Jefrem Milutinović

Jefrem Milutinović (Serbian: Јефрем Милутиновић; Busnovi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 15 April 1944), born Mile Milutinović, is the sixth Serbian Orthodox bishop of the Eparchy of Banja Luka. He was consecrated Bishop of Banja Luka in 1980, and before the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars he was the voice of peace and tolerance.[1]

His birth name was Mile Milutinović before becoming a monk at Liplje Monastery in the Banja Luka episcopate. Upon graduating from the prestigious Theological Academy in Moscow with a Ph.D. in theology in 1975, Milutinović performed duties as a teacher and counselor at the Theological Seminary of the Holy Three Hierarchs in the Krka Monastery. In 1978, at the St. Michael Cathedral in Belgrade, where he was elevated to the rank of bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He became bishop of Banja Luka in 1980[2] and has been there ever since.

Episcopate

Milutinović found a much more favorable situation in the Diocese than his predecessors, Vasilije Kostić and Andrej Frušić. Much had already been done on the renewal of the Diocese, and the political opportunities were much more favorable and were significantly used.

During much of his 26 years of hierarchical work, Milutinović invested in the restoration of what was destroyed in the Second World War.

During the time of Milutinović, the Hieromartyr Platon Jovanović of Banja Luka was canonized.

Temple of Christ the Savior

Milutinović invested enormous effort in rebuilding the diocese. Among the most significant is the renovation of the cathedral in Banja Luka. The church, which was demolished by the Ustaše in 1941 and which the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia did not allow to be rebuilt until 1991. The first Holy Liturgy was celebrated in September 2004 during the reconstruction period.

References
  1. Bosnia-Herzegovina: The End of a Legacy. Routledge. 2 August 2004. ISBN 9781135757137.
  2. Daily Report: East Europe. The Service. 1994.
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