New Conflicts Between Orthodox Churches in Montenegro

Bloodshed Threatening

Metropolitan Amfilohije of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) warns that the conflict between the Serbian and Montenegrin Church might cause bloodshed in Montenegro in January.

AIM Podgorica, December 23, 2000

Years long disputes between the Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Montenegro regarding the status and ownership of temples and other church property has entered the high risk stage these days. Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Metropolitan Amfilohije did not even rule out the possibility of "bloodshed for the Orthodox Christmas in January at Cetinje"!

A new conflict broke out at Cetinje, the Montenegrin capital and seat of both Orthodox churches. In the beginning of December, protesting against an alleged attempt of the Montenegrin Church to take possession of this temple, a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Radomir Nikcevic, barracked himself in the Wallachian Church, famous for its fence made from 1,500 barrels of guns which Montenegrins captured from the Turks in the last century.

This served just as a new inducement for the continuation of old disputes which, apart from representatives of the two churches, the Montenegrin Parliament, Montenegrin state officials, political parties, Ministry of Religions, Ministry of the Interior, the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee and the media joined in the dispute.

Thus, a seemingly harmless act was politicised to the extreme with a possibility of turning into a conflict of unprecedented proportions. Montenegrin Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic and Police Minister Vukasin Maras, tried talking to the SOC Metropolitan Amfilohije in an attempt to dissuade priest Nikcevic from further strike and thus prevent the spreading of tension. Their mission failed although they guaranteed that the Serbian Church, i.e. Montenegrin-Coastal Metropolis with Amfilohije as its head, would not be robbed of its property.

Priest Nikcevic, a superior of the Wallachian Church, demanded written guarantees of the Montenegrin authorities that adherents of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church would not seize the Wallachian Church. Since he did not get such guarantees, he continued as he said to the press "the evangelistical fast" making a solemn declaration to stay locked in the Church until his demands are met even if that cost him his life.

Apart from the Serbian Church clergy, Brotherhood of the Orthodox Youth from several Montenegrin towns also expressed its support for Nikcevic. Its members, together with a dozen monks and nuns, started a protest on December 21, in front of the Montenegrin Assembly in Podgorica, while a parliament session was in progress. From this protest they sent a petition to the Montenegrin authorities "demanding full protection of the rights and property of the Montenegrin-Coastal Metropolis".

Delegates of pro-Serbian parties - the Socialist National Party and the National Party - jumped at the opportunity and forced the Montenegrin Parliament, which had quite different items on its agenda, to take a stand in this regard. Their demand was met and late in the evening of December 20, the Republican Assembly concluded that "every attempt of forcible appropriation of temples which rightfully belong to the Metropolis of Montenegro-Coast, and that all thereto connected property disputes should be resolved by legal means".

"We have all agreed that churches should not divide, but join us in peace and good, and not pit us against each other using arguments from the past", said in this connection Svetozar Marovic, President of Parliament, calling on all believers and citizens, churches and religious organisations, bishops, priests and political parties to work together for the preservation of peace in Montenegro.

However, this did not make the adherents of the Serbian Church, its head Amfilohije nor priest Nikcevic feel any better. They continued their protests and the strike, and Metropolitan Amfilohije came to Belgrade to call a press conference and on TV channel YU Info accused the Montenegrin authorities of "supporting the plundering of the Serbian Church property and physical attacks and threats to its priests". Expressing an open suspicion in the impartiality of the Montenegrin judiciary and Ministry of the Interior, Amfilohije accused President Djukanovic of hypocrisy and, as usual, addressed a volley of insults to the Montenegrin Church and its adherents.

"The civil war of 1945 is being revamped in Montenegro", said Metropolitan Amfilohije, ominously hinting at the possible "Christmas bloodbath". Following this unusual event, the representatives of some ten Cetinje villages also stated that the Serbian Church and its head Amfilohije, were illegally reconstructing the Wallachian Church, that their ancestors had built some five centuries ago. They also announced that they would soon bring the Wallachian Church back under the wing of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, to which it used to belong prior to 1920, together with another 650 churches and monasteries, it was occupied by force by the Serbian Church.

The expert commission of the Republican Institute for the Protection of Monuments of Culture at Cetinje, sought several days ago to enter the Wallachian Church with the intention of informing the public information about the state of repair of its interior. However, priest Nikcevic refused to unlock the door and the commission could only report to the Ministry of Culture that the "Republican institution responsible for the preservation of cultural heritage, has been prevented from discharging one of its basic functions - gaining insight into the state of repair of monuments". The Institute has had similar problems with the Serbian Church for years.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church also reacted. Its Metropolitan Mihailo said: " The Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro is nowadays making horrendous schemes in order to instil bad blood in the Montenegrin people and provoke civil and religious conflicts on the eve of the celebration of Christ's birth. Without any pretext and reason, the Serbian Orthodox Church, notorious for spreading religious and national hatred and the blessing war crimes in the former Yugoslavia in the past decade, now wants to set Montenegro on fire by fabricating non-existent threats to its clergy and temples".

The Montenegrin Church warned in one of its press releases that Metropolitan Amfilohije was "a militant representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro which denies the existence of the Montenegrin people, nation, culture, language, church and all things Montenegrin". However, the press release also stated the following: "We guarantee that, if in the towns and villages where churches have been transferred to us, there is a single adherent of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he may invite the priests of that church to conduct the rites of his choice in our temples".

So far, the inhabitants who are church owners, returned to the Montenegrin Church 26 temples by plebiscite, thus seriously undermining the monopoly position of the Serbian Church in Montenegro, and its Metropolitan Amfilohije. The return of the Wallachian Church, that is of a manifold symbolic meaning, would surely prompt many adherents to join the Montenegrin Church and villages throughout Montenegro to hand over even faster the temples that are still their indisputable property. It is therefore estimated that priest Nikcevic's protest and all things attending it, are a part of the Serbian Orthodox Church's scenario designed to forestall that process.

Those supporting this stand also mention the recent meeting between new FRY President Vojislav Kostunica, during his first visit to Montenegro, and Metropolitan Amfilohije at Cetinje. Kostunica then stated that he did not recognise the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, unleashing a wave of disapproval among its adherents and followers.

"The Montenegrin Orthodox Church existed, exists and will exist no matter what Vojislav Kostunica and Amfilohije Radovic want", reacted then the Montenegrin Church, assessing that Kostunica was evidently pursuing the Greater Serbian policy that, by denying the existence of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, seeks to contest the Montenegrin nation and state.

The denial of one of the basic human rights - the right to a church – to the Montenegrins and, what is more, to them as the majority nation in their own state, is probably a unique phenomenon in the world. To make it even more absurd, even the current Montenegrin authorities have contested it. In connection with the "Wallachian Church" case even Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic stated that the Serbian Church was the only legitimate church in Montenegro. This stand is also supported by the Minister of (all) Religions, Budimir Dubak.

"This is unacceptable" said Slobodan Franovic, President of the Montenegrin Helsinki Committee. "The Montenegrin Constitution is based on the principle of the church being separate from the state, of non-discrimination, on the principle of individuality of human rights, and the authorities have departed from these principles. States which are based on the principles of the church being separate from the state do not need a ministry of religions. Thus, the very existence of that ministry means that it is the state's intention to develop a system with a state church or religion, and that is impossible according to our Constitution. The right of every citizen to have his own state and religious identity is denied in Montenegro, which is a classical example of the violation of human rights".

Veseljko KOPRIVICA

(AIM)