WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M. JAHOVIĆ
MUWN-By organizing the General Montenegrin Choir in Cetinje, with the will of the clergy and Montenegrins, you became the leader of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. On that occasion, the previous Metropolitan Mihailo of Montenegro retired. What were the reasons that led to Opštecrnogorski Zbor?
METROPOLITAN BORIS - Thank God, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church is an age-old institution of Montenegro, confirmed by our history, tradition and was constitutionally categorized in the Constitution of the Principality of Montenegro in 1904. The Montenegrin Orthodox Church is always an obstacle in the assimilation of Orthodox Montenegrins. Those who want to conquer Montenegro spiritually, to change its culture, customs and roots, in order to fraudulently try to drag it into the stillborn ambition of our northern neighbors for a great state, came up with a plan, not only how to extinguish the CPC, but and to make its existence meaningless. The same thing that their political predecessors did in 1918, when the CPC was uncanonically abolished.
The reasons for the urgent convening of the General Assembly of Montenegro were as follows:
The CPC Synod has not met in full composition since 2019. The Metropolitan Council is not held for more than 10 years.
Taking advantage of the advanced age of Metropolitan Mihailo, the management of the Church was taken over by unauthorized civil persons, who had been convicted multiple times.
By making decisions that are not in accordance with canon law, irreparable damage has been done to our holy Church and its reputation.
The only legitimate way out of this situation is to convene the General Assembly of Montenegro. Moreover,
it was the duty and obligation of the clergy and myself to present proposals for the complete consolidation of the Church and its further management at the Opštecrnogorsk Assembly. We were the most invited to propose decisions to the Congregation, which would return the CPC to the normal canonical order, which would unite the faithful in the common building of spiritual support in these difficult times and which would make the CPC a highly respected institution in Montenegrin society and in the Orthodox world.
The dignity of the metropolitan is for life. The active function of the metropolitan is not for life,
because he himself suspended her. Metropolitan Mihailo himself had already retired when he ended cooperation with the clergy, bishops and CPC believers. By working exclusively with the civilian environment, he completely separated himself from the high office of the metropolitan.
We must emphasize what happened in the Church itself due to the engagement of those persons:
a. the work of the CPC institution itself was paralyzed
b. There was no way to stop the arbitrariness and usurpation of jurisdiction carried out by the then Metropolitan.
c. Without any valid need, in a way not foreseen by the first Constitution, the Constitution of the CPC was changed twice: in 2010 and in 2022, without holding the meetings of the Holy Synod.
d. The civilians who gathered around the then Metropolitan Mihail tried to remove from the CPC nine priests in Montenegro and six abroad. And not only to alienate or alienate them, but to do it in a very inappropriate way, trying to construct various affairs, attaching various "labels" to honorable people.
In the state in which all the institutions within the Montenegrin Orthodox Church found themselves, there were only two possibilities before us:
to start healing the CPC, by convening the General Assembly of Montenegro as the only body, which renewed the CPC in 1993. We emphasize that the General Assembly of Montenegro then chose the holy Metropolitan Antoni (Abramović) as the head. That is how the General Assembly of Montenegro elected Bishop Mihailo (Dedeić) as Metropolitan in 1998.
That the General Assembly of Montenegro make a decision on the retirement of Metropolitan Mihailo, thereby ceasing to be the head of the CPC, while he remains the dignity of Metropolitan (retired) for life, and that the Assembly make a decision on the election of a new Metropolitan.
MUWN- After the Chorus, an attempt was made to lead to a split in the CPC. However, it did not come to that, and almost all the clergy sided with you?
METROPOLITAN BORIS - A month before the General Montenegro Assembly itself, the Episcopacy of Kotor-Primorska came out of the CPC and informed the public about it in a statement that is best conveyed:
"Due to the unbearable and humiliating situation within the Montenegrin Orthodox Church under the leadership of Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) and because of His open work against the interests of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, the Montenegrin Orthodox Episcopate of Kotor-Primorska makes the following decisions:
From Ilindan (August 2) in 2023, the Montenegrin Orthodox Episcopate of Kotor-Primorska will act independently, as the guardian of the tradition of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which under the leadership of Metropolitan Mihailo has canonically and morally stumbled and its functioning on the existing basis is no longer possible;
The Montenegrin Orthodox Episcopate of Kotor-Primorska declares the cessation of the mention of the name of Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) at Holy Liturgies as the head of the Church, because we are no longer under With his great omophorus.
These decisions were unanimously made by His Eminence the Archbishop of Kotor-Limorska, Mr. Simeon, together with the clergy, clergy and ministers of the Montenegrin Orthodox Episcopate of Kotor-Limorska.
The reasons for such decisions are numerous, and starting from the Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church, on this occasion we will list the biggest ones:
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) is working to destroy the idea of rebuilding the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, and with that goal he was brought to its head by the Serbian and Russian secret services, which many prominent Montenegrins did not even suspect. His task is to keep the Montenegrin Orthodox Church at a very low level of development, so that as such it serves the interests of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro;
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) has been cooperating with the Russian secret services since the seventies of the last century, through which he also got jobs in the former USSR. We have information that since 2002 he cooperated with the colonel of the Russian GRU service - Leonid Prokopjev, whose cadres he brought to Montenegro and gave them high positions within the Montenegrin Orthodox Church;
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) without the consent of the members of the Holy Synod of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church joined the Montenegrin Orthodox Church in the Union of False Churches (so-called Synaxis), which is under the control of GRU colonel Leonid Prokopjev. Such an act, in addition to representing heresy, is also an act of open betrayal of Montenegrin national interests, because the Russian GRU service tried to carry out a coup d'état in Montenegro in 2016;
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) has the task of erasing the memory of the Blessed Metropolitan Antoni (Abramović), and because of this, he has been blocking the construction of a new tomb for the Blessed Metropolitan Antoni for 25 years. In this connection, Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) destroyed the chapel in the Bishop's House in Cetinje, which was built during the time of the Blessed Metropolitan Antoni, and from which the renewal of liturgical life began. Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) prevented the distribution of the complete edition of the book dedicated to the Blessed Metropolitan Antoni, and it is possible that he physically destroyed the mentioned books;
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) passed a new false Constitution of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church in 2022 without the consent of the members of the Holy Synod of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which represents a grave canonical transgression;
Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić) and the priest in charge of bookkeeping do not submit financial reports on the operations of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, and it is obvious to everyone that the money from donations is not invested in the development of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, because there is no development."
With the exception of the clergy of the Kotor-Limitor Eparchy, who arbitrarily left the composition of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, except Archpriest Milo Mihailović, who is from that diocese, all other active priests of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church were at the General Assembly of Montenegrin on September 3, 2023, and gave a full support for the preservation of CPC. Apart from the act of the Episcopate of Kotor-Limitor, which was a month before the Assembly, there can be no talk of any kind of schism.
MUWN: A few individuals gathered around the retired Metropolitan Mihail are still trying to discredit you and the decisions of the Montenegrins at the Cetinje Assembly?
METROPOLITAN BORIS: Our actions speak for each of us, and no one can take away our dignity, only we can lose it by our actions.
For the sake of the dignity of the Church and our believers, we would not comment on those who, by their perverted actions, are ruining the reputation of the retired Metropolitan, and while serving other people's power centers, they are trying to bring back the politics of the nineties...
There is not a single reasonable and honorable person or believer of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, who can say something bad about the Montenegrin Assembly held in Cetinje on September 3, 2023.
All three heads of the CPC since its restoration were elected by the assembled faithful at the Opštecrnogorsk Assembly: October 31, 1993, October 31, 1998, September 3, 2023. Since the renewal of the CPC, another General Assembly of Montenegro was held on July 4, 2014, at which a resolution was passed demanding that the state of Montenegro cancel the decisions of the illegal Podgorica Assembly from 1918, and return sacred and church buildings to the ownership of the state of Montenegro. ..
MUWN: In what direction do you plan to lead the CPC?
METROPOLITAN BORIS: Both believers and clergy should always be guided by God's providence. I was chosen as the first among equals and I try to make sure that in our local church, which is part of one Holy Congregational and Apostolic Orthodox Church, whose head is Our Lord Jesus Christ, it is governed according to the Holy Scriptures, Holy Tradition and the rules of the Holy Orthodox Church, as well as according to the tradition of our Montenegrin people.
Before all of us are the most important tasks: spiritual strengthening of our believers, prayerful gathering around the holy liturgy wherever there is a need for this of our people and believers.
MUWN: Not long after your appointment, you also appointed the Holy Synod.
METROPOLITAN BORIS: After the General Assembly of Montenegro and the retirement of Metropolitan Mihailo and after the release of of Bishop Simeon (Minihofra) of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, on August 2, 2023, the only member of the Synod apart from me was Bishop Gorazd (Gago Rosa) from Argentina, who ignored our calls to restore the work of the Holy Synod and we could no longer count on him. In November 2023, we produced two archimandrites of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church as bishops, with the concurrence of Bishop Cyril of Constantia from Bulgaria, so that the Holy Synod of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church now has a Metropolitan and two bishops in its composition. In addition to them, the Holy Synod, based on the composition of the Holy Synod in the Principality of Montenegro from 1904, also included prominent CPC priests. All decisions of the General Assembly of Montenegro from September 3, 2023 were confirmed by the decisions of the Holy Synod in November 2023.
MUWN: What is the position of the CPC in Montenegro?
METROPOLITAN BORIS: The position of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church in the State of Montenegro is very difficult. Our basic human, religious and existential rights are threatened. The authorities directly interfered in the internal affairs of the CPC and in the election of the head, placing themselves in the apartment of the retired Metropolitan and not allowing a change to be made in the records at the Ministry of Justice. The then minister Kovač violated the law on the position of religious communities and now the dispute is being conducted before the Administrative Court.
MUWN: Do you have contacts with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and can we expect a resolution of the CPC status in the foreseeable future?
MONTENEGRO BORIS: I have friendly relations and contacts with certain clerics of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but they are still not official contacts. The time to resolve the church issue is now, as well as in 30 years or more... The resolution of the Montenegrin church issue is not only of a religious but also a political type. It is extremely important for Orthodox Montenegrins to understand and accept that without their active participation, Montenegrin church issues cannot be resolved properly. We have a lot to do, before the negotiations on restoring the CPC status begin.
MUWN: Are there contacts with any other local Orthodox Church?
METROPOLITAN BORIS: As we said in the previous answer, there are friendly contacts with clergy and bishops from many Orthodox churches from Ukraine, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, USA...
MUWN: You were recently in the United States of America. How did the visit go and how satisfied are you with the results of that visit?
METROPOLITAN BORIS: We are very satisfied with the visit, primarily the meetings with the Montenegrin diaspora and everything we agreed on regarding the formation of the CPC parish and Church Municipality in New York. As long as there are such patriots, Montenegro can never remain alone. And the most important thing is that it will revive worship and create a place where our believers can gather for prayer.
We had the opportunity to meet with our adviser Alek Barović in Washington with representatives of the Jamestown Foundation. This organization studies socio-political events in Eurasia and advises American officials. We spoke with the president of this foundation, Matis, and his associates, Januša Bugajski and Asenova.
At this several-hour meeting, the representatives of the foundation were informed about the situation in the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and the problems with the religious rights of Montenegrins in Montenegro. It was pointed out that the United States of America should provide more support to pro-Western and democratic forces in Montenegro, including the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. The interlocutors were familiar with the discriminatory attitude of the authorities towards the CPC and the problems of the Orthodox Montenegrins, which they face every day.
During our several-week stay in New York, we served the holy liturgy four Sundays in a row in the temple of St. Kiril Turovski in Brooklyn. That cathedral temple belongs to the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America since 1951. Belarusian friends generously gave this temple to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, so that the Montenegrin diaspora could gather in it several times and form the Montenegrin Orthodox Church Municipality in New York.
"The Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church restored its independence in 1922 and separated its activities from the Russian Church in order to awaken national consciousness and the right to its own autocephalous church in the Belarusian people. Since then, she has been persecuted because of this, and now she operates mainly in emigration to the USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, since 1948 and is strongly opposed to the current regime in Belarus," they announced.
Our meeting with Archbishop Svjetoslav was fraternal and cordial, and after the holy liturgy and joint communion, we had a conversation about the church life of Belarusians and Montenegrins in America and Canada, about the suffering of the fraternal Ukrainian people and future cooperation.
MUWN: You recently stayed in Italy.
METROPOLITAN BORIS: We have almost spent several days on an official visit to the Missionary Episcopate of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Italy.
Staying in the Monastery of St. Nicholas near Bari, we served the holy liturgy, with the concelebration of Bishop Kyriakos and clergy of the CPC diocese in Italy.
Together with our bishop Kirjakos, we had official meetings with the mayors of several municipalities in the regions of Puglia and Molise, with whom we discussed cooperation with the CPC Episcopate, as well as the possibility of opening missionary parishes. We participated in a gathering on history and culture in Pescara, where we spoke with Archbishop Alberto Tricarica, the long-time Apostolic Nuncio of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as Archbishop Miguel Castrallion of the Anglican Church.
We had the opportunity to greet the participants of that gathering and talk about the Italian Queen Jelena, who was a Montenegrin princess, and we conveyed greetings from the throne of Cetinje, where Queen Jelena was born, who had a true and Christian sacrifice for the Italian people. At our invitation, we all prayed for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, because they stand as a wall and a defense for the whole of Europe.
We ended our visit to southern Italy in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari, where the relics of this great saint are located.
