Patriarch German
Encyclopedia
Patriarch
German was the 43rd Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church from 1958 to 1990. Nicknamed the red patriarch by his opponents, he was successful in revitalizing the Serbian Orthodox Church
to a certain extent during the Communist period, despite two schism
s that occurred during his tenure.
The full title of German was: His Holiness, the Archbishop of Peć
, Metropolitan of Belgrade
and Karlovci
, Serbian Patriarch German
in central Serbia
, in a minister
ial family. He received a broad education and was a most educated member of the Serbian clergy, attending primary school in Velika Drenova
and Kruševac
, seminary
in Belgrade
and Sremski Karlovci
(graduating in 1921), studying law in Paris
' Sorbonne
and finally graduating from the University of Belgrade
's Orthodox Theology Faculty in 1942.
He was ordained a deacon
, appointed the clerk of the Spiritual Court in Čačak
and also a catechist in the Čačak's high school. Due to ill health, he left the administrative jobs and was ordained a presbyter
, receiving his own parish
of Miokovci. In 1931 he moved to Vrnjačka Banja
and in 1938 became a referent of the Holy Synod
of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In that capacity, he was ordained a vicar
bishop of Moravica
and, becoming a widower, a monk
in Studenica monastery, acquiring the name German (Herman).
In 1951 he was appointed a bishop of Budim in Hungary
, becoming at the same time the secretary general of the Holy Synod and editor in chief of the Glasnik, the official gazette of the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, as Hungarian authorities didn't approve his appointment neither allowed him to enter the country, so he was never officially ordained. In 1956 he was appointed the bishop of Žiča
, at that time, semi-officially, the second office of importance in the church, after the patriarch. In this capacity, he was also an administrator (acting bishop) of Budimlja-Polimlje and Raška
-Prizren
eparchies.
suddenly died on July 5, 1958, internal strife struck the church leadership and no agreement could be reached on who would succeed him. German was not even appointed as the guardian of the throne (acting patriarch), instead the bishop of Braničevo
, Hrizostom Vojinović was appointed to vacate the post. It is believed that German's election was a compromise, but the still popular story 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!"
German was elected the 43rd Patriarch of Peć on September 14, 1958. However some sources claim a much higher number, as a result of over a dozen of people who occupied the throne, but were not officially ordained or recognized as such (such as several rebel-patriarchs in the 16th century during the Ottoman
occupation) or the Patriarchs of Karlovci
in Austria-Hungary
which are not counted in the list of official patriarchs (especially not as patriarchs of Peć, instead calling themselves patriarchs of the Serbs).
patriarch from the beginning, especially from the dioceses from abroad. This was one of the reason of the split of the diocese of New Gračanica in North America
in 1963, and the appointment of two bishops, one schismatic and another loyal to German. The problem was solved in 1992 in the early period of German's successor, patriarch Pavle, when the split diocese rejoined the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church, thus suggesting that the problem was perhaps more a personal, rather than a dogmatic dispute.
The schism of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
is a much deeper and complicated issue. It began in 1958, the very year of German's election, with an allegedly willing acceptance of the autonomy of Ohrid Archbishopric
proclaimed by the archbishop Dositheus II. This was a great blow to German's religious authority as it was a forced acceptance, pushed by the Communist Party
. In the next 9 years, patriarch and archibshop held several joint liturgies
, even with the heads of other Orthodox Churches. However, in 1967, archbishop Dositheus completely split his archbishopric (within the borders of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
) from the mother church, claiming heritage from the Greek-Bulgarian-Serbian Archbishopric of Ohrid
, which had been non-existent for 200 years. 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, German's example was followed by all the other Orthodox Churches, as it is to this day. The problem continued after German and the breakup of Yugoslavia, and it became a highly political issue, not only with the Serbian Orthodox Church, but with the Church of Greece
and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
.
He oversaw the finishing works on the new seminary complex of buildings in Belgrade (including the campus) in 1958, so today the entire neighborhood surrounding the complex is known as Bogoslovija
(Serbian for seminary). He also opened new seminary in the Krka monastery
in SR Croatia. He was very involved in appointing bishops, staunchily pushing his own candidates, especially in the case of the metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral after the Communists arrested bishop Arsenije Bradvarović in 1954, but German managed to appoint his protege, Danilo Dajković in 1961. He also sent many priests to SR Montenegro as clerical activities had almost completely ceased there after the war.
In 1984 German visited the site of the Jasenovac concentration camp
, saying a now famous line: Oprostiti moramo, zaboraviti ne smemo (To forgive, we must ...to forget, we must not).
Many consider German's greatest achievement to be his successful campaign for the resumption of the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, which was stopped in 1941. In 26 years from his appointment, he urged Communist government 88 times until they finally authorized the construction to continue in 1984. Being a massive project, the temple is still not completed.
Patriarch German was a pragmatic religious leader in times that were very oppressive for religion. After the death of Josip Broz Tito
in 1980, he slowly pushed church issues as Yugoslav society changed and nationalism grew among the various peoples, and in the end he was universally popular among the Serbs
and had become a part of the Serbian social elite.
In 1989, patriarch German broke his hip, which led to a series of surgeries and repeated injuries, so the already old patriarch was unable to perform his duties. As a result of this, the Holy Synod declared him incapacitated on August 27, 1990, and appointed the metropolitan bishop of Zagreb
and Ljubljana
Jovan Pavlović as the guardian of the throne and elected the new patriarch, Pavle, on December 1, 1990. Patriarch German died in the VMA
hospital in Belgrade on August 27, 1991, aged 92, and was buried in Belgrade's St. Mark's Church
.
His tenure of 32 years is one of the longest in the history of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
German was the 43rd Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church from 1958 to 1990. Nicknamed the red patriarch by his opponents, he was successful in revitalizing the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
to a certain extent during the Communist period, despite two schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
s that occurred during his tenure.
The full title of German was: His Holiness, the Archbishop of Peć
Patriarchate of Pec
The Patriarchate of Peć is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Peć. The complex of churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs....
, Metropolitan of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
, Serbian Patriarch German
Education and early career
Patriarch German was born Hranislav Đorić on August 19, 1899 in the spa of Jošanička BanjaJošanicka Banja
Jošanička Banja is a spa town in Serbia. It is situated in the Raška municipality, in the Raška District. Jošanička Banja in Serbian means Jošanička Spa. The population of the town is 1,154 people ....
in central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...
, in a minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
ial family. He received a broad education and was a most educated member of the Serbian clergy, attending primary school in Velika Drenova
Velika Drenova
Velika Drenova is a village of about 5,000 inhabitants in Trstenik municipality, Rasina District, Serbia. It is located on the Zapadna Morava River in the central Serbian area of Šumadija. Velika Drenova is the biggest producer of vine in Serbia and vinegrapes are a major export. Velika Drenova is...
and Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
, seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
(graduating in 1921), studying law in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
' Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and finally graduating from the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
's Orthodox Theology Faculty in 1942.
He was ordained a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
, appointed the clerk of the Spiritual Court in Čačak
Cacak
Čačak is a city in central Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Moravica District of Serbia. Čačak is also the main industrial, cultural and sport center of the district...
and also a catechist in the Čačak's high school. Due to ill health, he left the administrative jobs and was ordained a presbyter
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
, receiving his own parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Miokovci. In 1931 he moved to Vrnjačka Banja
Vrnjacka Banja
Vrnjačka Banja is a town, municipality, and a resort, mineral spa located in Raška District of Serbia. It contains the world's only hot spring with a temperature measuring exactly that of the human body ....
and in 1938 became a referent of the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In that capacity, he was ordained a vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
bishop of Moravica
Moravica
Moravica can refer to:* Moravica District in Serbia.* Golijska Moravica, river in western Serbia.* Sokobanjska Moravica, river in eastern Serbia* Preševska Moravica, river in southern Serbia* Stara Moravica, a village near Bačka Topola, Serbia....
and, becoming a widower, a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in Studenica monastery, acquiring the name German (Herman).
In 1951 he was appointed a bishop of Budim in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, becoming at the same time the secretary general of the Holy Synod and editor in chief of the Glasnik, the official gazette of the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, as Hungarian authorities didn't approve his appointment neither allowed him to enter the country, so he was never officially ordained. In 1956 he was appointed the bishop of Žiča
Žica
Žiča is an early 13th century Serb Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of Serbia, Stefan the First-Crowned and the first Head of the Serbian Church, Saint Sava....
, at that time, semi-officially, the second office of importance in the church, after the patriarch. In this capacity, he was also an administrator (acting bishop) of Budimlja-Polimlje and Raška
Raška (state)
Principality of Serbia or Serbian Principality was an early medieval state of the Serbs ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty, that existed from ca 768 to 969 in Southeastern Europe. It was established through an unification of several provincial chiefs under the supreme rule of a certain Višeslav,...
-Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
eparchies.
Appointment controversy
When patriarch VikentijePatriarch Vikentije
Patriarch Vikentije , born Vitomir Prodanov was the fourth partriach of the reunified Serbian Orthodox Church, from 1950 until his death.-References:...
suddenly died on July 5, 1958, internal strife struck the church leadership and no agreement could be reached on who would succeed him. German was not even appointed as the guardian of the throne (acting patriarch), instead the bishop of Braničevo
Branicevo
Braničevo can refer to:* Braničevo , a geographical region in Serbia.* Braničevo District, a district in Serbia.* Braničevo , a village in Serbia, in the Golubac municipality....
, Hrizostom Vojinović was appointed to vacate the post. It is believed that German's election was a compromise, but the still popular story is that Aleksandar Ranković
Aleksandar Rankovic
Aleksandar "Leka" Ranković was a Yugoslav communist politician of Serbian origin considered to be the third most powerful man in Yugoslavia after Josip Broz Tito and Edvard Kardelj....
, the top Serbian Communist official at that time, and later Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's deputy, entered the Holy Synod's session, bringing German inside, and saying: "This is your new patriarch!"
German was elected the 43rd Patriarch of Peć on September 14, 1958. However some sources claim a much higher number, as a result of over a dozen of people who occupied the throne, but were not officially ordained or recognized as such (such as several rebel-patriarchs in the 16th century during the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
occupation) or the Patriarchs of Karlovci
Patriarchate of Karlovci
The Patriarchate of Karlovci was a patriarchate of the Orthodox Church that existed between 1848 and 1920. It was formed in 1848, when former Metropolitanate of Karlovci was elevated to the rank of patriarchate. The Patriarchate of Karlovci existed until 1920, when it was merged with...
in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
which are not counted in the list of official patriarchs (especially not as patriarchs of Peć, instead calling themselves patriarchs of the Serbs).
Schisms
Whether the story of his appointment was true or constructed later by his opponents, German was labeled a redRed flag
In politics, a red flag is a symbol of Socialism, or Communism, or sometimes left-wing politics in general. It has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution. Socialists adopted the symbol during the Revolutions of 1848 and it became a symbol of communism as a result of its...
patriarch from the beginning, especially from the dioceses from abroad. This was one of the reason of the split of the diocese of New Gračanica in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1963, and the appointment of two bishops, one schismatic and another loyal to German. The problem was solved in 1992 in the early period of German's successor, patriarch Pavle, when the split diocese rejoined the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church, thus suggesting that the problem was perhaps more a personal, rather than a dogmatic dispute.
The schism of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
Macedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
is a much deeper and complicated issue. It began in 1958, the very year of German's election, with an allegedly willing acceptance of the autonomy of Ohrid Archbishopric
Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia
The Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia is the title given to the primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. The Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia exercises jurisdiction over the Macedonian Orthodox Church members in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in diaspora...
proclaimed by the archbishop Dositheus II. This was a great blow to German's religious authority as it was a forced acceptance, pushed by the Communist Party
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
. In the next 9 years, patriarch and archibshop held several joint liturgies
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, even with the heads of other Orthodox Churches. However, in 1967, archbishop Dositheus completely split his archbishopric (within the borders of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
) from the mother church, claiming heritage from the Greek-Bulgarian-Serbian Archbishopric of Ohrid
Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ochrid was an autonomous Orthodox Church under the tutelage of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1019 and 1767...
, which had been non-existent for 200 years. 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, German's example was followed by all the other Orthodox Churches, as it is to this day. The problem continued after German and the breakup of Yugoslavia, and it became a highly political issue, not only with the Serbian Orthodox Church, but with the Church of Greece
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
.
Revitalization and consequences
German set to revitalize the Serbian Orthodox Church, which was greatly oppressed by the Communist government. During his entire tenure, he kept a low profile, while achieving certain goals in this direction. Despite harsh conditions, he managed to form several new dioceses: Western Europe (1969), Australia (1973), Vranje (1975) and Canada (1983).He oversaw the finishing works on the new seminary complex of buildings in Belgrade (including the campus) in 1958, so today the entire neighborhood surrounding the complex is known as Bogoslovija
Bogoslovija
Bogoslovija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is mostly located in Belgrade's municipality of Palilula, with some parts belonging to the municipality of Zvezdara....
(Serbian for seminary). He also opened new seminary in the Krka monastery
Krka monastery
Krka Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Archangel Michael, located near the river Krka, 3 km east of Kistanje, in central Dalmatia, Croatia...
in SR Croatia. He was very involved in appointing bishops, staunchily pushing his own candidates, especially in the case of the metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral after the Communists arrested bishop Arsenije Bradvarović in 1954, but German managed to appoint his protege, Danilo Dajković in 1961. He also sent many priests to SR Montenegro as clerical activities had almost completely ceased there after the war.
In 1984 German visited the site of the Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp was the largest extermination camp in the Independent State of Croatia and occupied Yugoslavia during World War II...
, saying a now famous line: Oprostiti moramo, zaboraviti ne smemo (To forgive, we must ...to forget, we must not).
Many consider German's greatest achievement to be his successful campaign for the resumption of the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, which was stopped in 1941. In 26 years from his appointment, he urged Communist government 88 times until they finally authorized the construction to continue in 1984. Being a massive project, the temple is still not completed.
Patriarch German was a pragmatic religious leader in times that were very oppressive for religion. After the death of Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
in 1980, he slowly pushed church issues as Yugoslav society changed and nationalism grew among the various peoples, and in the end he was universally popular among the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and had become a part of the Serbian social elite.
In 1989, patriarch German broke his hip, which led to a series of surgeries and repeated injuries, so the already old patriarch was unable to perform his duties. As a result of this, the Holy Synod declared him incapacitated on August 27, 1990, and appointed the metropolitan bishop of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
Jovan Pavlović as the guardian of the throne and elected the new patriarch, Pavle, on December 1, 1990. Patriarch German died in the VMA
Vojnomedicinska akademija
Military Medical Academy , often simply called VMA , is a military hospital centre in the Banjica neighbourhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It was founded in 1844...
hospital in Belgrade on August 27, 1991, aged 92, and was buried in Belgrade's St. Mark's Church
St. Mark's Church
St. Mark's Church is a Serb Orthodox place of worship in Belgrade, Serbia. The church is located in the Tašmajdan park in Belgrade, near the Parliament of Serbia. There is a small Russian church for Russian Orthodox faithful next to St. Mark's.-History:The Church of the Holy Apostle and...
.
His tenure of 32 years is one of the longest in the history of the Serbian Orthodox Church.