SVETIGORA PRESS

The most recent event in Bajice near Cetinje – the usurpation of the Church of Saint John the Baptist on 31 October 2008 by a pseudo-religious nationalistic-fascistic organization that has proclaimed itself as the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC), such a usurpation being carried out with the approval of the Police of Montenegro – represents a flagrant violation of the elementary religious and property rights of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands. This tribal/political-party religious community, founded for the first time on 17 January 2000 in the Police Station of Cetinje (as is stated in its founding act) – recognized by no one except the Police, has the right – as does every other religious, political or societal organization – to exist, to operate and to acquire its own property from the moment of founding; but yet not to claim as its own the name, the real estate, the churches, the dignity of an institution that in continuity has already existed for eight hundred years in Montenegro.

The Montenegrin authorities, for reasons of their own ideology, in opposition to their own Constitution, legality, justice and all international conventions, supports the violent behavior of the representatives of this religious community towards the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands. At times that support is shown through the obstruction of justice in legal cases that have been brought, sometimes through the open assistance of the administrative (police) organs during the aggressive seizure and taking over of property belonging to the Metropolitanate by members of the so-called MOC, but most frequently through the means of propaganda messages aimed against the Metropolitanate by the highest ranking bearers of state functions through the public information service and other [pro]government media.

The public information service and other [pro]government media have these last few days persistently repeated (emitted) the threats of Mr. Stevo Vucinic, the port-parole of this little group, in which the taking over of the Monastery of Cetinje, the centuries-long See of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro, is announced, alongside loathsome lies concerning the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, its clergy, supposedly financial transactions, et al., with the aim of spreading religious hatred, intolerance and animosity towards the canonical Church.

The Metropolitanate has, therefore, filed a demand with the Supreme State Attorney of Montenegro (our number: EUObr. 396 of 25 March 2008) to take legal measures against the afore-mentioned person, but was denied by the higher State Attorney (his act under the marking: Kt. br. 104/08 of 3. June 2008 VJ/BR). The conduct of the followers of this pseudo-religious community can be seen clearly from the recent happenings in Dragovoljici, and previously in other places, and from attacks on churches and church property (last year's attack on the Monastery in Cetinje, the illegal entering and desecration of the Church in Ugnje near Cetinje, in Velja Zagreda near Danilovgrad, and other places).

As concerns this most recent event in the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Bajace, it must be necessarily highlighted that the Police directly deceived the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands. To wit: in its act No. 20–01 No. 222/08–646 of 29 October 2008, it informed the Metropolitanate that services by anyone in this Church would not be allowed, the supposed reason being the risk of "endangering traffic". Such an act (as we were informed by word of mouth) was also addressed to the religious community under discussion, and the Parish Priests of Bajace were also given a vocal guarantee that the Church would be protected. While the Metropolitanate respected this decision of the Police (even though it is astounding that the Church would be forbidden to hold services in a Church in which its has celebrated since its founding), the other side was allowed to carry out their own quasi-religious rite in the Church of the Metropolitanate. A legal process was set in motion in 2001 for the trespassing on private property by the accused Miras Dedeic, that has, due to the tardy taking of action by the judicial authorities, still not been concluded. In truth, the first-instance decision was suspended twice, and is at this time in appeal for the third time; but by the way this case was handled before the Court of first-instance, we with reason doubt the objectivity and impartiality of the Court.

We the six under-signed Orthodox Bishops of the Orthodox Serbian Church, three being from Montenegro, who celebrated the Divine Service in the Church of the Monastery of Cetinje on 31 October 2008 on the Feastday of Saint Apostle Luke and Saint Petar of Cetinje, hereby request the protection of the rights, property and dignity of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands, the cessation of applying pressure on judicial organs, the passing of a final judgment in favor of the legal owner, and the sanctioning of those who spread religious hatred in Montenegro, therein threatening civil peace and religious freedom. With respect, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands Amfilohije Metropolit of Dabro-Bosnia Nikolaj Bishop of Budimlje-Niksic Joanikije Vikar Bishop of Liplje Teodosije Vikar Bishop of Dioclea Jovan Bishop Atanasije, retired of Hercegovina