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Jovanović: Ecumenical Patriarchate thinks even the Ukrainians were schismatic

Vladimir Jovanović

Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral published on its website yesterday that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter to Mr Milo Đukanović in which he stated that Montenegrin Orthodox Church had never been independent, while pointing out that the entire Ecumenical Patriarchate “was surprised to find out that Mr Đukanović had supported Montenegrin Orthodox Church and that the Government had adopted the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion”.

Representatives of Mr Đukanović’s Cabinet said that they hadn’t received that letter and, therefore, couldn’t make any comment on it.

Mr Vladimir Jovanović, an analyst and one of the best connoisseurs of the church history in Montenegro, said that Bartholomew’s letter was, probably, authentic.

“However, Bartholomew didn’t write he wouldn’t recognize the independence of Montenegrin Orthodox Church. It’s not written in the letter. And even if it was written, it would be in contravention of the church canons which Eastern Orthodox Church is based on. Canons are older than any patriarch. Overlapping of orthodox church jurisdiction with state borders is predicted by the XVII canon of the IV Ecumenical convocation. Requesting autonomy isn’t a heresy, its completely legitimate”, said Mr Jovanović.

He explains that Bartholomew sticks to the canon order which was defined in 1922.

“In 1922, Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the newly-formed Patriarchate for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in Belgrade. It was officially called Serbian Orthodox Church in 1929. That SOC has its own diocese, Montenegrin and the Littoral. Bartholomew is identifying the Metropolitanate of the SOC with the Montenegrin Metropolitanate. That’s not correct. I believe he is not well informed. Montenegrin Metropolitanate was autocephalous”, points out Mr Jovanović.

He says that Montenegrin Metropolitanate had its Holy synod and three dioceses.

“Independent Montenegrin Metropolitanate was in liturgical union with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and hundreds of documents  testify to that fact”, says Mr Jovanović.

He points out that Metropolitanate of the SOC negates the Montenegrin Metropolitanate and everything it has been since 1485.

“It hasn’t got autocephaly or synod. It’s a relic of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Yugoslavia, a country which doesn’t exist”, says Mr Jovanović.

Procedure of granting tomos to the Church of Montenegro is a very complex and difficult process. It hasn’t even started yet. However, Mr Jovanović is convinced that the process in Montenegro won’t take decades.

“We prayed for our independence and now we have it. Now we are going to regain the autocephaly of our church, where our ancestors used to say their prayers. Albanians, Czechs, Polish…they all have autocephalous churches. Ukrainians got the tomos, although their church has never been autocephalous. Montenegrin people should and must have their own church too”, says Mr Jovanović.

Commenting on the assertions of Bartholomew about church property in our country, Mr Jovanović says:

“Although he is Amfilohije’s friend from school, His Holiness is not a legislative power here. I doubt he read the text of the Draft law. It’s nothing new that churches and monasteries are state-owned and it’s not in contravention of the canons of Eastern Orthodox Church. State is the owner of churches and monasteries, it’s the protector of Eastern Orthodox Church”, concluded Mr Jovanović.

Perović: Patriarchate in Istanbul is left with the permanent mark of the counterfeit history

President of the Doclean Academy of Arts and Sciences, Mr Sreten Perović, is doubtful  about the credibility of the letter published by the Metropolitanate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

“Ecumenical Patriarchate knows very well that they are not allowed to address head of the state by means of a website. Any website. If the letter was signed by Bartholomew, who ever write it, a permanent mark of the counterfeit history will remain on the Patriarchate in Istanbul and its present leader. Mark of the lies that wants to replace the truth, anti-christian and anti-civic consciousness”, said Mr Perović.

Mr Bartholomew knows, he adds, that his predecessors on the Ecumenical throne recognized the autocephaly of Montenegrin church.

“Archive sources, histories and encyclopedias can serve as a testimony. Since Mr Bartholomew knows that, it’s very strange that he signed this forgery”, says Mr Perović.

 

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