Home page News
Metropolitan Hilarion: President of Montenegro wor…

Metropolitan Hilarion: President of Montenegro works to divide the population of the country, on religious grounds in particular

On September 5, in the historical center of Montenegro – Cetinje – Metropolitan Joanikije was installed as Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral. He had been elected by the Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in place of the late Metropolitan Amfilohije. Radical forces supported by Milo Đukanović, the President of the country, who had been known for his unrelenting opposition to the canonical Church, tried to prevent the celebration of this occasion in Cetinje. In response to the accusations of the attempt to excite unrest, Đukanović said: “We have become witnesses to profound disgrace of the Serbian Orthodox Church that has unprecedentedly shamed the long history of the state of Montenegro, as well as the history of Orthodoxy as a whole.”

Commenting on this statement at the request of the host of “The Church and the World” TV programme Yekaterina Gracheva, Metropolitan Hilarion, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, said, “Just as Pyotr Poroshenko in his time dreamt of creating an ‘independent Ukrainian Church,’ so also Milo Đukanović is dreaming of creating an ‘independent Montenegrin Church.’ Therefore, his support is not for the canonical Church, with the majority of the population of Montenegro among its parishioners, but for a certain schismatic group consisting of a few adventurers who have clothed themselves with episcopal or clerical vestments.”

According to Metropolitan Hilarion, what actually brings shame on Montenegro is its leader who is unable to unite the people of his country, but instead is working for their division, bringing about a conflict.”

“It was indeed a shame that the Serbian Patriarch, who came to perform the enthronement of Metropolitan of Montenegro, could not reach Cetinje unhindered, because Đukanović’s followers were placed on the road to block the Patriarch’s access to the city. The Patriarch had to reach the city by helicopter. There are video-clips showing him coming down from the helicopter under the protection of the military carrying shields to cover him and the metropolitan-elect of Montenegro against snipers’ bullets. This is what indeed shames Montenegro; and it is the President of Montenegro Đukanović who is to blame for it,” concluded the DECR’s chairman.

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Honorary Chair of Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation

21.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill takes part in the closing ceremony of VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with religious leaders on the sidelines of the Congress in Astana

18.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with Russia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks at the opening of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends greetings to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

17.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Turkey to Russia

02.09.2025

Visit of Deans of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa to Russia concludes

01.09.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-Night Vigil in Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the eve of Dormition

27.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill congratulates MGIMO rector Anatoly Torkunov on his 75th birthday

26.08.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill holds prayer service ahead of Russia-US Presidents' meeting in Alaska

15.08.2025

Meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic takes place

30.07.2025

DECR chairman concludes his visit to Northern Iraq

02.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Hierarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church

01.10.2025

DECR Chairman meets in Erbil with Director for the Preservation of Assyrian Cultural Heritage

01.10.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan

30.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with Russia’s Consul General in Erbil

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with the Primate of the Assyrian Church of the East

29.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs of Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Council of Ulema of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

29.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with representatives of Christian communities of Iraq

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony meets with the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony takes part in the Assyrian Church of the East Conference dedicated to the First Ecumenical Council

28.09.2025

DECR Chairman meets with the Primate and Members of the Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East

28.09.2025

Visit of the DECR Chairman to Northern Iraq begins

28.09.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolasmk leads patronal celebrations at the Church of the Renewal of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Danilovskaya Sloboda

26.09.2025

DECR chairman meets with Israel’s ambassador to Russia

25.09.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب