Serbian Orthodox Church sues Montenegro
20/5/2011
PODGORICA — Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Metropolitanate of Montenegro has sued the state of Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
The lawsuit was filed over the SPC property in Montenegro, Montenegrin internet news outlet Analitika reports.
A significant property in Montenegro was seized from the SPC earlier and the Church now expects to get it back.
Unrecognized Montenegrin Orthodox Church, however, contests the SPC’s ownership of some property, especially of churches and monasteries, including the Cetinje Monastery.
Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije said today that he was surprised that a civil party such as Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) would put creation of united Montenegrin orthodox church in its program.
“It’s strange that politicians are directly interfering with the church internal life and organization with statements that have appeared in the media, in a civil state such as Montenegro. As far as I know, this is a unique case in modern Europe,” Amfilohije stressed.
He believes that the ruling party’s reaction is even stranger bearing in mind that a “centuries-long united church” exists in Montenegro.
He explained that the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and other eparchies had been united with the Peć Patriarchate, SPC and other orthodox churches around the world for centuries.
Amfilohije expressed hope that those were “temporary illnesses” in Montenegrin society that would pass and added that “the sooner it happens, the better it is for Montenegro and its EU integration”.
He rejected the allegation that the Metropolitanate’s status could change and repeated that the Holly Assembly of Bishops had already done what it thought was necessary.
When asked why SPC Bishops’ Council was established in Montenegro, the metropolitan said that such councils already existed in the U.S., Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and that it was nothing unusual.
“The councils are established so churches could better fulfill their missions in certain parts,” he explained.
Amfilohije strongly rejected allegations that the issue of independence was ever raised within the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.
