Irinej Bulović
Irinej ( Serbian - Cyrillic Иринеј , bourgeois Mirko Bulović , Мирко Буловић; born February 11, 1947 in Stanišić ) is bishop of the Serbian Orthodox eparchy Bačka in Novi Sad and professor at the theological faculty of the University of Belgrade . From 2011 to 2014 he was also the founding administrator of the newly founded diocese Austria-Switzerland .
The editor of the theological journal “Beseda” ( Address ) is considered a leading intellectual of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He is u. a. Member of the Serbian Writers' Union , the Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches and the Pan-Orthodox Commission for the Dialogue with the Roman Catholic and Evangelical Churches .
Life
Education
Mirko Bulović graduated from the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade in 1969. His spiritual father Justin Popović gave him the spiritual name Irinej . For deacon ordained, he spent two years in the Montenegrin monastery Ostrog . In 1970 he studied for a doctorate at the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens , which he completed in 1980 with a doctorate on "Faith in Fascism". During his studies he also attended the Institut de Théologie Orthodoxe Saint-Serge in Paris .
Bishop of Backa
In 1989 Patriarch German appointed him his vicar and a little later bishop of the eparchy of Bačka. He took office on December 24, 1990.
Dispute over ecumenical endeavors
Bishop Irenej Bulović is regarded as a staunch advocate of ecumenism , as early as the 1990s, when it had an extremely difficult position, especially in the conservative camp. When Irenej organized a reception for Christoph Schönborn , Cardinal of Vienna , in 1996 , he came under massive pressure. Around 300 priests and monks wrote a fire letter to the Holy Synod , asking it to intervene against the ecumenical activities of Bishop Irenej Bulović. In an accusatory tone they expressed their concern about “losing their souls by being led by such bishops.” Non-Orthodox, with whom Bishop Irenej and Bishop Lavrentije of Šabac-Valjevo met in the context of ecumenism, became pseudochrists, pagans and sectarians, and criticized the establishment of the new theological institute in Belgrade as a school of heresy .
Controversial role in the Kosovo peace process
In June 2006, the then-designated bishop of Australia and New Zealand, Irinej Dobrijević, reported in a confidential conversation to the then US ambassador to Serbia-Montenegro , Michael C. Polt, about the role of his fellow bishops in the Kosovo peace process. According to the minutes of the conversation, made known by WikiLeaks , Irinej Bulović is perceived as moderate, as he always says the right thing in Vienna. In the circle of his bishop colleagues, however, he is returning to a hardline course and is even working with government officials to calm down more moderate voices in the church.
Successor to Patriarch Pavle
After the death of Patriarch Pavle , Bishop Irenej Bulović was considered a promising candidate for the successor to the highest office of the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, the election on January 22, 2010, which was carried out according to the apostolic electoral process , was won by Bishop Irinej von Niš of the same name and was enthroned the next day as the new patriarch.
Establishment of the diocese Austria-Switzerland
In 2011 Irinej Bulović was appointed founding director of the newly founded diocese Austria-Switzerland . Until Bishop Andrej Ćilerdžić took office there in 2014, he also performed the duties of acting bishop.
Web links
- Bishop Irinej Bulović - members of the Orthodox Bishops' Conference in Austria
Individual evidence
- ↑ Vojvodina Serbian orthodox bishop says church needs to focus more on ecumenical issues , WikiLeaks cable 09BELGRADE275_a of March 30, 2009
- ↑ Bergedorf Round Table of the Körber Foundation: Dr. Irinej Bulović ( Memento of the original from June 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Fascist Orthodoxy: The Serbian Wars , pp. 273-281, in Vladimir Moss : The Restoration of Romanity: Essays in Orthodox Political Theology , London: St. Michael's Press, 2006, OCLC 638002259 ( online ).
- ↑ Serbia: State and church remain in lockstep on Kosovo , WikiLeaks cable 06BELGRADE879_a of June 2, 2006
- ↑ Serbian Orthodox Church: a primer , WikiLeaks cable 09BELGRADE1512_a of December 18, 2009
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bulović, Irinej |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bulović, Mirko |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Serbian clergyman, bishop of the Serbian Orthodox eparchy of Bačka and university professor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 11, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Stanišić , Serbia |