Vladika bački Irinej i odnosi između Srpske pravoslavne crkve i države (1944–1955)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Yugoslav state in Vojvodina and Bačka in the context of the new communist regime’s treatment of the bishop of Bačka, Irinej Ćirić, from the time of the bishop’s liberation (1944) until his death (1955). Irinej was imprisoned under house arrest for 17 months shortly aft er the partisans captured Novi Sad due to his connections to the Hungarian occupation regime. Upon his release, he was attacked and beaten by a group of locals in Odžaci in 1946. This event, known as the ”Odžaci Affair”, was one of the contentious issues that burdened relations between the church and the state for a long time. The research also looks at how the Diocese of Bačka operated from 1944 to 1955, the attitudes of the clergy - who were closely monitored by the secret service and under pressure from the new authorities - and Irinej and his associates’ positions on certain political and ecclesiastical issues. It also examines at how these issues were resolved through mutual adaptation and a shift in the state’s attitude toward the church.