Varnava Rosić

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Patriarch Varnava Rosić (Варнава Росић) was born in Pljevlja, Ottoman Empire (now Montenegro), on July 29, 1880. He was the Head of Serbian Orthodox Church between 1930 and 1937.

During the archipastoral rule of Patriarch Varnava, the dioceses of Zagreb and Mukačevo-Prjaš were formed. Between 1931 and 1947 the Serbian Orthodox Church consisted of 27 dioceses and a vicarate in Skadar, Albania. Church life was on the move in all regions. Many monasteries, churches and church buildings were erected, some of these being the present Patriarchate building in Belgrade, monastery Vavedenje (Vavedenye, Entrance to the Theotokos into the Temple) etc. The construction of the edifice of the great Temple of Saint Sava was initiated in Belgrade (the biggest Orthodox Temple in Europe).

Varnava firmly resisted the introduction of legislation giving greater privileges to the Roman Catholic Church in Yugoslavia (The Concordat Crisis). He maintained that these would certainly undermine positions of both the Serbian Orthodox church and those of other faiths in the country. He died unexpectedly during the night between June 23-24, 1937 when the Concordat legislation was carried into Parliament. The Holy Synod was also against government pro-Concordat policy, and the government was soon forced to withdraw this new legislation.

Many people believed that Patriarch Varnava was poisoned because of his struggle against Concordat, and his death is still unresolved.