Hieromartyr Petar (Zimonjic),
Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosnia
Metropolitan Petar was the son of a nobleman,
priest Bogdan Zimonjic. He was born in Grahovo, on June 24, 1866. He
completed the Seminary in Reljevo (1883-1887), and graduated from the
Theological Faculty in Cernovice (1887-1893). Petar took monastic vows
on September 6, 1895. He was ordained deacon on September 7 and presbyter
on September 8, 1895. In October 1893, Petar was appointed assistant
professor in the Reljevo Seminary, and a year later he was appointed
professor. He became a consistorial advisor in Sarajevo in 1901. In
that period he was elected the Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina. On
June 9, 1903, Petar was ordained and enthroned in Mostar. After the
death of the Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosnia, Evgenije (Letica), Bishop
Petar was appointed the Metropolitan of this Diocese by a royal chart
dated November 7, 1920.
After World War II had broken out, Metropolitan Petar was advised to
move to Serbia or Montenegro. He replied saying: "I am people's
shepherd, which means that I am bound to stay here and share evil with
these people, as I used to share good with them; thus I have to share
the destiny of my people and stay where I am supposed to be". He
defended consistently the Orthodox faith in front of German Gestapo,
by insisting on the using of the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet. Roman Catholic
priest Bozidar Bral, an adherent of the Ustase in charge of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, had a decisive role in this severe attack, namely forbiddance
of the usage of the Cyrillic alphabet. Metropolitan Petar was arrested
on May 12, 1941. He was first imprisoned in the "Beledija"
prison, and on May 15 of the same year he was transported to the "Kerestinac"
prison where he got the number 29781. He was shaved there and all the
bishop's insignia were taken away from him. After awful torturing he
was taken to Koprivnica and then to Jasenovac (or Gospic). According
to the testimonies of Jovo Furtula and Jovo Lubura from the Sarajevo
District, Metropolitan was killed in Jasenovac and his corpse was cast
in the fiery furnace for brick making. However, there is another version
stating that Metropolitan Petar was taken to Gospic, namely Jadovno,
where he was killed in a monstrous manner.
At the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian
Orthodox Church in 1998, Dabro-Bosnian Metropolitan Petar was canonized
and his name was added to the list of other saints of the Serbian people
and of Christian-Orthodox faith.
The Serbian Church marks the memory of him in the third week of September.
