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Montenegrin Orthodox Church

For the Serbian Orthodox metropolitanate, see Metropolitanate of Montenegro.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church (Montenegrin: Crnogorska pravoslavna crkva, Црногорска православна црква; abbr. MOC, CPC or ЦПЦ) is a canonically unrecognized Eastern Orthodox Church.[2][3] It was formed in 1993 and registered as a non-governmental organization.[4][5] Antonije Abramović was appointed as its first metropolitan.[6] It claims succession to an older and autocephalous Montenegrin Church, which operated until the unification of the Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Montenegro, later to join the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918.[4]

Montenegrin Orthodox Church
Montenegrin: Црногорска православна црква, romanized: Crnogorska pravoslavna crkva
Coat of arms of the MOC
AbbreviationMOC (English)
CPC/ЦПЦ (Montenegrin)
TypeEastern Christian
ClassificationIndependent Eastern Orthodox
ScriptureSeptuagint, New Testament
TheologyOrthodox theology
PolityEpiscopal
GovernanceHoly Synod of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church
MetropolitanBoris[1]
LanguageChurch Slavonic, Montenegrin
HeadquartersCetinje
TerritoryMontenegro
FounderAntonije Abramović
Independencec. 1993
Separated fromSerbian Orthodox Church (1993)
SeparationsMontenegrin Orthodox Church (2018)
Members10% of Orthodox Christians in Montenegro (2021)
Official websitecpcniksic.me//

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church has been recognized as a religious organization by the Government of Montenegro since 2001. According to a 2020 poll conducted by CEDEM, approximately 10 percent of Montenegro's Eastern Orthodox Christians have opted for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, while approximately 90 percent have opted for or stayed with the Serbian Orthodox Church in the canonical or widely-known Eastern Orthodox Church.[7] Notably, the creation of the MOC has been opposed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Bartholomew has stated that "we will never give autocephaly to the so-called 'Montenegrin Orthodox Church'" and that its leader Dedeić was suspended by Constantinople for adultery and embezzlement.[8][9][10][11]

History

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The first ideas about creating a special Orthodox church of ethnic Montenegrins arose outside Montenegro, at a time when Montenegrin fascists and collaborators led by Sekula Drljević gathered under the auspices of the Ustaša regime in the Independent State of Croatia. During 1943 and 1944, under the influence of the clerical-fascist ideology of the Ustaša movement, Drljević formulated a thesis on the diversity of Montenegrin Orthodoxy not only in relation to Serbian Orthodoxy, but also in relation to Orthodoxy in general. On that occasion, he coined the notion of crnogorоslavlje, putting it in opposition to svetosavlje  [sr]. Looking at the Ustaša project of the Croatian Orthodox Church, Drljevic claimed that "the Montenegrin Church has not been in any dependence of any Orthodox Church for all centuries."[12][13]

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church was founded in Cetinje on October 31, 1993, led by Antonije Abramović who was appointed as patriarch,[4][14][15] initially with the support of the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG), a pro-Montenegrin independence political party that existed at the time.[16] At the time, Montenegro was part of the federal state with Serbia called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was formed a year earlier following a 1992 referendum. LSCG, a party with a pro-independence agenda, is claimed to have used the MOC as a tool in their quest for Montenegrin sovereignty. At that time, the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) maintained close ties to Slobodan Milošević's administration in Serbia, and therefore the initial activities of the MOC were very sporadic.

After the death of Metropolitan Antonije, he was replaced by Metropolitan Dedeić. Most liberals did not approve of this change, and their support for the church soon started to fade. By 1997, the DPS administration in Montenegro led by Milo Đukanović began to distance itself from Milošević, and started supporting and financing the church, which received support from both the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro and the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro; however, after 2001 this support seemingly waned.[citation needed]

On January 17, 2001, the MOC was officially registered as a non-governmental organization at the local department of the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior.[17] In the absence of any other relevant and more current piece of legislation, this registration was done by calling on the Law on the Legal Position of Religious Communities from 1977 when Montenegro was a socialist republic within SFR Yugoslavia.

In 2007, the MOC attempted to expand its activities beyond the borders of Montenegro. Serbia originally refused to allow the MOC to be registered as an organization,[18] as all canonical Eastern Orthodox churches have also refused to recognize the MOC. However, on appeal, the Serbian Supreme Court ruled this position unconstitutional, overturning the refusal and paving the way for a potential permission to register.[19]

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church has offered to issue a baptismal certificate in which in the column "nationality", instead of an "Orthodox Serb" will be changed to "Orthodox Montenegrin."[20][21][22][23] Following continued ethnic tension, in 2021, Montenegrins and Serbs clashed over leadership in the Serbian Orthodox Church within Montenegro.[24]

On September 3, 2023, which marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, a major split in the church occurred when Bishop Boris Bojović was proclaimed the new Metropolitan of the church.[25] This decision was made by the MOC general assembly held in Cetinje and was supported by a group of younger priests loyal to Bojović, as well as the hundreds of citizens gathered at the assembly.[26] The assembly also declared the official retirement of former Metropolitan Dedeić, and proclaimed the MOC founder and former Metropolitan Abramović as a saint of the church.[27] Dedeić sharply rejected the declaration of the assembly, calling it "a failed political rally," and stating that "street rallies cannot change the metropolitan and elect a new one next to a living and healthy leader."[28] In October 2023, Dedeić's proposal was rejected by the basic court in Cetinje that asked to prohibit Bojović from performing religious services in MOC churches.[29][30]

On June 24, 2024, the Supreme Administrative Court of Montenegro issued a judgment ordering the Ministry of Justice to recognize Metropolitan Boris as the head of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. This decision ended the ongoing administrative crisis resulting from the Ministry's refusal to register Metropolitan Boris as the new leader of the Church. The court found that the ministerial rejection of the request was unjustified, taking into account the religious autonomy of the church and the invalidity of internal statutes that had not been officially promulgated. The new leader was elected in accordance with tradition at the General Montenegrin People's Assembly on September 3, 2023.[1]

Leadership and organization

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As of 2024, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church is led by the Archbishop of Cetinje and Montenegro Metropolitan Boris.[1]

At a General Montenegrin People's Assembly formed by the MOC in Cetinje on January 6, 1997, Metropolitan Mihailo was chosen by traditional public acclamation the Head of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. In the Church of St. Paraskeva in Sofia, on March 15, 1998, he was ordained as bishop by Bulgarian Alternative Synod's head Patriarch Pimen and seven metropolitans and bishops of his synod. He was enthroned to Metropolitan of Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Cetinje on October 31, 1998, in the presence of several hundred believers and supporters of Montenegrin Orthodox Church.[citation needed]

Metropolitan Mihailo had worked as a professor for the Serbian Orthodox Church and then as a priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Italy, where he created a Serbian Orthodox municipality out of the Greek Church, leading after a number of scandals, including adultery and accusations of embezzlement, to his permanent suspension from the church in 1995.[9][10] After becoming Metropolitan of the MOC in 1997, he was fully excommunicated by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Eastern Orthodox Church.

On January 11, 2007, the MOC created its own holy synod and proclaimed its first decree. This holy synod is constituted by archpriests of the church, led by the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. This synod divided Montenegro in five eparchies—Cetinjska, Dukljanska, Primorska, Ostroška and Beranska.

Within Montenegro

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The Church of Saint Peter of Cetinje in Kotor, belonging to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church currently holds its regular services in several chapels in the area of Montenegro's royal capital, Cetinje, as well as a church in Kotor. Open-air services are held across Montenegro for Christmas and Easter.[31] The MOC officially opened a new shrine in the old town of Kotor in 2006, following the referendum on independence.

Outside Montenegro

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Construction of the first MOC churches abroad, the Holy Church of Righteous Ivan Crnojević, was planned to take place in Lovćenac, Vojvodina, Serbia, with the help of the Association of Ethnic Montenegrins in Serbia Krstaš.[32] A contract for the land on which the new MOC shrine will be built was signed on 5 August 2005.[33]

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church also has support from abroad, and it has managed to build several churches and missions in North America, South America, Australia, Western Europe all home to important Montenegrin émigré communities, most of whom also support the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.[34] Services are held in the Australian state of New South Wales as well as in the Argentine province of Chaco, which is the base of Archimandrite Gorazd Glomazic and the Montenegrin Church of Saint Nikola in the colony of Machagay.[35]

Claim to Serbian Orthodox churches

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In April 2007 the "President of the Council for the promotion" of the MOC, Stevo Vučinić, was quoted as saying the "we [the MOC] will retake of all the churches and chapels in the towns, and of course the village churches, and the monasteries...we expect resistance, but in no case will we give up".[36]

On Wednesday, April 18, 2007, the representatives of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church – which has announced that it did not wish to cause an "excessive situation", but that it would enter the Serbian Orthodox Cetinje monastery without regard to the reaction of the Serbian Orthodox Church to their claims and requests – attempted to do so. Special police units prevented their forceful entry and that of several hundred supporters of the MOC. There was some pushing and shoving between the police, and the crowd which had intended to force its way into the monastery. Following this, members of the crowd shouted slogans such as "this isn't Serbia", "whose police are you?" and "Risto, Satan" (a reference to Metropolitan Amfilohije of the SOC).[37]

In September 2008, Serbian Orthodox locals attempted to launch a blockade in the Nikšić area to prevent the MOC from building a church there.[38] Sixty-five people were arrested for violating public order.[38]

Recognition

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Support from other churches

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The Montenegrin Orthodox Church has support from a number of likewise non-canonical or unrecognized Eastern Orthodox churches: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate,[39] the Bulgarian Alternative Orthodox Church (founded by patriarch Pimen), and its Italian-based branch, the Orthodox Church in Italy.[40]

The MOC had original support of the then-unrecognized Macedonian Orthodox Church, which was later withdrawn as the Macedonian Church entered negotiations for restoration into communion.[41]

Following the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine by Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, rumor spread that the Montenegrin Orthodox Church may soon receive a similar recognition; however, this was denied by Patriarch Bartholomew, who stated that ""we will never give autocephaly to the so-called 'Montenegrin Orthodox Church'" and that its leader Dedeić was suspended by Constantinople for adultery and embezzlement.[8][9][10][11] In December 2022, Mihailo was granted an audience with Pope Francis at the Holy See.[42]

Support from political parties

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Political parties in Montenegro that so far officially stated support of the MOC have been: the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro and minority Croatian Civic Initiative, officially proposing it to be mentioned in Montenegro's new Constitution, which eventually did not mention it with its adoption in late 2007. The Initiative invited representatives of both the Montenegrin and Serbian churches to a special municipal meeting in Tivat, sparking a boycott among local Serbian politicians.[43]

During the occasion of 2008 Serbian elections, the church had the support of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians which stated it should be a recognized religion in the country.[44] After its 9th Congress, the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro also endorsed the MOC as legitimate Church of Montenegro.[45]

Public opinion

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According to data of Centre of Democracy in Montenegro from February 2007, the Serbian Orthodox Church was the most trusted institution in Montenegro by public opinion (coefficient 3.29), while the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was ranked sixth (coefficient 2.35).[46] According to a 2020 poll conducted by CEDEM, approximately 10% percent of Montenegro's Eastern Orthodox Christians have opted for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, while approximately 90% percent have opted for or stayed with the canonical Serbian Orthodox Church.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "PRESUDA: Upravni sud poništio akt kojim je Abazovićeva vlada htjela da uništi Crnogorsku pravoslavnu crkvu". Antena M (in Serbian). 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  2. ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Volume 1. U.S. State Department. 2007. p. 1479. Tensions continued between the canonically unrecognized Montenegrin Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox Church...
  3. ^ Šístek, František (2011). "Clericalization of Nationalism: Interpreting the Religious Rivalry between Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox Churches". In Máté-Tóth, András; Rughinis, Cosima (eds.). Spaces and Borders: Current Research on Religion in Central and Eastern Europe. Walter de Gruyter. p. 117. ISBN 9783110228144.
  4. ^ a b c Mentzel, Peter C., ed. (2021). For God and Country: Essays on Religion and Nationalism. MDPI. p. 105. ISBN 9783039439058.
  5. ^ Motyl, Alexander J.; Schnetzer, Amanda, eds. (2004). Nations in Transit 2004: Democratization in East Central Europe and Eurasia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 504. ISBN 9780742536463.
  6. ^ "Raskol u Crnogorskoj pravoslavnoj crkvi, izabran novi mitropolit". N1 (in Serbian). 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  7. ^ a b "United States Department of State". United States Department of State. 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  8. ^ a b Bardos, Gordon (January 28, 2020). "Montenegro's Corrupt Party of Socialists Is Killing the Country". The Center for the National Interest, Washington, DC.
  9. ^ a b c "Patriarch Bartholomew: We will never give autocephaly to the 'Montenegrin church'". Orthodox Christianity. December 31, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c "Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: The Phanar will never recognize an autocephalous Church in Montenegro". Orthodox Times. Dec 30, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Pietrobon, Emanuel (December 23, 2019). "Pope Francis Comes Out Against Orthodox Christianity's Balkanization". Insideover.
  12. ^ Drljević, Sekula (1943). "Crna Gora". Graničar: Tjednik za Zemun i Sriem. 2 (50): 1.
  13. ^ Drljević, Sekula (1944). Balkanski sukobi 1905-1941 (PDF). Zagreb: Putovi. pp. 162–166.
  14. ^ Morrison, Kenneth (2008). Montenegro: A Modern History. I.B.Tauris. p. 138. ISBN 9780857714879.
  15. ^ Casper, Jayson. "Religious Freedom Comes to Europe's Second-Newest Nation. But Christians Are Concerned". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  16. ^ Božić, Sofija (2014). Istorija i geografija: susreti i prožimanja: History and geography: meetings and permeations. SANU Institute for Slavic Studies. p. 430. ISBN 9788670051256.
  17. ^ "O registraciji crnogorske pravoslavne crkve" [About Montenegrin Orthodox Church Registration] (in Montenegrin). MOC Official Website. 22 March 2001. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  18. ^ "Montenegro - International Religious Freedom Report 2007 Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor". U.S. Department of State.
  19. ^ "Serbia Lifts Ban on Montenegro Church". BalkanInsight. 12 June 2008. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  20. ^ "CPC "POKRŠTAVA" GRAĐANE Mitropolit nepriznate crkve hoće da prepravlja krštenice, pozvao na "odbranu od duhovnog okupatora i SPC"". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  21. ^ "Kršteni u SPC da zatraže krštenicu i CPC". RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis (in Montenegrin). Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  22. ^ "Miraš Dedeić pozvao vernike SPC da uzmu krštenicu nekanonske CPC". www.rts.rs. Radio televizija Srbije. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  23. ^ "From baptism to politics, Montenegrins fight for identity". Christian Science Monitor. 1999-04-23. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  24. ^ "Montenegro clashes as Serb Orthodox Church leader installed". BBC News. 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  25. ^ "Na okupljanju na Cetinju za mitropolita izabran Boris; Mihailo: Politički skup koji nema legitimitet". vijesti.me (in Serbian). 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  26. ^ Janković, Srđan (2023-09-05). "Srpska pravoslavna crkva u Crnoj Gori jača, Crnogorska se dijeli". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  27. ^ "Boris Bojović na čelu CPC; Mihailo: Bezuspješni puč na uličnom mitingu". RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis (in Montenegrin). Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  28. ^ "Episkop Boris proglašen za mitropolita CPC-a, mitropolit Mihailo osporava izbor". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  29. ^ "Potvrđeno Rješenje Kojim Je Odbijen Predlog CPC Da Se Zabrani Obavljanje Vjerskih Obreda U Crkvi Ivana Crnojevića U Odnosu Na B.B." pravosudje.me. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  30. ^ Đukanović, Slađana (2023-11-02). "Vijeće Osnovnog suda potvrdilo rešenje: Borisu Bojoviću nije zabranjeno obavljanje vjerskih obreda u crkvi na Cetinju". CdM. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  31. ^ "Hramovi u kojima Mitropolit sluzi" [Parishes which serve the metropolitan area]. Montenegrin Orthodox Church (in Montenegrin). 2000. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  32. ^ "Krstaš, Association of Montenegrins in Serbia". Krstas.rs. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  33. ^ "Montenegro Orthodox Church in Lovćenac". krstas.rs. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011.
  34. ^ "News". Montenet.org. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  35. ^ "Price o crnogorskim iseljenicima u Argentini" [Story of Montenegrin immigrants in Argentina]. montenegro-canada (in Montenegrin). 27 May 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  36. ^ "unknown title". Vijesti. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  37. ^ "Vesti - Policija zaustavila vernike CPC - Internet, Radio i TV stanica; najnovije vesti iz Srbije". B92. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  38. ^ a b "Montenegro: Police arrest 65 in church dispute". International Herald Tribune. 2009-03-29. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  39. ^ "PATRIARCH FILARET SUPPORTS UNRECOGNIZED MONTENEGRIN ORTHODOX CHURCH". Religious Information Service of Ukraine. October 2010.
  40. ^ "Chiesa Ortodossa in Italia" [Orthodox Church in Italy]. Orthodox Church of Italy (in Italian). Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  41. ^ "New request for autocephaly of the Church of North Macedonia from the country's PM | Orthodox Times (en)". Orthodox Times. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  42. ^ Vijesti. "Meeting of Mihajlo and Pope Francis". Vijesti (in Montenegrin). Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  43. ^ M.Djuricic. "Boycott by opposition because of CPC". Tivatonline.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  44. ^ "Vojvodina's Montenegrins back Hungarian candidate". B92.net. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  45. ^ "Đukanović najavio provjeru vlasništva crkvenih objekata i obnovu CPC!". Mondo.Me Prod. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  46. ^ "CEDEM - Političko javno mnjenje Gore Gore - Povjerenje u institucije - Februar 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
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