Patriarchal and Synodal Epistle in connection with the situation in Montenegro Патриаршее и Синодальное послание в связи с ситуацией в Черногории

Patriarchal and Synodal Epistle in connection with the situation in Montenegro Патриаршее и Синодальное послание в связи с ситуацией в Черногории print version December 30, 2019 08:30 In connection with the dangerous development of the situation around the canonical Orthodox Church in Montenegro, a remote meeting of the Holy Synod was held on Saturday December 28, 2019, whose members unanimously approved the following Patriarchal and Synodal Message on the situation in Montenegro. His Holiness, His Holiness Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pechsky, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac, Patriarch of Serbia His Eminence, His Eminence Amphilochius, Metropolitan of Montenegro-Primorsky His Grace, His Grace, Bishop of Budymlyansk-Niksic His Grace, His Grace Athanasius, Bishop of Mileshevsky His Grace, His Grace Demetrius, Bishop of Zakhum-Herzegovina His Grace, His Grace Methodius, Bishop of Diocles The clergy, monks and all Orthodox believers of Montenegro Your Holiness, beloved fellow archpastors beloved in the Lord, venerable fathers, dear brothers and sisters! With pain and concern, we learned about the adoption by the Assembly of Montenegro of a discriminatory law against the Serbian Orthodox Church, and of the dramatic events that followed. Accept on behalf of the fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church the expression of deep, sincere and heartfelt sympathy in connection with the outrageous arbitrariness of the police, which humiliated and battered the faithful, led by His Grace Bishop Methodius of Diocles. The bitterness is caused by the legislators' disregard for the will of the majority of citizens who were and remain members of the Church of St. Basil of Ostrog and Peter Tsetinsky. It is this Church, as a caring mother, spiritually gave birth and through vigilant care for centuries brought up in love for freedom and truth the inhabitants of Montenegro. And today, its temples and monasteries, testifying to the living faith and piety of the generations who built them, faced the threat of plunder. An attempt to raise the question of the legitimacy of the rights of religious organizations to property belonging to them after many years of reign of the atheistic regime, condemning them to lawlessness, looks like a cynical blow to the Church, restoring what was lost during the years of oppression. The new Law on Freedom of Religion is an act to support the split by weakening the canonical Church and attempting to make it humiliating and dangerous depending on the state - all the more unjust because Montenegro is a secular state. Arbitrarily and illegally intruding into the field of canon law, the country's authorities deny the obvious and easily proven continuity of the canonical Church, insisting on its re-registration, which takes the Church beyond the legal framework and puts it under attack from aggressive nationalism. In the Russian Orthodox Church, they know from their own experience that schism is the greatest national tragedy. The political forces of both Montenegro and Ukraine, interested in undermining national unity, supported the schismatics for many years, seeing in them an instrument for weakening the canonical Church. The tree they brought up brought the poisonous fruits of a new “state thinking,” which assigns the split the role of the driving force for the degeneration of public consciousness. This painful transformation inflicted on Ukraine unhealed wounds of fratricidal hostility. We see with sorrow that the same consequences are now threatening your country, where parallels with the Ukrainian situation are clearly visible in what is happening. Both countries adopted discriminatory laws that laid the legal basis for the removal of churches, monasteries and lands from the Church. In Montenegro, schismatics with the support of the authorities for many years trying to capture the churches of the canonical Church - as well as in Ukraine. This is not just an external resemblance - in both countries, in fact, the same plan is being implemented, born far beyond their borders. Therefore, our brothers in Montenegro understand the suffering of the people of God of Ukraine, which they always strive to support in the trials they experience. We now appeal to all Local Orthodox Churches with an appeal to support the canonical Church in Montenegro. The danger hanging over it should not be perceived by any of us as distant or alien. What the Montenegrin believers are trying to impose today, tomorrow any of the Churches can comprehend. We appeal to the world community to prevent the violation of the rights of religious communities in Montenegro. Serious comments on the new Law on Religious Freedom were previously made by the European Commission for Democracy through Law. Obviously, this legislative act ignores the will of a significant part of the country's population. It should be noted that the principle of separation of religious communities from the state, formally enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution (Charter) of Montenegro, is in fact grossly violated by the state leadership of the country, which has openly embarked on the creation of a “new church” that would serve their political interests. We urge the leaders of Montenegro to come to their senses and instead of the mythical "great Serb chauvinists" see their Orthodox grandfathers, fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and children. It is impossible and meaningless to declare the canonical Church, uniting the majority of the citizens of its country, a conductor of foreign, hostile influence. The adopted law does not provide for freedom of religion, it is aimed at alienation from the centuries-old historical memory of the people, from the fatherly spiritual tradition inherited by them. Voting in the Assembly launched processes that could in the foreseeable future lead to such sad consequences as the massive violation of the rights of believers, the seizure of churches from their rightful owners and the redistribution of property. We have already observed all this with Ukraine as an example, where similar laws were adopted, but where the interference of politicians in matters of church life could not shake the spiritual stronghold of the canonical Church and avert the people of God from it. Moreover, this intervention led to the loss of senior public office by the person who was most anxious to turn the Church into its political instrument. Outrage at the Church of God does not go unpunished. The people will not forgive the encroachment on its shrines, and God pays for it with condemnation in eternity. We pray to the All-Merciful Lord, may He grant His omnipotent help to archpastors, pastors, and all faithful children of the canonical Orthodox Church in Montenegro, may he bring forth admonition to those who now bear the responsibility for peace and civil harmony in the country. With love about the Lord