Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia

Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia
Cathedral of St. Nicholas
Location
Territory	Serbia, Kosovo
Metropolitan	Ruski Krstur, Serbia
Information
Denomination	Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro
Rite	Byzantine rite
Established	August 28, 2003
Cathedral	Cathedral of St. Nicholas
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Đura Džudžar

The Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia (until 19 January 2013 was named Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro) is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Serbia, founded in 2003. It is part of the Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

After the formation of independent republics from what had been Yugoslavia, in 2003 Pope John Paul II created a separate Apostolic Exarchate for Byzantine Rite Greek Catholics in Serbia and Montenegro, out of territory which had formerly belonged to the Eparchy of Križevci, which is based in Croatia. The new jurisdiction, the Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro has its see in Ruski Krstur in Vojvodina province. The first exarch is Đura Džudžar (Ђура Џуџар). The Exarchate is still associated with the Eparchy of Križevci as part of the Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, unlike the separate Apostolic Exarchate that was formed in Macedonia in 2003 and that is classified in the Annuario Pontificio as a separate particular Church. Adherents of the Eastern Catholic Byzantine Rite in Serbia are mainly ethnic Rusyns. On 19 January 2013 the faithful of Montenegro were entrusted to the local Latin bishop, so the jurisdiction of the Exarchate was reduced to Serbia only.

See also

• Religion in Serbia
• Religion in Vojvodina
• Eastern Catholic Churches
• Eastern Orthodox Church
• Pannonian Rusyns
• Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro

External links

• Catholic Information