Rite Byzantine Rite Pope Francis Territory Serbia | Established (2003) 2013 Area 81,911 km² Bishop Đura Džudžar | |
 | ||
Denomination Byzantine Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia Cathedral Byzantine Catholic Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Ruski Krstur, Serbia | ||
The Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia (until 19 January 2013 was named Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro) is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Serbia, founded in 2003 and reorganised in 2013. It is part of the Byzantine Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia.
Contents
Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2013)
Until 2001, the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Križevci had full jurisdiction over all Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite throughout the entire territory of former Yugoslavia, including all of its successor states: Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
After the formation of independent successor states from what had been Yugoslavia, the process of administrative reorganization was initiated. In 2001, a separate Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in neighbouring Macedonia. It was fully separated from Eparchy of Križevci and directly subjected to the Holy See.
In 2003, a new Apostolic Exarchate was created for Roman Catholics of Byzantine Rite in Serbia and Montenegro, the Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro. Its first and only exarch was bishop Đura Džudžar, who was appointed on August 28 (2003), with residence in Ruski Krstur. This exarchate remained in association with the Eparchy of Križevci.
In 2004, the Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate for Serbia and Montenegro had 26 parishes with 22,934 faithful and 18 priests and in 2009 it had 21 parish with 22,369 faithful and 18 priests.
Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia (2013–present)
On 19 January 2013, all Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Montenegro were entrusted to the local Latin Bishops, so the jurisdiction of Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro was reduced to Serbia only. Bishop Đura Džudžar remained on his post as exarch. The Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia is still associated with the Eparchy of Križevci as part of the Byzantine Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia.
The Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia practices liturgy in the Slavonic form of Byzantine Rite and uses the Old Church Slavonic language and the Cyrillic alphabet. Adherents of the Eastern Catholic Byzantine Rite in Serbia are mainly ethnic Rusyns, Ukrainians and Rumanians. In 2013, the Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate for Serbia had 21 parish with 22,085 faithful and 20 priests.