The Synod of the Serbian Church suspended an SOC bishop over financial misconduct

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) decided to remove Archbishop and Metropolitan Iustin of Žić from the administration of the Diocese of Žić. The reason was numerous canonical and other ecclesiastical violations in the area of financial management. Archbishop and Metropolitan Arsenije of Niš has been appointed as interim head of the diocese. In parallel, an investigation has been launched to determine the canonical responsibility of Metropolitan Justin.

According to Orthodox Times, citing the Patriarchate of Serbia, the decision was made at a Synod session on February 18 based on the 74th Canon of the Holy Apostles and articles of the Statute of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The suspension will be in effect until the next session of the Holy Council of Bishops in 2026. These measures are the result of regular inspections of the material and financial management of the dioceses of the SOC, initiated by the Patriarchal Administrative Council back in October 2023.

Commissions of the Patriarchal Administrative Council, and later the Holy Synod of Bishops, collected physical evidence that indicated that Metropolitan Justin had committed a number of serious violations. These included the unauthorized creation of three business companies (Trifora LLC, JEŽ LLC, and Studenica Monastery Winery LLC), concealing their activities, and registering himself as the beneficial owner of these entities.

Further, the investigation revealed the unauthorized sale of 34 church properties (apartments, commercial premises and others) in the towns of Kraljevo and Cacak. Metropolitan Justin also entered into unprofitable multi-million dollar contracts with legal entities and individuals in violation of church regulations, and issued unauthorized multi-million dollar loans to various companies in Serbia. These financial abuses were described as unprecedented for the Serbian Orthodox Church and could lead to criminal liability before state authorities.

The Holy Synod regretted that Metropolitan Justin and his associates, in an attempt to avoid ecclesiastical and canonical responsibility, have repeatedly misled the public by claiming that he is being «politically persecuted» because of the current socio-political situation in Serbia. The Synod categorically rejected these claims, emphasizing that in this and similar cases it is exclusively about internal canonical and ecclesiastical matters, the jurisdiction over which belongs only to the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

It should be recalled that earlier Patriarch Porphyrios of Serbia held a meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and the Apostolic Delegate for Kosovo and Metohija. During the talks, His Holiness informed the Vatican representative in detail about the difficult situation in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the many challenges that the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church face on a daily basis. Particular attention was paid to human rights violations, including the denial of the Patriarch’s free movement, and attempts to distort historical and cultural heritage.