Metropolitan Bishop
Venerable John (Lipovac) was glorified as a saint at the end of the twentieth century. He was among the first to raise his voice against the terror of the communist authorities, a stand that ultimately led to his martyrdom.
He was born on 16 February 1890 on the shores of the Bay of Kotor. After graduating from high school, he completed his theological studies at the Theological Institute in Zadar. In 1912, he was ordained as a deacon and later as a priest. From 1922 onward, he taught at both the high school and the theological seminary in Cetinje.
On 8 December 1939, he was appointed Vicar to the Serbian Patriarch for Montenegro. On 1 February 1940, Metropolitan Joseph tonsured him as a monk, giving him the name John. He was consecrated as a bishop on 11 February, while on 20 February he arrived in Herceg Novi, where he received a warm welcome from the local people.
With the outbreak of the Second World War in April 1941 and the occupation of Montenegro, Saint John found himself in an extremely difficult position. He became a protector of refugees and of those in need, appealing to the occupation authorities on their behalf. Although the Italian forces initially showed mercy, they eventually supported the local oppressors. In July 1941, a popular uprising broke out. However, it was soon followed by severe attacks from the occupying forces.
The Metropolitan openly condemned the communists for their campaign of terror and urged his flock not to embrace their ideology. On 18 May 1942, he sent a pastoral encyclical to the clergy requesting information about the acts of communist terror. In 1944, as partisan forces advanced, he decided to leave Cetinje. In early June 1945, he was murdered in Aranđelovac.
The saint's name remained largely forgotten until the 1990s, when renewed scholarly interest brought attention to his life and ministry. On 22 May 1998, the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church resolved to include him among the saints. His formal canonization was solemnly proclaimed on 22 May 2002 at the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade.
