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name=Serbian Orthodox Church - Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand|
jurisdiction=[[Church of Serbia]]|
type=DiocesesDiocese|
founded=1974|
bishop=Bp [[Irinej Siluan (DobrijevicMrakic) of Australia and New Zealand|Irinej Siluan (DobrijevićMrakić)]]|
see=Australia and New Zealand|
hq=Sydney, NSW|
population=42,405
([http://www.cra.org.au/pages/00000226.cgi Census 2001])|
website=[http://www.soc.org.au Dioceses of Aust. & NZMetropolitanate Website]
}}
The '''Serbian Orthodox Church - Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand''' is the local metropolitanate for Serbian Orthodox parishes in Australia and New Zealand. It is headquartered in Sydney, NSW, and is headed by Bishop [[Irinej Siluan (DobrijevicMrakic) of Australia and New Zealand|Irinej (Dobrijević) of Australia and New ZealandSiluan]] since [[October 2122]], 20062016.
Prior to June 2011, the Metropolitanate was composed of two parallel dioceses: the Patriarchal ''Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand'', headquartered in Sydney, NSW; and the ''New Gracanica Metropolitanate - Serbian Orthodox Diocese for Australia and New Zealand'', headquartered in Canberra, ACT.
Bp Irenej became the focus of attacks by dissident former-members of the Free Serbian diocese, including the Property Trust Company and directors thereof, stretching from 2006 to 2015 (including a NSW Supreme Court case decided on in May 2015). From 2007, there were disputes with representatives of a number of church-school communities, including St Nicholas (South Brisbane), St George (Manuka/Forrest), Saint Stefan of Dechani (Carrum Downs) and Saints Peter and Paul, Wodonga - each of whom had invited schismatic clergy from the [[Holy Synod in Resistance|Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance)]] (or, in St Nicholas South Brisbane's case, the [[Russian True Orthodox Church]]). Parallel assemblies of both dioceses were held in September 2010 to approve a new constitution, combining the dioceses into a metropolitanate, which was joyfully received in November 2010 by the Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church[http://soc.org.au/sr/English-News/Hot-Topics/2130-Communiqu%C3%A9-from-the-Assembly-of-Bishops-of-the-Serbian-Orthodox-Church-from-its-regular-meeting-held-in-Belgrade-November-17-20,-2010] and approved by the Holy Synod in May 2011[http://www.spc.rs/eng/communique_holy_assembly_bishops_serbian_orthodox_church_0], and the dioceses became the 'Serbian Orthodox Church - Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand' soon after.
In 2016, Bp Irenej was elected Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America, and to replace him Fr Siluan was consecrated Bishop of Australia and New Zealand. Bp Siluan is one of a small number of Australian-born Orthodox bishops, as well as being the first to lead a diocese in Australia.
==Organization==
== The Episcopacy ==
===Diocesan Bishop===
* Bishop [[Irinej Siluan (DobrijevicMrakic) of Australia and New Zealand]].
===Former Hierarchs of Australia and New Zealand, Patriarchal Diocese===
* Bishop [[Longin (Krco) of America and Canada|Longin (Krco)]] of Australia and New Zealand, 1986-1992
* Bishop [[Luka (Kovacevic) of France and Western Europe|Luka (Kovacevic)]] of Australia and New Zealand, 1993-1999.
* Bishop [[Irinej (Dobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand]], 2006-2016
===Former Hierarchs of Australia and New Zealand, Free Serbian (1963-1992) and New Gracanica (1992-2000)===
