The Serbian Patriarch arrived in Montenegro, despite the resistance of nationalists
Despite attempts by political circles in Montenegro to prohibit the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, from arriving at the celebrations on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the autocephaly of the SOC and the 1500th anniversary of the Podlasta monastery, the primate arrived at the events.
The head of the SOC held a service last weekend and also addressed a sermon to a flock of thousands.
“Our faith is alive, this is a great encouragement for all Serbs,” Irinej said, pointing out that “what has been sown in this region over the centuries cannot be destroyed either by decree or by the decision of people.”
Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and Littoral noted that “people greeted the Patriarch with great love,” whose leadership of the Serbian Church is “a great gift from God.”
The mayor of Budva, Marko Tsarevich, welcomed Irenaeus “to the holy land of the holy Emperor Lazar Grbalje and Kosovo,” and called on the Patriarch to “lead the Serbian people through the difficult trials they are going through,” writes the In4s portal.
The Serbian spiritual leader in his speech expressed hope that the pro-Western President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, who ignored the invitation to the celebrations and flew to New York these days, will cancel his decision to recognize the independence of the region of Kosovo and Metohija captured by Albanian separatists, and “return to the true values."
In response, the press service of the President of Montenegro released a special statement.
“Montenegro independently pursues a coherent foreign policy based on its national interests, thus contributing, according to the assessments of the most important European and world references, to the stability of the region,” the official statement said.
This event was not without further scandalous attacks towards the SOC. Thus, the anathematized schismatic Miraš Dedejic sent a message to those “who are destroying the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and Montenegro.”
“Take care of Serbia, the Republika Srpska, Vojvodina... And the state of Kosovo and Albania are your and our neighbors,” Dedejic said.
Previously, he also spoke negatively about the Serbian Patriarch, in particular, saying in an interview with a Croatian television channel that the leadership of the SOC should be tried in The Hague for supporting the actions of the Yugoslav authorities who fought against separatists supported by the West.
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