Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic)
of Montenegro and the Coastlands

Metropolitan Amfilohije (in the world Risto Radovic) of Montenegro and the Coastlands was born on the feast of the Nativity of Christ on January 7/December 25, 1938, in Donja Morac into the family of Djira and Mileva Radovic. He is a descendant of the voevode Mina Radovic, one of the Montenegran leaders, who in 1820 united Moracha to Montenegro.

Risto Radovic completed primary school in his homeland, and then he studied in the Belgrade Theological Seminary in the name of St. Savva. After graduation from it, he enrolled in the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which he completed in 1962. At the same time, he studied classical philology in the Philosophy Faculty of Belgrade University. He conducted post-graduate studies in Bern and Rome. Then he continued his studies in Greece, where he lived for seven years. There he received the monastic tonsure with the name of Amfilohije and was ordained to the priestly office. During his studies in Greece in the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the theme of the "Mystery of the Holy Trinity according to the Teaching of St. Gregory Palamas."

After a year, which he spent on Holy Mt. Athos, Father Amfilohije went to Paris and became a professor of the St. Sergius Theological Institute. Having returned to Yugoslavia, in 1976 he became a lecturer, and then professor in the chair of Orthodox Pedagogy and the Methodology of Teaching of the Theological Faculty of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade.

In May 1985, he was appointed Bishop of Banat. On December 30, 1991, Vladyka Amfilohije's enthronement to the See of Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands took place. His complete title is Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands, Zetsko-Brdo and Skenderije and Exarch of the Holy Throne of Pec.

Metropolitan Amfilohije has mastered the Greek, Russian, Italian, German and French languages, is the author of an entire series of theological works, occupies himself with translating activity. His works have been published in Serbian and Greek. Vladyka is a member of the Union of Writers of Serbia and Montenegro. He is known as an active, social activist.

Pravoslavie.ru
Translated from the Russian by Daryle R. Lamoureux