Arsenius IV (Jovanovic-Sakabenta) of Pec

His Holiness Arsenius IV (Jovanović -Šakabenta) of Pec (also Arsenije), was the Serbian patriarch from 1725 to 1737 and later Metropolitan of Krušedol from 1737 to 1748, although he considered himself patriarch until his death.
==Life==
Only Arsenius's date of birth, 1698, is known. He had a younger brother, Andrija, who was a priest and a sister who married Prince Atanasije Rašković. Arsenius was consecrated bishop in 1722 at a very young age. He was appointed Metropolitan of Novi Pazar and was the successor to Patriarch Mojsije. Patr. Mojsije enthroned Arsenius himself on February 18/29 in 1725. 
Arsenius continued the policies of his predecessors. He traveled extensively and negotiated with the Austrians in order to liberate his people from Turkish rule. When the Turkish-Austrian war broke out, the Serbs rebelled against the Turks. The Turks wanted to capture and kill Patr. Arsenius, but he escaped. After the Austrians were defeated, Patr. Arsenius escaped to Austria along with many other refugees. After the peace treaty was signed the Turks retained Belgrade, Vylayet and the Grand Porta appointed a new patriarch in Peć, Joanikije III Karadža, a Greek from Constantinople.
The Austrian government continued to recognized Arsenius as the patriarch and gave him administration of the Karlovci Metropolitanate, a position in which he had difficulties maintaining Serbian privileges. Patr. Arsenius died on January 7/18 1748 in Karlovci.
 
 
 
Category:Bishops
Category:Patriarchs of Serbia