Mojsije I

Mojsije I Rajović (Serbian Cyrillic: Мојсије I Рајовић; died 13 (24) April 1730 in Novi Pazar) was the Patriarch of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć from 1712 to 1724, with seat in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć.^[1]

Before he became the Serbian Patriarch, Mojsije served as Metropolitan of Raška, from 1704, under Patriarch Kalinik I. That was traditionally a very prominent position, so when the next Patriarch Atanasije I died in 1712, Mojsije was elected as his successor. His seat was in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć.^[2]

During the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18, Belgrade was liberated from Ottoman rule together with northern parts of Serbia and Temes Banat. In those regions new ecclesiastical province for Orthodox Serbs in Habsburg Monarchy was formed, known as the Metropolitanate of Belgrade. It was headed by metropolitan Mojsije Petrović, who received blessings and confirmation from Patriarch Mojsije. New autonomous Metropolitanate of Belgrade had jurisdiction over Kingdom of Serbia and Temes Banat.^[3]

By 1724, the ailing patriarch Mojsije decided, under the burden of old age and poor health, to transfer his authority to the Metropolitan of Raška, named Arsenije, who became new Serbian Patriarch. After abdication from the patriarchal throne, he spent the rest of his days at the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery and also in Novi Pazar, where he died on 13 (24) April 1730.^[4]