Good morning! In the middle of a potential global conflict, in the middle of Moscow, Porfirje openly says that he is in favour of a new redistribution of the world and that he does not recognise borders in the Balkans, consciously fueling Russia’s insane and irresponsible ambitions for world domination. That’s not how a shepherd behaves. The shepherd does not call upon the wolf to slaughter his flock.
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Putin, Porfirije, Joanikije and Filip Ivanovic
During his visit to Moscow, the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, met with the Russian Patriarch Kirill and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. And in a series of pandering moves, thanks and the lowest of the lows, something was heard that should seriously worry everyone in the region – especially in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
The patriarch thanked Putin, condemned the student protests in Serbia, calling them an attempt at a “colored revolution”, and in the manner of Vucic’s political emissary, conveyed Vucic’s greetings to Putin, noting that the President of Serbia intends to attend the celebration on 9 May in Moscow regardless of the warnings from Brussels.
What he said about the “new geopolitical division” goes far beyond diplomatic courtesies. He said that, if it comes to that, he wants Serbia to become part of the Russian Orthodox world – and that he relies on Russia’s position on the issue of Kosovo, the Serb Republic and Montenegro.
This is not the first time that Porfirije has sent messages that sound like geopolitical ambitions. During the meeting with the special representatives of the USA and the EU, Matthew Palmer and Miroslav Lajcak, he stated that three issues are crucial for the Serbs and their survival: Kosovo, the Serb Republic and Montenegro. Then his words could be interpreted as cultural sensibility and concern for the Serbian minority. Now, in front of Putin, all inhibitions have fallen. Porfirije no longer uses diplomatic language – he articulates the essence of Serbian nationalist rhetoric. He wants territories.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia long sought an ideological framework to justify its right to influence. Then, in the absence of communism, the Orthodox Church stepped in. Thus, the communist Internationale was replaced by a moral one, or rather a moralistic one. The arrival of Putin and Kirill at the head of the state and the church marked the beginning of the belated reaction of Russian imperialism to the collapse of the empire.
When Putin was the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg and Kirill was the bishop of Kaliningrad, the ideological basis for what we see today was laid. Back in 1992, Kirill initiated the All-Slavic Orthodox Assembly, an organisation whose statute expresses clear resentment over the fact that all Russians no longer live in one state. Sound familiar? It should.
This is where the interests of Porfirije, Kirill and Putin meet. Putin, who calls the collapse of the USSR the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, fits perfectly into that construction. Russian ethno-nationalism, deeply rooted in traditionalism and moralism, seemed anachronistic for a long time. But for years they watched the West, learned, and saw an opportunity to get involved in the global culture wars. The wars in which public morality and individual freedoms are opposed and which polarise societies in the West. Russia aligns itself with the extreme right and the conservative movement, and the Russian Orthodox Church (RPC) finds a way for its aggiornamento. But not the Catholic aggiornamento, according to which the Catholic Church adapted to modernism, but an aggiornamento with the opposite direction, in which the RPC finds space for the modern articulation of its reactionary aspirations.
In this context, Montenegro fits perfectly. Political changes in our country have had a profound effect on the social fabric as well. The new government, instead of leading the policy of European integration, increasingly acts as an extension of Serbian ethno-religious strategies. Filip Ivanovic, the de facto minister of foreign affairs, who takes advantage of Ervin Ibrahimovic’s passivity and lack of understanding, was “grilled” in the European Parliament because of Porfirije’s visit to Moscow.
His response? Notorious lie – that Metropolitan Joanikije is not dependent on Porfirije First, Joanikije is not the head of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro – he is only one of four equal bishops. He may have informal authority, but he is not Metodije’s “boss”. Formally, he is not in charge in Niksic and Berane. It’s Merodije’s and Backovic’s territory. Though Backovic is in charge of Tivat as well.
Second, Joanikije has a history of making statements in support of Russian aggression against Ukraine and has regularly expressed sympathy for Russian policies. A Google search of Russian sites will confirm that. And here is something interesting: only the Russian Orthodox Church and I call him Joanikije II. If you don’t believe it – look here.
Not to mention Metodije, who toasts and sings with the Russian ambassador.
That’s it for today. We wish you a pleasant rest of the day.
Kind regards,
Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM analyst and columnist
(Columnists’ opinions and views are not necessarily those of the CdM editorial staff)
