The Eparchy of Bihać and Petrovac () is a diocese (eparchy) of the Serbian Orthodox Church covering western regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The episcopal see is located at the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Bosanski Petrovac. Its headquarters and bishop's residence are also in Bosanski Petrovac.

History The territory of this diocese for centuries belonged to the Metropolitanate of Dabar and Bosnia. Upon the request of the Eastern Orthodox Serbs from its western regions, new Eparchy of Banja Luka was created in 1900, with seat in the city of Banja Luka with regions of Bihać and Bosanski Petrovac belonging to this newly-formed eparchy.

After World War I and the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a council of Eastern Orthodox bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina unanimously decided to unite with other Serbian ecclesiastical provinces to form the unified Serbian Orthodox Church, a process completed in 1920. Regions of Bihać and Bosanski Petrovac belonged to the Eparchy of Banja Luka until 1925 when new Eparchy of Bihać was established. In 1931, when Constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church was adopted, the process of reorganization of eparchies was initiated and their number was reduced. One of the abolished eparchies was the Eparchy of Bihać and its territory was returned to Eparchy of Banja Luka. In 1990, upon the requests of the Eastern Orthodox Serbs from the region, eparchy was restored by the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church under the name Eparchy of Bihać and Petrovac. The first bishop of the renewed eparchy was Hrizostom Jević, from 1991 to 2013 when Atanasije Rakita was elected the new Bishop of Bihać and Petrovac. In 2017, Sergije Karanović was elected new bishop of Bihać and Petrovac.

List of bishops Bishops of Bihać Venjamin Taušanović (1925–1929)

Bishops of Bihać and Petrovac Hrizostom Jević (1991–2013) Atanasije Rakita (2013–2017) Sergije Karanović (2017–present)

Notable monasteries Rmanj Glogovac Veselinje

Gallery

See also Eastern Orthodoxy in Bosnia and Herzegovina Eparchies and metropolitanates of the Serbian Orthodox Church Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

References

Bibliography

External links Official pages of the Eparchy of Bihać and Petrovac Official pages of the Serbian Orthodox Church SOC: Enthronement of Bishop Atanasije of Bihać and Petrovac OCP: Enthronement of Bishop Atanasije of Bihać-Petrovac Desecrated Orthodox church in the Kolunic settlement near Bosanski Petrovac