The existence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro is under threat?

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The existence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro is under threat?

The bill on religious organizations in Montenegro seriously worried believers and sparked heated debates in the society. Opponents of the forthcoming document called the Law on Freedom of Religion are convinced that the very existence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the country in the form in which it has been for centuries has been called into question.

The secularization of the church historically evokes a resonance not only among believers, but also among abstract observers. The new bill once again hit this sick place of all times and peoples. Its essence is that the authority to approve the officials of ANY (!) Religious confession in the territory of Montenegro goes to the authorities.

For the Orthodox Church, which in Montenegro is the main religious congregation in terms of the number of parishioners, this is the actual separation from the SPTs. Right in the new law, this is not mentioned, but there is a clause that the center of any spiritual organization should be located on the territory of the country.

It also follows from the project that all the temple buildings of Montenegro, now belonging to the SPT, are transferred to the ownership of the country and, consequently, their fate will be further determined by the municipalities. In other words, temples can be transferred to representatives of other faiths at any time or used for secular purposes.

Experts say that this bill is an attempt to subordinate the ruling party (DPS) to the last association, which it is not yet under control in the state. The professors of the Montenegrin seminary fear even attempts at ideological pressure from the authorities, and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has repeatedly made similar hints. Thus, in one of his speeches he spoke about the harmonious coexistence of the Church with the authorities.

As for the right of the authorities to dispose of church buildings, the situation here is not very encouraging for the Orthodox community, because representatives of Catholic and Protestant organizations, as well as the Raskolnichia Montenegrin church, can become the owners of ancient Orthodox churches and monasteries in Montenegro.

Opponents also accuse the SPT of not wanting to lose their monopoly on church values.

There are precedents of unrest in the White Field, where the first discussion of the bill took place.

#DonnaCreek

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