Serbian Patriarchate of Peć

Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (Serbian: Српска патријаршија у Пећи, romanized: Srpska patrijaršija u Peći), commonly known as the Peć Patriarchate (Serbian: Пећка патријаршија, romanized: Pećka patrijaršija), was an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox patriarchate that existed from 1346 to 1463, and then again from 1557 to 1766 with its seat in the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery. Primates of the Patriarchate were styled Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch.

Medieval Period

Since 1219, the Eastern Orthodox Church in the medieval Kingdom of Serbia was organized as an autocephalous archbishopric seated at first at the Žiča Monastery and since the middle of the 13th century at the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery. Expansion of the Serbian medieval state culminated under the reign of King Stefan Dušan (1331–1355), who conquered many western provinces of the declining Byzantine Empire. Since 1334, the seat of the ancient Archbishopric of Ohrid was under Serbian rule, and by 1345 Serbian forces completed the conquest of northern Greece, including the city of Serres, capital of eastern Macedonia and the seat of an important metropolitanate. To mark the occasion, Stefan Dušan was proclaimed Emperor on 25 December 1345 (Christmas) in Serres. Since it was customary for an emperor to be crowned by a patriarch, newly proclaimed Tsar Stefan Dušan decided to convoke a joint state and church assembly (sabor) that was held on 16 April 1346 (Easter) in the Serbian capital city of Skopje. This assembly was attended by Serbian Archbishop Joanikije II, Archbishop Nicholas I of Ohrid, Patriarch Simeon of Bulgaria and many other hierarchs and church dignitaries, including monastic leaders of Mount Athos. The assembly proclaimed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the rank of Patriarchate. The Archbishop of Peć was titled Serbian Patriarch, and his seat at the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery became the patriarchal residence.