Gavrilo V, Serbian Patriarch

Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo V Српски патријарх Гаврило V
His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch
Church	Serbian Orthodox Church
See	Belgrade
Installed	21 February 1938
Term ended	7 May 1950
Predecessor	Varnava I
Successor	Vikentije II
Orders
Ordination	1900
Consecration	1911
Personal details
Birth name	Đorđe Dožić
Born	17 May 1881 Vrujci, Principality of Montenegro
Died	7 May 1950 (aged 68) Belgrade, Serbia, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia

Gavrilo Dožić (Serbian Cyrillic: Гаврило Дожић; 17 May 1881 – 7 May 1950), also known as Gavrilo V, was the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral (1920–1938) and the 41st Serbian Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (1938–1950)^[1]

Early life

Đorđe Dožić (Ђорђе Дожић) was born on 17 May 1881 in Vrujci, Kolašin, Lower Morača, Montenegro, near Morača Monastery. His family belonged to the Medenica brotherhood.^[2] He finished primary school at the monastery, as a pupil of his paternal uncle, archimandrite Mihailo.^[2] He went to theological schools in Prizren (Seminary of Prizren) and the Prince Islands (Halki seminary).^[3] He finished the theological faculty in Athens (University of Athens).^[3] He worked as the secretary of the monastery of Hilandar.^[4]

Bishop

After bishop Nićifor Perić of Raška-Prizren withdrew from his office (1911), due to disagreement with the Serbian diplomacy, the Patriarchate of Constantinople appointed Gavrilo as successor, as the Serbian diplomacy wanted. There was a conflict within the Serbian Church regarding the appointment of Gavrilo; the "Old Serbs" (clergy from Kosovo and Macedonia) wanted their candidate, the previous secretary of the Eparchy of Skoplje, monk Vasilije (Bogdan) Radenković.^[4] While waiting for the Ottoman government approval, the Serbian government changed the decision and ordered through the consuls that Ottoman Serbs request that Radenković be appointed instead. However, Gavrilo ended up being chosen. Meanwhile, Radenković became a founder of the Black Hand conspiracy group.

Metropolitan

After the death of Mitrofan Ban, the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, in 1920, Gavrilo was picked as the new Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral on 17 November 1920. He stayed in this position until he was chosen to become the 51st Serbian Patriarch on 21 February 1938.

Patriarch

During World War II Patriarch Gavrilo and Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović were incarcerated at Dachau. After the Allied victory and the liberation of concentration camps, both Patriarch Gavrilo and Bishop Nikolaj went to England to live. But after a short stay, Patriarch Gavrilo decided to return home to die.

Detention and imprisonment in World War II

During World War II in 1941, as soon as the German forces occupied Yugoslavia, Patriarch Gavrilo was arrested by the Nazis in the Monastery of Žiča, after which he was confined in the Monastery of Ljubostinja. Later he was transferred to the Monastery of Vojlovica (near Pančevo) in which he was confined together with Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović until the end of 1944.

On September 15, 1944 both Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo V (Dožić) and Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović were sent to the Dachau concentration camp, which was at that time the main concentration camp for priests arrested by the Nazis. Both Dožić and Velimirović were held as special prisoners (Ehrenhäftlinge) imprisoned in the so-called Ehrenbunker (or Prominentenbunker) separated from the work camp area, together with high-ranking Nazi enemy officers and other prominent prisoners whose arrest has been dictated by Hitler directly.[2] In December 1944 they were transferred from Dachau to Slovenia, together with Milan Nedić, the Serbian collaborationist PM, and German general Hermann Neubacher, the first Nazi mayor of Vienna (1938–1939), as the Nazis attempted to make use of Patriarch Gavrilo's and Nikolaj's authority among the Serbs in order to gain allies in the anti-Communist movements. Contrary to claims of torture and abuse at the camp, Patriarch Dožić testified himself that both he and Velimirović were treated normally by the guards. The statement "treated normally", if made by Patriarch Gavrilo (Dozić), was made at the time when Nazi Germany still held sway in Yugoslavia.

Later, Patriarch Dožić and Bishop Nikolaj were moved to Austria, and were finally liberated by the US 36th Infantry Division in Tyrol in 1945.

Last years

He was physically weakened by these vicissitudes and grew to look very old and frail. Soon after, he was taken to England. Both Dožić and Velimirović were at Westminster Abbey at the baptism of King Peter II of Yugoslavia's son and heir, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia. Velimirović preached a very moving sermon at the Serbian Orthodox chapel in the house in Egerton Gardens. But there was no place for him in England such as there had been during the First World War. Patriarch Gavrilo, being old and ill, returned to what then came to be known as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while Bishop Nikolaj opted to emigrate to the United States.

Patriarch Gavrilo died on 7 May 1950, aged 68, in Belgrade, Serbia. He was buried in the Cathedral Church.

References

Sources

• Dušan N. Štrbac; Savez udruženja pravoslavnog sveštenstva FNR Jugoslavije (1960). Spomenica pravoslavnih sveštenika, žrtava fašističkog terora i palih u narodnooslobodilačkoj borbi. Savez udruženja pravoslavnog sveštenstva FNRJ. 
• Ljubomir Durković-Jakšić (1980). Učešće patrijarha Gavrila i Srpske pravoslavne crkve u događajima ispred i za vreme 27. marta 1941. i njihovo stradanje u toku rata: povodom 30-godišnice od smrti patrijarha Gavrila. Sveti arhijerejski sinod Srpske pravoslavne crkve. 
• Radmila Radić (1998). Hilandar u državnoj politici kraljevine Srbije i Jugoslavije 1896-1970. Službeni list SRJ. 

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Serbian Orthodox monasteries Serbia Banjska* Bavanište Bođani Devič* Gračanica* Holy Archangels* Banja Beočin Bukovo Ćelije Crna Reka Đurđevi stupovi Fenek Gorioč* Gornjak Gradac Hajdučica Kalenić Kastaljan Koporin Kovilj Ljubostinja Manasija Mesić Mileševa Nimnik Poganovo Pokajnica Prohor Pčinjski Pustinja Rača Rajinovac Ravanica Rukumija St. Nicholas Sopoćani Studenica Suvodol Tronoša Tuman Vitovnica Bešenovo Divša Grgeteg Jazak Krušedol Kuveždin Mala Remeta Novo Hopovo Petkovica Patriarchate of Peć* Privina Glava Rakovac Staro Hopovo Šišatovac Velika Remeta Vrdnik-Ravanica Holy Trinity St. Melanija Sombor Središte Vojlovica Visoki Dečani* Zemun Žiča Zočište* Montenegro Bijela Beška Cetinje Ćelije Dajbabe Dobrilovina Donji Donji Brčeli Dovolja Dubočica Duljevo Đurđevi Stupovi Gradište Kaludra Kom Kosijerevo Majstorovina Miholjska Prevlaka Morača Moračnik Nikoljac Orahovo Ostrog Piva Podmaine Podmalinsko Podostrog Podvrh Praskvica Reževići Savina Stanjevići Starčeva Gorica St. Nicholas, Obod Vranjina Bosnia & Herzegovina Bišnja Detlak Dobrićevo Dobrun Dragaljevac Duga Njiva Duži Glogovac Gomionica Hercegovačka Gračanica Ilinka Karno Klisina Knežina Krupa Liplje Lomnica Lovnica Moštanica Ozren Papraća Petropavlov Pjenovac Rmanj Rožanj Sase Sokolica Stuplje St. Nicholas St. Basil of Ostrog Tavna Treskavac Tvrdoš Veselinje Vozuća Zavala Žitomislić Croatia Dragović Gomirje Komogovina Krka Krupa Lazarica Lepavina Oćestovo Orahovica Sv. Nedjelje Sv. Petke St. Basil of Ostrog Others Hilandar (Mount Athos) New Gračanica Monastery (USA) Notes * indicate monasteries in Kosovo, which is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries
Serbian Orthodox churches Serbia Church of Saint Sava St. Michael's Cathedral St. George, Banovo Brdo Ružica St. Mark's Church St. Basil of Ostrog St. Achillius, Arilje Peter's Church, Ras Cave Church, Lukovo Štava Church Odžaklija Kađenica Lazarica Church Church of St. George, Lukovo Church of Holy Ascension, Krupanj Saint George's Cathedral (Novi Sad) the Assumption, Zrenjanin Our Lady of Ljeviš* Church of the Virgin Hodegetria* Church of St. Elijah, Podujevo* Church of St. Nicholas, Prizren* Mala Gospojina Church* Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Pristina* Montenegro Cathedral of Podgorica Vlah Church Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Sarajevo Old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo Church of the Holy Transfiguration, Sarajevo Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Banja Luka Church of St. George, Sopotnica Church of St. Nikola, Dobrelja Old Church of St. Nicholas, Javorani Croatia Church of the Holy Venerable Mother Parascheva Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trpinja Church of St. Nicholas, Vukovar Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci Church of St. George, Kneževo Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Negoslavci Church of Pentecost, Markušica Church of St. George, Bobota Church of St. Stephen, Borovo Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Srijemske Laze Church of St. Peter and Paul, Bolman Church of St. Stefan Štiljanović, Karanac Church of St. Nicholas, Mirkovci Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Gaboš Church of St. Nicholas, Jagodnjak Church of St. Demetrius, Dalj Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Zagreb Church of St. George, Grubišno Polje Church of St. Nicholas, Karlovac Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Drežnica Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Štikada Church of St. George, Varaždin Church of the Holy Annunciation, Dubrovnik Orthodox Church in Knin Church of St. Peter and Paul, Tepljuh St. Spyridon Church, Peroj Church of St. Nicholas, Rijeka Church of St. Nicholas, Vrlika Orthodox church of Holy Salvation, Cetina United Kingdom Church of St Sava, Notting Hill, London Church of the Holy Prince Lazar, Birmingham Serbian Orthodox Church, Halifax St. Nicholas, West Wycombe United States Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, USA Trinity Chapel Complex, USA Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Jackson, California), USA Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (Merrillville, Indiana), USA St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), USA Other countries St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto), Canada Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Slovenia Serbian Church in Arad, Romania St. Sava Church, Paris, France Saint Spyridon Church, Trieste, Italy Annunciation Church, Szentendre, Hungary Transfiguration Church, Szentendre, Hungary Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Stockholm, Sweden Notes * indicate churches in Kosovo, which is the subject of a territorial dispute between Serbia and Kosovo.
Serbian saints St. Angelina St. Basil of Ostrog St. Danilo II St. Gavrilo Rajić St. Helen of Anjou St. Jovan Vladimir St. Prince Lazar / St. Princess Milica St. Makarije Sokolović St. Maksim Branković St. Nikodim I St. Nikolaj Velimirović St. Peter of Cetinje St. Sava St. Sava II St. Simeon the Monk St. Simeon the Myrrh-flowing St. Stefan Lazarević St. Stefan Štiljanović St. Stefan Uroš St. Stefan of Dečani St. Stefan the Blind St. Stefan of Piperi St. Teodor Komogovinski St. Vladislav St. Vukašin St. Georgije Bogić