Mitrofan Kodić Explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Eminence
Mitrofan (Kodić)
Metropolitan bishop
Church:Serbian Orthodox Church
Diocese:Diocese of Canada
Appointed:25 May 2016
Term Start:18 September 2016
Predecessor:Patriarch Irinej (administrator)
Previous Post:Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America (1991–2016)
Ordination:1970
Ordained By:Stefan (Boca)
Consecration:1987
Consecrated By:Serbian Patriarch German
Birth Name:Radovan Kodić
Birth Date:4 August 1951
Birth Place:Ljuša, Šipovo, FPR Yugoslavia
Signature:Bishop Mitrofan (Kodić) signature.png
Religion:Orthodox Christian
Residence:Campbellville, Ontario

Mitrofan Kodić (Serbian Cyrillic: Митрофан Кодић; born 4 August 1951) is a Serbian Orthodox bishop who has served as the head of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada since 2016.[1] He was formerly the Bishop of the Eastern American Eparchy.[2]

In English, his name is sometimes spelled as Mitrophan.[3]

Biography

He was ordained as a hierodeacon by Bishop Stefan Boca in 1970 after which he completed his Seminary studies at Krka monastery in 1971.[4] He was ordained a hieromonk on 6 January 1974.[2] He studied in Bucharest from 1975 to 1977, then returned to Krka monastery. He was named assistant Rector of the Seminary in 1980 and Rector in 1987.[4] In 1987 he was elected as a Vicar Bishop of Toplica District, and was appointed assistant to the Administrator of the Diocese of Midwestern America, Sava Vuković.[4]

On 11 July 1987, in the Studenica monastery, Serbian Patriarch German with seven hierarchs and nine priests performed his bishop ordination. The next day during Divine Liturgy Patriarch German along with four bishops, sixteen priests and eleven deacons performed his consecration.[5] He was appointed as Administrator of the Diocese of Midwestern America in 1988, and became Bishop of Eastern America in 1991.[4]

In 1997 he earned his PhD, with his doctoral dissertation at the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade on the theme "The Mystery of Christ According to the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians of the Holy Apostle Paul".[4]

Along with Jesse Jackson, he played a key role in securing the release of three American GIs held captive during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.[6]

He is also a Professor of the New Testament at the St. Sava School of Theology in Libertyville, Illinois.[4]

At the regular session of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church on May 18, 2024, Bishop Mitrofan was ordained a metropolitan bishop.[7] His new title is Archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of Canada.

Works

He translated from the Romanian Dumitru Stăniloae's Community and Spirituality in the Orthodox Liturgy, three volumes of Orthodox Dogmatics, The Immortal Image of God, Orthodox Moral Theology, and The Gospel Image of Christ by Dumitru Stăniloae, and The Romanian Patericon I and II and the Dictionary of Orthodox Theology by Hieromonk Ioanichie Bălan.

He has written two books: The Teaching of St. Apostle Paul on the Church, published in 1991 in Chicago (now translated into English) and Introduction to the Holy Scriptures, the New Testament.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.oki-regensburg.de/katalog/ortho.pdf Ostkirchliches Institut Regensburg
  2. Milena Milanović.
  3. News: In the Name of God . . 3 April 1999 . 28 May 2024 . en.
  4. http://www.easterndiocese.org/ourbishop.html
  5. http://www.saborna-crkva.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=262&Itemid=237
  6. Web site: Orthodox bishops play key role in freeing GIs. Rodgers-Melnick. Ann. . 2024-05-28 . 1999-05-02 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20191226085642/http://old.post-gazette.com/headlines/19990502bishop2.asp . 26 December 2019 .
  7. Web site: Episkop kanadski Mitrofan rukopoložen u mitropolita . rasejanje.info . 2024-05-23 . 2024-05-18 . sr.