Vikentije of Serbia

His Holiness Vikentije (Prodanov) (also Vicentius; in Serbian: Викентије (Проданов), Милошћу Божијом православни Архиепископ пећки, Митрополит Београдско-Карловачки и патријарх српски) was Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church from 1950 to 1958.
== Early life ==
He was born as Vitomir (Bитомир) into the family Đorđe (Ђорђе) and Jelka (Јелка), August 24, 1890, in Bačko Petrovo Selo. He finished primary school in his birthplace in 1901. He graduated from Grand Serbian Orthodox Gymnasium in Novi Sad in 1909. Vitomir continued his education in the Serbian Orthodox Theology School in Sremski Karlovci, graduating in 1913. He was a teacher in his birthplace, Bačko Petrovo Selo, for a couple of months. Georgije (Letić), Bishop of Temišvar, appointed him consistorial subnotary of Diocese of Temišvar on June 1, 1917. He took monastic vows in Bezdin Monastery August 18 (August 5, Old Style) in front of Archimandrite Isak (Došen) and was given the name Vikentije. He was ordained a deacon on September 12 by Bp. Georgije. Vikentije was transferred to the post of consistorial notary of the Diocese of Bačka in 1919. He was raised to ranks of protodeacon and archdeacon. From 1921 to 1932 he served as secretary of the executive board of monasteries in Karlovci Metropolitanate. He continued his education at the Philosophical Faculty in Belgrade, graduating in 1929, having studied National and Byzantine History. Vikentije was ordained a hieromonk on October 18/31, 1929, and raised to the rank of archimandrite on November 20/December 3. He was elected Secretary General of the Sentence Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1932. He remained in this position until he was elected vicar bishop of Marča, June 21/July 4. He was consecrated by Patriarch Varnava and Bishops Irinej of Bačka, Serafim of Raška and Prizren, Sava of Srem, and Platon of Moravice.
== As Bishop ==
Bp. Vikentije remained a vicar until 1939 when he was elected Bishop of Zletovo and Strumica. He was also assigned as administrator of the Diocese of Ohrid and Bitola in 1940. He was exiled from Zletovo by Bulgarian fascists. After World War II, the Communist regime did not allow him to return from exile as the Communists wanted to create a Macedonian Orthodox Church separate from the Church of Serbia. He was administrator of Diocese of Žiča from 1947 to 1951 by wish of St. Nikolaj, and of the Diocese of Srem (1947-1951).
 
== As Patriarch ==
Bp. Vikentije was elected Patriarch of Serbia on July 1/14, 1950. He visited several other national churches in order to strengthen ties which had been weakened during the war. He put enormous energy into trying to resolve the problem of Pension Security funds for priests. Patr. Vikentije opposed the foundation of the so-called Macedonian Church. He was an eminent historian and a member of the Society of Historians of Vojvodina. He was editor-in-chief of their gazette.
Patr. Vikentije died under mysterious circumstances after a session of the holy assembly of bishops. The assembly rejected suggestions of the communist regime to approve the foundation of the Macedonian church. His death seemed not to be natural. He died on July 5, 1958. He was buried in the tomb of Metr. Mihajlo in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Beograd.
Category:Bishops
Category:Patriarchs of Serbia