Metropolitan Jovan (Pavlovic) of Zagreb-Ljubljana reposed in the Lord

4/4/14 – Serbian Orthodox Church 

Holy Service for the dead and funeral service for Metropolitan Jovan

Regarding the repose of Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb-Ljubljana the Holy service for the dead will be served at the Cathedral church of Holy Transfiguration of the Lord in Zagreb at 10 a.m. on Saturday, 5 April 2014. The funeral service will be served at 12 a.m.

Metropolitan Jovan (Pavlovic) of Zagreb-Ljubljana reposed in the Lord yesterday, on 3 April 2014 at 06.10 p.m.

The Metropolitan’s health worsened few days ago, so he was transferred to the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb, where after the stroke he had a surgery on Saturday, 29 March 2014.

Despite dedicated efforts of the physicians of this prestigious healthcare facility, Metropolitan Jovan reposed in the Lord yesterday, on 3 April 2013 at 6:10 p.m.

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, and all members of the Holy Synod of Bishops were informed about the repose of Metropolitan Jovan, and will appoint a locum tenens of the Diocese at an extraordinary session and will specify all the details of the funeral.

Biography of Metropolitan Jovan of Zagreb-Ljubljana 

Metropolitan Jovan Pavlovic of Zagreb and Ljubljana of blessed repose was born on 22 October 1936 in the village Medinci near Podravska Slatina in Slavonia. His parents were Sava and Julka Pavlovic. He finished primary school in his village and junior high school in Podravska Slatina. After that he enrolled at the theological school ‘ Saint Sava’ in Monastery of Rakovica. As a student of the first postwar five-grade generation, he finished high school in 1956.

As a student of the first postwar five-grade generation, he finished high school in 1956. After the theological high school he graduated from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade in 1963, upon which he continued postgraduate studies in Germany at the Evangelistic Academy in Schleswig and at the  Faculty of Theology in Kiel. In Munich he studied Catholic theology and Byzantine studies at the Ludwig –Maximilian University.

He also stayed at the Chevetogne Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Belgium and in Germany he was at Maria Laach Monastery near Koblenz and Niederaltaich Monastery near Munich. After he finished postgraduate studies he came back to the homeland and worked for his Church. The Holy Synod of Bishops appointed him an assistant teacher at the Theological high school in Prizren (Kosovo and Metohija) , where he worked in 1966/1967. At the beginning of the nextschool year 1967/68 he moved to the Theological high school at Monastery Krka as an assistant teacher, where he was tonsured a monk by Bishop Stefan of Dalmatia in 1967. A day after the tonsure he was ordained a hierodeacon, and in 1968 in Kistanje he was ordained a hieromonk.

Besides his teaching duties, responsibilities as the dean of students at the Theological high school, as well as regular monastery duties, father Jovan successfully led the school and monastery library until his election as a Bishop. In 1972 the Holy Synod appoints him as a professor of the Seminary.

He participated as a representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in manyinternational church and religious conferences. By the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops he was elected a Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church on 21 May 1977. He was a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops in a few mandates. He administered the diocese of Slavonia after the death of Bishop Emilijan from 1982-1985. After the repose of Bishop Simeon of Gornji Karlovac he was a locum tenens until the election of Bishop Nikanor. He was a director of the Patriarchate’s agency “Dobrocinstvo”. After the repose of Patriarch German of blessed memory, Bishop Jovan chaired the Holy Synod of Bishops in the Patriarchate of Pec in 1990.

Upon the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops in 1992 he was elected a president of the Diocesan Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Croatia, so in this capacity he signed the Agreement with the President of the Croatian Government on the relations of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

In 1994, due to the decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops, the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Zagreb-Ljubljana was expanded also to the Serbs in the Republic of Italy. In 1995 the Holy Assembly of Bishops appointed him to temporarily take spiritual care of the faithful people and the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Croatia.

Metropolitan Jovan was sincerely dedicated to fostering good relations with Roman Catholic Church.

As the oldest member of the Holy Synod of Bishops Metropolitan Jovan was Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne from June 1989 until the election of Patriarch Pavle in December 1990.

Metropolitan Jovan celebrated 30 years of his hierarchal service on 29 May 2007, on the third day of Pentecost.

He paid a great attention to church press and, in general, to media. He advocated for publishing of magazines, calendars and particularly books of religious, theological and scientific content. He published and wrote many books and articles.

In the cooperation with the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia and their financial help Metropolitan Jovan founded the Serbian Orthodox Grammar school Katarina Brankovic Kantakuzina, an architectural masterpiece, with the chapel, spiritual center and sport fields.

Metropolitan Jovan will be remembered as a true shepherd and a worthy hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

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