Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci

Diocese of Belgrade is one of the oldest ecclesiastical institutions in this part of Europe. Ancient Bishopric of Singidunum was an important ecclesiastical center of the late Roman Empire during 4th and 5th century. Its bishops Ursacius and Secundianus were actively involved in religious controversies over Arianism.^[2] That ancient bishopric finally collapsed after 584 when ancient Singidunum was finally destroyed by Avars.

After the Christianization of Slavs, the eparchy was renewed as late as 9th century, with the oldest known bishop of Belgrade being Sergios in 878.^[3] Byzantine rule in Belgrade was reinstated in 1018, and in 1019 Belgrade is mentioned as one of 16 episcopal seats of the Archbishopric of Ohrid.^[4] The Eparchy of Belgrade included also ecclesiastical centres in Gradac, Užice, Bela Crkva, Glavetina, and included 40 clergymen and 40 village priests, making it one of the richest and largest in the Ohrid Archbishopric.^[5] In the early 13th century, Belgrade was a battleground between Hungarian and Bulgarian rulers, and after Hungarian takeover in the 1230s, the Pope Gregory IX organized the eparchies of Belgrade and Braničevo under the newly established Bishopric of Syrmia.^[6] Belgrade and other territory was ceded by the Hungarian king to Serbian king Stefan Dragutin some time after 1284, and the Catholic church organization in Syrmia was suppressed, with the Serbian Orthodox bishop of Mačva being seated at Belgrade.^[7] The Serbian diocese of Mačva most likely stretched throughout the "Syrmian Lands".^[8] At the beginning of the 15th century, during the rule of Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević, metropolitans of Belgrade were among most influential hierarchs of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć. Belgrade fell under Turkish rule in 1521, but Serbian Patriarchate was renewed in 1557 with its seat in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć. During 16th and 17th centuries, Serbian bishops of Belgrade were styled as "Metropolitans of Belgrade and Syrmia".

At the end of the 17th century, regions of Belgrade and Syrmia were separated by the outcome of the Great Turkish War, with Belgrade and Lower Syrmia remaining under Ottoman rule, while Upper Syrmia came under Habsburg rule. In 1708, when the autonomous Serbian Metropolitanate in the Habsburg monarchy was created (Metropolitanate of Karlovci), the Eparchy of Srem became archdiocese of the Metropolitan, whose seat was in Sremski Karlovci. As a result of the Austro-Turkish War, Lower Syrmia and Belgrade came under Habsburg rule. Two seats (Belgrade and Karlovci) were reunited from 1726 to 1739, and then separated again, following the outcome of the Russo-Turkish War.^[9][10]

After that, Eparchy of Srem remained part of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci (Patriarchate of Karlovci after 1848) until 1920, while the Eparchy of Belgrade was returned to jurisdiction of Serbian Patriarchs of Peć. After the abolition of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć in 1766, Eparchy of Belgrade came under jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.^[11]

In 1831, Eastern Orthodox Church in Principality of Serbia gained its autonomy from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Belgrade became the seat of the archbishop who was now metropolitan of Serbia.^[12] In that time, territory of the archeparchy was very large and included regions of present-day dioceses of Šumadija and Braničevo. The Metropolitanate gained autocephaly in 1879.^[13]

In 1920, after the unification of all Serbian ecclesiastical units into one united Serbian Orthodox Church, old Eparchy of Srem with its seat in Sremski Karlovci came under direct administration of the archbishop of Belgrade who was also the Serbian patriarch. Formal unification of two eparchies was completed in 1931 when Archdiocese of Belgrade was joined with the Eparchy of Srem into the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci.^{[citation needed]} In that time, the city of Pančevo was transferred from Eparchy of Vršac to the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci. In 1947, Eparchy of Srem and Eparchy of Šumadija were excluded from the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci and were transformed into separate dioceses. The city of Pančevo was returned to the Eparchy of Banat. Although, the name of the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci includes the name of the town of Sremski Karlovci, this town is today part of the Eparchy of Srem and not of the Archdiocese of Belgrade and Karlovci which nowadays encompasses the City of Belgrade.

• Rakovica (Rakovica)
• St. Archangel Gabriel (Zemun)
• Vavedenje (Savski Venac)
• Rajinovac (Grocka)

• 
  Palace of the Patriarchate
• 
  Church of Saint Sava
• 
  Church of Saint Mark
• 
  Rakovica Monastery
• 
  Vavedenje Monastery

• List of eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church