The Metropolitan explained why Montenegrin authorities are confiscating Orthodox shrines
The Montenegrin authorities initiated a confrontation with the Orthodox Church in order to take possession of its property, which they perceive only as material assets.
Metropolitan Amfilohiy of Montenegro and Primorye stated this in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“During communism, many enterprises were built in Montenegro. All this has been destroyed. The only organism that has preserved its property is the Church. We must now take away this property and churches,” said Bishop Amphilohiy.
On the territory of Montenegro there are 600 Orthodox churches and 60 monasteries, many of which are objects of pilgrimage. Thus, in the Cetinje Monastery, John the Baptist is kept, and the Ostrog mountain monastery is the third most visited shrine by Orthodox pilgrims after Golgotha and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
On the night of December 27, the Parliament of Montenegro by a majority vote adopted the law “On freedom of religion and belief and the legal status of religious communities,” which provides for the confiscation of 650 Orthodox shrines. This sparked mass protests across the country. Earlier, President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic said that he would seek autocephaly for the “Montenegrin church” following the example of Ukraine.
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