St. Sava’s Orthodoxy

That the Orthodox Church is the best spiritual medium of the national ideal, is known throughout the world. The Serbian Orthodox Church has been this throughout the history of Serbia, from the days of St. Sava, her founder and organiser. St. Sava, the son of King Nemanja,—the most famous of the Serbian kings and founder of the Serbian State, succeeded in setting the seal of Orthodoxy for centuries to come upon this same State. If the father endowed the Serbian State with a body, the son gave it a soul. And later on, when the body of the Serbian State was destroyed by the Turkish invasion, the soul lived on through the centuries, and suffered, and nothing remained unconquered in this soul but her faith, and the tradition of the freedom of the past. The monasteries were centres of trust and hope. The priests were the guides of the people, upholding and comforting them. The Patriarchs of Ypek were in truth patriarchs of the people, and like the patriarchs of old, true representatives of the people and their protectors. When the tyranny of the Turks and Arnauts overstepped all bounds in Old Serbia, and the nation was in danger of being exterminated, the Patriarch Arsenje Carnojevich transferred thirty-six thousand Serbian families across the Save into Srem and Slavonia. Catholic countries were considered brother-lands in which these exiles could find shelter. In the eyes of the people both Orthodoxy and Catholicism were subordinate to the one name—Christianity, and contrasted as one to cruel and bloodthirsty Islam.

In 1804, on the eve of the Serbian Revolt against Turkey, priests were present at the secret gathering in Orashatz, and the leadership of the Rising was offered to one of them, Prota Athanasije, and when he refused, it was offered to Karageorge. Both before and during the Rising, the Church suffered great hardships. Many priests were impaled near Stambulkapia in Belgrade, among them Iguman Paissi, and his deacon Avacum. In 1815, at the beginning of the second Rising, another Iguman, Melentije in Takovo, blessed Prince Milos, encouraged him, and accompanied him in battle. And when the Serbian forces gave way before the Turks at Ljubitz this same Melentije, himself seized the drum and restored the courage of the soldiers. From this he was called “the Drummer,” and this nickname clung to him ever afterwards, even when he became Metropolitan of Serbia.