Preparing terrain for the Littoral Eparchy’s autonomy

According to the draft agreement the Montenegrin Government and Serbian Orthodox Church should negotiate. However, it is not clear who should sign the agreement.

PLATFORM FOR AGREEMENT WITH MONTENEGRO

Željka Jevtić
14/9/2011

In Montenegro a terrain is being prepared for autonomy of the Montenegrin and Coastal Littoral Eparchy. It is to be independent in view of organization from the Serbian Orthodox Church, ‘Blic’ learns. Russian businessmen are lobbying for such settlement of this problem. Apart from business dealing in Montenegro they have excellent relations with the authorities in Podgorica but also with some circles in the Russian Church. Montenegrin authorities find their proposal as ‘a good transient solution’ until setting up of autonomous Montenegrin Church.

‘Although the Serbian Orthodox Church is being mentioned in the agreement, unusually big role is being given to episcopal council of Littoral Episcopacy so it is not clear at all who should sign the document’, our source from Montenegro says.

At the Patriarchy in Belgrade ‘Blic’ was told that the relation by authorities in Podgorica towards the Littoral Head Amfilohije can be practically interpreted as pressure on him to accept changes of the church organization. ‘Nobody doubts Amfilohije’s loyalty to Serbian Orthodox Church but he also has excellent relations with the Russian Littoral Head Ilarion who was in Belgrade and Podgorica recently and who sees no problem in autonomy in Montenegro’. The Russian Church has given autonomy to churches founded in countries formed after disintegration of the USSR. Still that caused splitting in the Russian Church in Ukraine.

The stances within the Serbian Orthodox Church over giving of autonomy to Littoral Episcopacy in Montenegro differ, however.

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