offered by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Church of Serbia and other visitors.
After the services were completed, the body of Patriarch German (Đorić) was entombed in the Temple of Saint Mark in Belgrade.
Tomb of Patriarch German
— Bishop of Moravica 1951-1952. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.
— Vicar-Bishop of the Diocese of Belgrade and Karlovci 1951-1952.
— Bishop of Budim, Hungary 1952 (not actualised because Hungary forbade his entry to the country).
— Bishop of Žiča and Administrator of the Budimlja-Polimlje and Raška-Prizren eparchies 1956-1958. Preceded by : ___. Succeeded by : ___.
— Patriarch of Serbia 1958-1990. Preceded by : Patriarch Vikentije II (Prodanov). Succeeded by : Patriarch Pavle II (Stojcević).
Reflections
The repose of Patriarch German (Đorić) occurred less than a year before the breakup of the communist government of Yugoslavia, and the division of this territory into 5 states : Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
The 32 years of Patriarch German’s Primatial service makes his one of the longest periods of patriarchal tenure in the history of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
As is usually the case with patriarchs and other heads of local Churches, there is criticism (often politicised) of their behaviours and decisions by those within the Church who disagree with them about one or another matter, and by those outside the Church who have a different perception of the world and of situations. An assessment of such a person cannot be limited to one or even several matters. Rather, it must consider the whole of the person's life and service. For an Orthodox Christian, a main criterion in discernment (or “litmus test”) is the Dominical saying, “By their fruits you will know them” :
‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles ? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them’ (Matthew 7:15-20).
Patriach German supervised and led the Church of Serbia through most of the era of communist rule of Serbia. This era was one of division and strife.
Upon beginning his patriarchal service, Patriarch German was labelled a pro-communist by some priests assigned in dioceses abroad. This resulted in the split of the Diocese of Nova Gračanic in North America in 1963, and the appointment of 2 bishops : one schismatic and another loyal to the patriarchate. The problem was resolved in 1992 during the initial period of rule by Pariarch German's successor, Patriarch Pavle (Stojčević), when the schismatic diocese rejoined the Serbian Orthodox Church. The schism of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, however, was a much deeper and more complicated matter to resolve.
Patriarch German strove to revitalise the Serbian Church, greatly oppressed by the communist government. Despite the very difficult conditions, he managed to form several new dioceses : Western Europe (1969) ; Australia (1973) ; Vranje (197) ; Canada (1983).
He supervised the completion of the construction of the new complex of buildings and campus of the seminary ("Богословија" is Serbian for theology, seminary) in Belgrade in 1958. Later, the entire neighbourhood surrounding the complex became known as the Orthodox Theological Faculty of Belgrade University. Saint Sava Seminary (in Serbia seminary is actually equivalent to secondary education) is housed in this building. Vladika German also established a new seminary in the Krka monastery in Croatia.
In 1984, Patriarch German visited the site of the World War II concentration camp, Jasenovac, during which he stated the now-famous aphorism : "Опростити морамо, заборавити не смемо" ("Forgive, we must ; forget, we must not").
Many are of the opinion that Patriarch German's greatest achievement was his successful campaign for the resumption of the construction of the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade, which had been stopped in 1941. For 26 years from his enthronement, he urged the communist government 88 times until they finally authorised the construction to continue in 1984. (Because of the magnitude of the project, it was not complete until 2023.)
An interview in 1982 by Svetislav Spasojević
In 1982, there had been an interview with Patriarch German, which was published in the Belgrade weekly magazine “NIN”. However, despite the patriarch’s expressed satisfaction with that interview, his acceptance in 1985 of a subsequent interview was suddenly withdrawn in about 1987.
Excerpts of the 1982 interview, in a January, 1991, article, are included here. The style of the language is somewhat secular.
Asked if he would wish to authenticate the text of the conversations we had had to-date, he replied, 'What the Serbian Patriarch says out loud is authentic'. Thus, this article is only a part of the confessions by a person who has for more than 30 years occupied the throne of Saint Sava, as the spiritual father of Serbia and the Serbian people. Already in his mature years when he became ‘the first among the equals’ in the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod, the time when many people start thinking about retirement, Mr. Hranislav Djorić (the patriarch’s secular name) started the most active part of his life. In his time, Alexander Ranković said about Hranislav Djoric that he was the most talented diplomat he had ever met. My impression, was however, that this cunning ‘Moravian’ [this refers to the region of the Zapadna Morava River in the central Serbian area of Šumadija, where the patriarch’s father was born], an anti-Communist by his beliefs, had been playing a masterful chess game with the Communists for over 30 years. In this exhausting play, he had no assistants. He was a thoughtful, lucid, distrustful and a cautious-to-high-heavens lonely old man. Who won this long, 'real life' chess game ? You should look for the answer in the text of ‘I and the Communists [...]’ P.S. Returning home in June, 1989, following the 600-year anniversary celebration of the Battle of Kosovo, the Patriarch fell in his office and broke his hip. Now, almost 92, he has been in a coma ever since at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. Unable to perform his duties, he was recently succeeded by Patriarch Paul as the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. According to the Serbian Orthodox Church Constitution, which was newly (and wisely) modified at Patriarch German’s urging so as to prevent the Communists’ meddling in the selection of the Patriarch, the new Patriarch Paul was selected by drawing a piece of paper out of a hat. As Patriarch German put it, the Church selects three candidates it thinks are qualified for the top spot. But, God makes the final choice. [...] - § - Translated Excerpts Re : General wisdom/philosophy Patriarch German : I have already quoted St. Paul. He had spoken words of great wisdom: ‘I am allowed to do anything, but not everything (I am allowed to do) is useful to me’. I have followed this principle my whole life. And I can say today, in my 83rd year, that I have kept my head between my shoulders after all these years in part because of this wisdom. Conversation is like a flooding river. You never know what it will drag along. Silence is sometimes more painful than talking. The people who have survived a cataclysm have the greatest feel for the future. Re : Josip Broz Tito and Serbia Patriarch German : You know what the Serbian nation thought of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Franz Josef, ever since his annexation of Bosnia and Hercegovina (in the 1800s), through World War I, and all the way till present times. You see, whatever (harm) which this powerful ruler wished upon the Serbian people but could not effect it, Josip Broz managed to do. [...] All of us have been asking ourselves after his death (in May 1980) how is it possible that this Broz had ruled our lives for so long ? Yet, I hurt more because of the fact that he had so many loyal followers amongst the Serbian people. Just look at the Serbs who have held high (or even lower) positions in government after the war (World War II). Considering the circumstances, whether I wanted this or not, I have met the majority of these people. As ‘the first among the equals’ in the Church, I have even had to work with some of them. I hope that God will forgive me for saying this, but they were nothing but chaff. [...] Re : Serbian people/Yugoslavian state Patriarch German : These Serbs (see the above paragraph) were the sons or the grandsons of those Serbs who in World War I confronted Franz Josef at (the river) Drina. I could never explain to myself how something like that (i.e. such a deformation of character) was possible after just one or two generations ! A similar thought had also haunted Vladyka Pimen, the Patriarch of Moscow and of the all-Russian Orthodox Church. Many people of note were interested in this subject, and had secretly discussed with me this great Serbian delusion. Spasojević : Are we, the Serbs, one of the 'great' nations ? Patriarch German : Don’t talk like that ! Believing in things like that got us to where we are (i.e., in trouble). We are a small nation, and everything we own can be pulled along in an ox cart. We could become a great nation, and we have had many opportunities to become one. But, we have not cashed in on any of them. Others have been forming statehoods in the Balkans — with our help. We are a very generous people. We almost lost even our own state, despite all the sacrifices we had made. Did you see the inscription above the Velika Drena fountain ? Spasojević : Yes I have — countless times. I do not recall it verbatim, but I know that the basic message was that Serbia was always winning in war time, and losing in peace time. Spasojević : Your Holiness, you and I are ‘Moravians’. Is it true, as some people say, that we, as the centre of ‘Serbianhood’, do not care enough about the fate of our own people in Yugoslavia ? Patriarch German : This (question) stems from a flawed thesis that we are a great nation. We are a nation which is surrounded by smaller nations, and so we have lulled ourselves into believing that we are something ‘big’. We are so sure of ourselves and our greatness that we waste ourselves without hesitation. What’s a life, my dear Moravian, without a national goal ? And life without a national goal is doomed to wandering aimlessly (just as Moses did in the desert). Yugoslavia is too big a meadow for the Serbs. Since we don’t have the time to work all of it, some of it is covered with weeds. Every day our neighbours who walk by these weedy fields, scheme of grabbing them and taking them over from us ; and of working them themselves. A farmer must know what his strength is, so as to match the size of the meadow to it. It is equally bad having too much land as not enough. It is the same with nations and states. A small nation is happy in a small state ; it is unhappy in a big one. In a big one, a small nation feels diluted, worried about preserving its national being. But, it is the same type of a sin grabbing and destroying other peoples’ national beings. Perhaps I am sinning myself talking like this, but I would say that the Serbs today have not chosen the meadow which matches their strength. In the end, everything, I believe, will find its proper place. It won’t happen by itself, but I think that the Serbs will quite quickly find the strength and the wisdom to choose their real meadow, one whose size God had intended for them. And so, every wandering, including our own, will come to an end. The Serbian question (within Yugoslavia) can only be solved in a Serbian sovereign state. We must build a state which is oriented toward the world, and not one which is constantly consumed with internal squabbles. I have said enough things which a Serbian Patriarch should not have. But, these are times when silence about the truths is equal to crime. We’ve had enough of silence, my brother ! Who, today, isn’t haunted by the question whether the Serbs and the Croatians can live in the same state ? You and I, and all of us on one side and or another ; even if we were shouting at the top of our lungs that it is possible, nobody would believe us, not even those of us who were shouting. Spasojević : How come there is so much fear and hatred within almost all of our neighbors? Patriarch German : Many years ago, I posed a similar question to Patriarch Pimen. I will quote to you his answer, because my answer to you would be similar. ‘We, the Russians, are the most numerous nation in the Soviet Union’, Mr. Pimen said, ‘but the discrepancy in size isn’t such that others would hide their hatred. The "number one" is always subject to envy, and there is but a small step between envy and hatred'. Re : Serbian 'National Traits' The love of freedom is the soul of the Serbian people. Many are mistaken who believe that our most important national trait is courage. I think that the main characteristic of the Serbs is endurance in suffering. There is no nation on earth with such an innate capability to overcome its suffering. Just consider the times (we’ve endured) under the Turkish or the Communist regimes. But, our nation has an innate ability to recognise the limits of its suffering capability. The Serbian people had, in a way, betrayed their national traits during Josip Broz’s reign. But their national being had not changed much in substance. Many realised that the Communists are nothing to kid about : they arrested people, beat them unconscious, sent them to lunatic asylums. [...] That is why the majority of the nation fled into silence. The minority were the ones who heartily applauded Broz. Re : Albanians in Kosovo Patriarch German : I often think that the Albanians (in Kosovo) became greater victims of the communist ideology than were we, the Serbs. The communists were taking from us and giving to the Albanians. The Albanians were receiving these gifts not realising that the communists were ‘Indian givers’. Today, the Albanians are finding it hard to part with the gifts. Re : Serbian clergy and the communists Patriarch German : Do you have any idea, Mr. Spasojević, how many Serbian priests were killed by the post-war communist government ? Spasojević : No, Your Holiness. Patriarch German : That was a mass murder worse than that committed by the 'Ustashe' or the Muslims. That’s right, that’s right. [...] Worse [...] Pray to God that it should never happen again. The fear which this instilled in the Serbian Orthodox clergy was so powerful that even when the Church was in the right it did not dare raise its voice. Just think about how much land the (communist) government had confiscated from the Church. Our relations with the government will be good when the state meets its obligations towards the Church — which means when it returns all that it owes it. Re : Orthodox Church’s democracy Patriarch German : Within the Church, we do not look favourably upon extremes which result from tunnel-vision. In order to go forward to a better future, the Serbian nation must be led by the people who tend to listen to others. The Church respects and practices a collective wisdom. For that reason, for example, at Hilandar Monastery (the original seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church), every decision becomes effective only when the official stamp is put together. The stamp is broken up into four pieces, and each piece is given to a different monk. Only when all four agree, can their decisions become effective. Democracy was not invented, as is widely believed, by the various regimes and their ideologies. Democracy is an integral part of the Orthodox Faith. That is why we are not the slaves, at any price, of even our own traditions. The change in the Church’s constitution, vis-a-vis the election of the patriarch, for example, is, at the same time, its democratisation, its adaptation to the contemporary world. Re : Church’s relationship with the Serbian people Patriarch German : The Serbian Church is the spiritual mother of the people. When everybody was deserting them, She was the only one which stayed with Her people. Only a mother could have done a thing like that. Re : Serbs in the West Patriarch German : The Orthodox Faith is the maker of its own history. Its humanism, culture, and art were spread originally throughout the Byzantine and the Russian empires. The October (Russian communist) revolution had dealt a terrible blow to Orthodoxy, but at the same time it did it a favour. It helped spread it from the East to the West. The Russian people lost their theologians and spiritual leaders who continued to spread the Orthodox Faith throughout the West. That’s why today, there are Orthodox churches and parishes in Japan, Africa, America and Australia. - § - APPENDIX A HOW PATRIARCH GERMAN LOST HIS FIRST-BORN SON TO COMMUNISTS Partial translation of the caption under the "NIN" photo : The summer of 1936 : The priest, Hranislav Djorić is posing with his first-born son, Mihailo (Michael). Nine years later, his son, Mike, was executed in Zagreb, Croatia. He was a member of the Serbian Voluntary Corps, the second battalion, which was dissolved officially at the end of WW II on May 9, 1945. At Kocevje, however, along with the hundreds of the Serbian youth (who were betrayed by the British), he was taken out of the lines destined for execution. But, all of that was only a temporary reprieve. He disappeared only days after that in Zagreb, Croatia. Hranislav Djorić, who had for years been expecting his son to return home, was to find out later on, that his son Mike, along with a group of some 20 or so youngsters were shot to death (by the communists) in Zagreb on June 16, 1945. He was not even 20 years old. [...] Much later, after he had apparently accepted the loss of his first-born son, Patriarch German served a Liturgy in honour of the Nazi/'Ustashe' WW II victims (at Jasenovac, where the Croatians murdered hundreds of thousands of Serbs), during which he spoke the now famous words : ‘The Serbian children were doomed then. [...] I do not know if I can forgive them (the mass murderers), but I will not forget ; never [...]’. His speech was attacked subsequently by the Vatican as well as by the many other anti-Serbian spokespersons in Yugoslavia. — From an article by Bob Djurdjević, Phoenix, Arizona
Awards
• Order of the Yugoslav flag with ribbon (SFR Yugoslavia)
• Order of George I, Grand Cross (Kingdom of Greece)
• Order of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross (France)
• Decoration of the Red Cross (Yugoslavia)
• Order of the Cedar (Lebanon)
• Order of the Orthodox Crusaders of the Holy Sepulchre (Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
• Cross on a chain with the image of the Holy Apostle Andrew, the First Called (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
• Memorial of 15 Centuries since the founding of the Jerusalem Patriarchate
• Order of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Archbishopric of Athens and All Greece)
• Order of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (Archbishopric of Athens and All Greece)
• Order of the Holy Apostle Prince Vladimir, first degree (Russian Orthodox Church)
• Monument to the liberation of the City of Katerini
• Order of the Holy Saints Cyril and Methodius (Orthodox Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Monument to the centenary of the construction of the Temple of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Sofia
• Canterbury Cross (Church of England)
References
Serbian Orthodoxwiki biography
Serbian Encyclopedia biography
Patriarch German II Orthodox Encyclopaedia biography
Additional information :
Acović, Dragomir, “Slava i čast - Odlikovanja među Srbima : Srbi među odlikovanjima” (Belgrade : Official Gazette, 2013). ISBN : 978-86-519-1750-2 [Title in English : Serbian Decorations of Glory and Honour]
Cox, John, “The History of Serbia” (Westport, CT : Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002). ISBN10 : 03133112907. ISBN13 : 978-0313312908.
Đurić-Mišina, Veljko, “German Đorić : A Patriarch in Godless Times”, 2 vols.
Janković, Archpriest Milan, “Serbian Patriarch German and the Struggle for the Memorial Temple”
Kašić, Dušan, ed., “The Serbian Orthodox Church : Its Past and Present”, 6 volumes (Belgrade : Serbian Patriarchy, 1965), digitised 2011.
“Mala Prosvetina Enciklopedija” [“The Little Prosvetina Encyclopædia”], 3rd edition (Belgrade : Prosveta, 1985). ISBN : 86-07-00001-2.
‘Narodna Knjiga Politika’ [‘Book of national Politics’] in “Srpska porodična enciklopedija” [“Serbian Family Encyclopædia”], vol. 6, Prof. Dr. Radivoje Mikić, ed. (Belgrade, 2006). ISBN : 86-331-2933-7.
Radić, Radmila, “State and religious Communities 1945-1970”, 2 vols. (Belgrade : Institute for Recent History of Serbia, 2002)
‘The Serbian Orthodox Church, Chap. 2’ in “Orthodox Encyclopædia”, nos. 6 & 7.
Vuković, Sava, “Serbian Hierarchs from the ninth to the twentieth Century” (Belgrade : Evro, 1996).
West, Rebecca, introduction by Geoff Dyer, "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon : A Journey Through Yugoslavia" (Edinburgh, 2006 ; first published 1941). ISBN : 978-1-84195-787-6.
“Truth in Media” item : 1985 interview of Patriarch German
Serbian Orthodox Church web-site
Orthodoxwiki article about the Orthodox Church of Serbia
Wikipedia article about the Serbian Orthodox Church
Orthodoxwiki article about the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America
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