Porfirije Perić

Porfirije was born as Prvoslav Perić (Serbian Cyrillic: Првослав Перић) on 22 July 1961, in the town of Bečej, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia (now in Serbia), to Radojka and Radivoj Perić. He finished primary school in Čurug, and the Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj Gymnasium in Novi Sad. He was ordained a monk at Visoki Dečani monastery on 21 April 1985, receiving the monastic name of Porfirije (from Greek: Πορφύριος, Porphýrios; English: Porphyry, /ˈpɔːrfɪri/).[1]

Porfirije earned his bachelor's degree in orthodox theology from the University of Belgrade in 1986, when Bishop of Raška and Prizren (future Serbian Patriarch) Pavle ordained him a hierodeacon at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Mušutište, SAP Kosovo.[2]

Porfirije attended postgraduate studies the University of Athens from 1986 until 1990. He earned a doctorate in Athens in 2004, with thesis the Possibility of knowability of God in St. Paul's understanding according to the interpretation of Saint John Chrysostom.[1]

On 6 October 1990, upon the blessing of Bishop Irinej Bulović of Bačka, Porfirije joined the Kovilj Monastery in Kovilj, near Novi Sad. On 21 November 1990, he was ordained as hieromonk and became hegumen of the Kovilj Monastery.[3]

Many young monks and novices came to the Kovilj Monastery following him. These were the time when the monastery became a spiritual center for many young people: intellectuals, artists, actors and rock musicians, especially from Novi Sad and Belgrade. Since then Porfirije has particularly dealt with drug-addicted patients.[4]

On 14 May 1999, the Bishops' Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected Porfirije as the titular bishop of Jegar, and appointed vicar to the Eparchy of Bačka.[1]

In 2005, Porfirije formed a therapeutic community called Zemlja živih (transl. The Land of the Living), which is recognized as an successful project for drug rehabilitation. Under the leadership of Porfirije, it has more than hundred residents in camps throughout Serbia at the time being.[4]

In 2010, the Bishops' Council entrusted Porfirije to establish military chaplaincy in the Serbian Armed Forces.[5][6] He was the military chaplain unitl 2011, whereupon he was a coordinator for cooperation between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Army.[7]

In May 2014, Porfirije was elected Metropolitan bishop of Zagreb and Ljubljana succeeding Jovan Pavlović, and enthroned by Patriarch Irinej on 13 July in Zagreb, Croatia.[8]

The Sankt Ignatios College awarded him with the Order of St. Ignatius for his contribution to the reconciliation of the nations in the Balkans, on 16 February 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden.[9]

Porfirije was a member of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church between 2017 and 2019.[10]

When Patriarh Irinej fell ill in 2019, Porfirije was seen as one of the main candidates for position of the next Patriarch.[11][12]

Porfirije has been the president of the Privrednik Foundation in Novi Sad, since the 2000s.[13]

Porfirije was the Council President of the Regulatorno telo za elektronske medije (transl. Regulatory Authority of Electronic Media) in Serbia, from 2008 to 2014.[14] He resign as the Council President following his election to the Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana.[15]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Porfirije Perić.

• Biography of Metropolitan Porfirije at mitropolija-zagrebacka.org