Serbian Orthodox Church

Serbian Orthodox Church
Српска православна црква Srpska pravoslavna crkva
Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia
Abbreviation	SOC, СПЦ, SPC
Type	Autocephaly
Classification	Christian
Orientation	Eastern Orthodox
Scripture	Septuagint New Testament
Theology	Eastern Orthodox theology
Polity	Episcopal
Governance	Holy Synod
Structure	Communion
Primate	Patriarch Porfirije
Bishops	47
Parishes	3,100
Dioceses	41
Monasteries	364
Associations	World Council of Churches Conference of European Churches
Language	Church Slavonic (worship) Serbian (sermon and paperwork)
Liturgy	Byzantine Rite
Headquarters	Palace of the Patriarchate, Belgrade
Territory	Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro Croatia Kosovo Slovenia
Possessions	Europe, Americas, Australia
Founder	Saint Sava
Origin	1219 (1219) Kingdom of Serbia
Independence	1219–1463 1557–1766 1879–present
Recognition	1219 (Archbishopric) 1346 (Patriarchate) 1557 (Patriarchate) 1879 (Metropolitanate) 1920 (Patriarchate)
Separated from	Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Separations	Macedonian Orthodox Church (recognized) Montenegrin Orthodox Church (unrecognized)
Members	8 million
Other names	Serbian Patriarchate Serbian Church
Official website	spc.rs

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC; Serbian: Српска православна црква, СПЦ, romanized: Srpska pravoslavna crkva, SPC), also known as the Serbian Patriarchate (Serbian: Српска патријаршија, romanized: Srpska patrijaršija), is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches. It is one of the nine patriarchates and is traditionally ranked sixth in honor and liturgical precedence, following the four ancient patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem) and the Moscow Patriarchate. The primate of the church is the Serbian patriarch.

The Serbian Orthodox Church exercises exclusive jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, and Slovenia, which together constitute its canonical territory.

The church attained autocephalous status as an archbishopric in 1219 under Saint Sava, its first archbishop. In 1346, it was elevated to the rank of a patriarchate and subsequently became known as the Patriarchate of Peć. Following the Ottoman conquest of Serbia, the patriarchate ceased to function in 1463, but was restored in 1557. It was finally abolished by the Ottoman Empire in 1766, although several regional ecclesiastical jurisdictions continued to exist, most notably the Metropolitanate of Karlovci within the Habsburg monarchy. Following the restoration of Serbian statehood, ecclesiastical autonomy was regained in 1831 through the Metropolitanate of Belgrade, which was granted autocephaly in 1879. The modern Serbian Orthodox Church was established in 1920 through the unification of the Metropolitanate of Belgrade with the Patriarchate of Karlovci and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro.