The Holy Hieromartyr Joannicius (Lipovac), Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral
Life
Joannicius (Joanikije Lipovac), Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, was a Serbian Orthodox hierarch killed during the closing months of the Second World War and numbered among the new-martyrs of the twentieth century. Born in the Bay of Kotor in 1890, he served as a parish priest and theological teacher before being raised to the episcopate, and he led the Montenegrin metropolitanate through the upheavals of wartime occupation and the Communist takeover of Yugoslavia.
Captured in 1945 while attempting to leave the country with a body of his clergy, he was put to death by the Yugoslav Partisans. The Serbian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1999, adding his name to the calendar of Serbian saints. His record in this database is held as a stub at the saint's own commemoration; biographical detail here is drawn from external sources and remains subject to clergy and source review.
Timeline 6 moments
ReadHide
1890Birth in the Bay of KotorHe was born Jovan Lipovac on 16 February 1890 in Stoliv, on the Bay of Kotor, then within the Kingdom of Dalmatia under Austria-Hungary.
before 1939Priest and teacherHe studied theology at Zadar and philosophy at the University of Belgrade, was ordained a priest, served parishes at Kotor and Lastva, and taught in Belgrade from 1925 to 1940.
1939–1940Consecration as bishopFollowing the death of his wife he was elected Auxiliary Bishop of Budimlja at the end of 1939 and took monastic vows under the name Joanikije; he was consecrated bishop on 11 February 1940 in the Belgrade Cathedral.
1940Metropolitan of Montenegro and the LittoralOn 10 December 1940 he was elected Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, an office he held until his death in 1945.
1945Capture and martyrdomAs Communist forces advanced he attempted to leave Yugoslavia together with a body of his priests. The group was captured; he was taken to the region of Arandjelovac and put to death by the Partisans on 18 June 1945.
1999CanonizationAt a regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1999, he was canonized and his name added to the list of Serbian saints.
Contributions & Legacy
2 contributions
ReadHide
Episcopal Ministry
Before his elevation to the episcopate, Joannicius served as a parish priest in the Bay of Kotor region and as a teacher in Belgrade. After his wife's death he entered monastic life and was consecrated a bishop in early 1940, taking the title Bishop of Budimlja, before his election later that year as Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.
As metropolitan he sought to keep the life of his diocese functioning through the disruption of wartime occupation, maintaining the Cetinje Seminary. By tradition he counselled his clergy to abstain from political engagement amid the conflicting forces contending for control of Montenegro.
Martyrdom and Veneration
In the final phase of the war, as the Communist-led Partisans consolidated power, Joannicius attempted to flee the country in the company of a number of his priests. The party was captured; according to the sources the priests were shot and the metropolitan himself was taken to the area of Arandjelovac and killed. The location of his remains is recorded as unknown.
The Serbian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1999, numbering him among the new-martyrs and hieromartyrs of the twentieth century. This database commemorates him on 4 June (Old Style). His circumstances place him among the many clergy of the era whose deaths under Communist rule are remembered by the Church, and the entry remains flagged for clergy and source review.
