Christianization of the Serbs

Serbian Orthodox Church Српска православна црква Srpska pravoslavna crkva

Founder	Saint Sava
Independence	1219–1463 1557–1766 1920–present
Recognition	1219 (autocephaly) 1346 (Patriarchate)
Primate	Serbian Patriarch Irinej
Headquarters	Belgrade; traditionally Patriarchal Monastery of Peć
Territory	Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia
Possessions	North, Central and Western Europe, Americas, Australia
Language	Serbian and Church Slavonic
Members	8 to 12 million
Bishops	44
Parishes	3,100
Website	www.spc.rs

The Serbian Orthodox Church (Serbian: Српска православна црква / Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. It is the second oldest Slavic Orthodox Church in the world (after the Bulgarian Orthodox Church).

The Serbian Orthodox Church comprises the majority of population in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is organized into metropolises and eparchies located primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia, but also all over the world where Serb diaspora lives.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is an , or ecclesiastically independent, member of the Orthodox communion. Serbian Patriarch serves as first among equals in his church; the current patriarch is Irinej. The Church achieved autocephalous status in 1219 under the leadership of St. Sava, becoming independent Archbishopric of Žiča. Its status was elevated to that of a patriarchate in 1346, and was known afterwards as the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć. This patriarchate was abolished by the Ottoman Turks in 1766. The modern Serbian Orthodox Church was re-established in 1920 after the unification of the Patriarchate of Karlovci, the Metropolitanate of Belgrade and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro.