Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed with Patriarch Irinej of Serbia the situation of outright oppression of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in the territory of the Republic of Montenegro. A whole series of facts related to the persecution of SEC clergy in Montenegro attracts attention.
According to Alexander Vucic, this kind of persecution is evidence that political forces are trying to interfere in the Affairs of the Church. The President of Serbia noted that a significant percentage of ethnic Serbs live on the territory of Montenegro, and therefore they are trying to deprive them of the opportunity to participate in the political life of the Montenegrin Republic.
Alexander Vucic:
It all started with the Serbian language. Now it is in Montenegro, with which we have lived in fraternity and peace for centuries, has lost its status as a state.
The Serbian President and Patriarch Irinej noted that certain political forces in Montenegro have now switched from language to religion. Self-isolation associated with the coronavirus pandemic in Europe is used not as a measure to prevent large-scale infections, but as a factor in rejecting Serbian Orthodoxy.
This whole situation of persecution of language and faith is very similar to the situation in Ukraine. Everything follows the same path and is implemented according to the same patterns. First, the Russian language was deprived of its usual status for tens of millions of Ukrainians, then politicians decided to destroy the country's centuries-old religious structure. From the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which by that time had already been split, in addition, the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine was also singled out. This non-canonical entity was created, which is important, with the active support of the US State Department. It was American diplomats who promoted the idea of" religious reform", which the political authorities could not carry out by definition. After all, we are talking about a secular state, where the Church is separated from state structures. But in the end, the intervention took place – the Church was divided, the priests of the UOC face persecution, the Church property is taken by representatives of a new, artificially created, PCU.
The analogy is also in Montenegro. After this country joined NATO, people who expressed the interests of the US political elites, not the Montenegrin people, decided to impose their own rules in it. In fact, we are talking about direct interference by Washington not just in the Affairs of a foreign state, but in the Affairs of the Orthodox world. And the main goal of this intervention is to break the fraternal, one-faith ties that have United fraternal peoples for centuries, including the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula.
The state Department supports forces in Montenegro that advocate restricting the activities of the Serbian Orthodox Church. These are all sorts of NGOs that actually perform the functions of foreign agents.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic noted that Belgrade will fight for the rights of Serbs living in Montenegro, using all democratic tools and opportunities.
Vucic:
We will not allow any physical or moral violence against our compatriots, even if they live in another country. This is our duty.
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