Denomination Eastern Orthodox Phone +387 51 348-740 | Established 1900 | |
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Territory North-western parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Headquarters Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Sui iuris church Serbian Orthodox Church Language Church Slavonic
Serbian Address Aleja Svetog Save 3, Banja Luka 78000, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
The Eparchy of Banja Luka (Serbian: Епархија бањалучка) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church with its seat in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has jurisdiction over the north-western regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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History
Until 1900, territory of this eparchy belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Dabar and Bosnia, which in turn was under the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Upon the request of the Eastern Orthodox Serbs of this region, new Eparchy of Banja Luka was created in that year, with seat in the city of Banja Luka. Bishop of Banja Luka was granted with honorary title of Metropolitan, as was the custom in Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
In 1918, all Serbian Orthodox bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina reached a unanimous decision to join with other Serbian ecclesiastical provinces into united Serbian Orthodox Church. Arrangements with the Ecumenical Patriarchate were made, and the canonical process of unification was completed in 1920. Since then, Eparchy of Banja Luka remains part of Serbian Patriarchate.