Mojsije I

Mojsije I
Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch
Church	Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
See	Patriarchal Monastery of Peć
Installed	1712
Term ended	1725
Predecessor	Atanasije I
Successor	Aesenije IV
Personal details
Born	Trgovište
Died	April 13th, 1726 Peć
Nationality	Rum Millet (Serbian)
Denomination	Eastern Orthodox Christian
Occupation	Spiritual leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Mojsije I Rajović (Serbian Cyrillic: Мојсије I Рајовић; d. April 13th, 1726 in Peć) was the Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, from 1712 to 1725, with seat in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć.

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.

During the Austro-Turkish War (1716-1718), 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.

By 1725, 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 in the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć and died there on April 13, 1726.

External links

• Official site of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Serbian Archbishops and Patriarchs

Eastern Orthodox Church titles
Preceded by Atanasije I	Serbian Patriarch 1712–1725	Succeeded by Arsenije IV