Serbian Church in Montenegro: not yet arrested, but summoned for night interrogations
The rector of the temple in Kotor, along with his son, was summoned for questioning by the police because of a prayer service for deliverance from the virus, while the SOC expressed its readiness to provide its premises as hospitals for the infected.
Balkan media reported this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Popular among Montenegrin Orthodox parishioners of the canonical SOC, the rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Kotor, Archpriest Momcilo Krivokapic, together with his son, was summoned to the police station.
Archpriest Momicilo Krivokapic
The priest was demanded to testify about his prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos on the evening of March 19 for deliverance from the epidemic.
“Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary have been served in Kotor since the 17th century, when the Heavenly Patroness saved our city from the plague, after which we regularly asked for her protection from earthquakes, famine, wars, drought, and this time from the coronavirus,” Father Momcilo explained. – Last night (at 21:00 – ed.) my son and I were called to the police station for questioning. They didn’t tell us specifically for what reason, but they asked questions about the prayer service. I explained that this was a regular service with 15-16 people present.”
Archpriest Krivokapić connected the incident with the provocative activities of local Radio Skala journalist Slavko Mandić, who, in an interview with the mayor of the city, Zeljko Apprcović, asked what he intended to do against the SOC, which “does not respect the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and openly violates government bans on holding public events , intends to hold protest prayers.”
Radio Skala journalist Slavko Mandić
“What Mandich did was terrible, I intend to sue him,” said the rector of the Church of St. Nicholas.
Also, information about his arrest that had previously appeared in the media was denied by Hieromonk Sava Vukajlovic, saying that he was simply taken to the Bijelo Polje prosecutor’s office to testify about his alleged violation of the quarantine regime (returning from Serbia, he bypassed customs in order to bypass the two-week quarantine and get into his , a monastery located on the territory of Montenegro).
Judging by this news, we can conclude that the Podgorica authorities, in collaboration with the security forces, are ready to informationally attack the SOC, which has suspended mass protest lithiums and religious processions due to the coronavirus epidemic.
By coincidence, some time after the cessation of prayer rallies, in Montenegro, where, unlike neighboring countries, there were no cases of Covid-19 infections, the first cases appeared - today there are eight of them.
“We will continue to hold protest lithiums, but this time on social networks,” Metropolitan Amfilohije Radovic of Montenegro and Primorye told parishioners during a recent online communication. “Because Montenegro is exposed to a more dangerous virus than the coronavirus - it is a virus of lawlessness.”
The Bishop announced that joint online prayer services and communication with him and other church representatives will be held on the same days and at the same time as previously in and near churches - on Thursday and Sunday evenings.
Rector of Cetinje Seminary Gojko Perović
Also, the rector of the Cetinje Seminary, Gojko Perović, who took part in the “online litany,” said that the metropolis is ready to provide its premises and volunteers for organizing temporary hospitals.
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