Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral

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Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Coastlands
Jurisdiction	Patriarchate of Pec (Serbia)
Diocese type	Metropolitanate
Founded	1219
Current Bishop	Metropolitan Amphilohije
See	Cetnije
Headquarters	Cetinje, Montenegro
Territory	Montenegro
Language	Serbian
Population	400,000 est
Website	Official Site

The Metropolitanate of Montenegro is the largest diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Founded in 1219 by Saint Sava, it is now one of the most prominent dioceses in the Serbian Orthodox Church. The current Metropolitan is Amfilohije.

1 History
2 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Zetan Orthodox Metropolitanate (1219–1499)

The Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral has existed continuously for 780 years as an integral diocese of The Serbian Orthodox Church. It was founded in 1219 by St. Sava (Nemanjić), who also became the first archbishop of The Serbian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. After the status of an autocephalous orthodox church was granted to the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219 in Nicea by the Ecumenical Patriarch Manuel Sarantenos and confirmed by the Emperor Theodore I Laskaris, St. Sava decided to divide the area which was under his ecclesiastical jurisdiction into nine dioceses. One of these was the diocese of Zeta (the southern half of modern Montenegro). The seat of Zetan bishops was at that time in the Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel in Prevlaka (near today's city of Tivat) The first Zetan bishop was to became St. Sava's disciple Ilarion Sisojevic.

Zetan diocese was elevated to the status of a Metropolitanate by the decisions of the state-church council of Skoplje in 1346, presided over by the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan.

The fall of the Serbian medieval state 1389 to the Turks after the Battle of Kosovo and the gradual disintegration of its parts in the 15th century together with the Venetian conquest of coastal cities of Kotor, Budva and Patšrovići region in 1420-1423, endangered The Zetan Orthodox Metropolitanate. In 1452 Venetians destroy the Orthodox Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel in Prevlaka to ease their plans for forceful conversion of the Orthodox Christians from these parts of the coast into Roman Catholic faith. From 1452 the seat of the Metropolitanate moved from: St. Mark's Monastery in Budva, Monastery of the Virgin Mary in the mountains close to the city of Bar, St. Nicholas's Monastery situated on Vranjina (Skadar Lake), St. Nicholas's Monastery in Obod (Rijeka Crnojevića) to Cetinje Monastery built in 1484. When Zeta plains finally fell to the advancing Turks, the grand duke of Zeta Ivan Crnojević with the part of his people moved to Montenegrin mountains that once were just a part of the medieval state called Zeta.

The history of Montenegro begins from this point. Ivan Crnojević bought the printing press in Venice a few years before his death in 1490. His son Đurađ becomes the next grand duke, and in 1493 he, with the help of a Hieromonk Makarije, prints the book that is the first one ever to be printed among the south Slavs. That book is the "Oktoih", a Serb-Slavonic translation from the original Greek of a service book that is today still regularly used in the daily cycle of services in the orthodox church. Montenegro in 1499 finally falls to the Turks and that coincides with the disappearance of the Crnojević family from the historical scene. From then on the name Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro is being used instead of the old name Zetan Orthodox Metropolitanate.

[edit] Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro (1500–1939)

During the 16th and 17th centuries their Orthodox Metropolitans together with the leaders of the clans lead people of Montenegro. With more or less success they were fighting the Turks, who never completely conquered the Montenegrin mountains. In this struggle the Venetians were often their allies, but never their true friends.

The destruction of the old Cetinje Monastery perpetrated by the Venetians and the Turks in 1692 with the emergence of the Petrović family on the historical scene (1697) mark the beginning of a new phase in the Montenegrin history. Montenegro led by Metropolitan bishop Danilo I Petrović turns completely towards the Russian Empire that through its power and authority strengthens the institution of etnarchy (with the metropolitans being heads of the Church and rulers of the state at the same time). The Petrović dynasty ruled Montenegro for 220 years, from 1697–1918. The Metropolitans of Montenegro, all of them members of this family were: Danilo I Petrović Njegoš (1697-1735), Sava II Petrović-Njegoš (1735-1781), Petar I Petrović-Njegoš (1784-1830), Petar II Petrović-Njegoš (1830-1851). After the death of Petar II, the state of Montenegro was no longer ruled by the Metropolitans, since his successor the grand-duke Danilo Petrović did not want to become a metropolitan.

In the times of grand-duke and (as of 1910) king of Montenegro Nikola I Petrović came the culmination of the geopolitical idea to unify the Serbian nation, as well as the spiritual need to unite the Serbian church. The territory of Montenegro was almost doubled and the church spread into three dioceses. In these circumstances, expressing the inner need of all inhabitants of Montenegro, the president of its government Dr. Lazar Tomanovic, said the following in his speech at the historic event of the coronation of king Nikola I Petrović: The Metropolitanate of Montenegro is the only diocese founded by St. Sava which was uninterruptedly preserved until today, and as such represents the lawful throne and a descendant of the Patriarchate of Peć.

After the victory in the First World War by the end of 1918 Montenegro was absorbed by Serbia under the Karađorđević dynasty. It is important to stress that this resolved the long-standing dynastic rivalry between the two royal families: the Petrović family and the Karađorđević family. The decision was taken at the historical Great people's council of Podgorica on 26th November 1918. with the active participation of representatives from the Metropolitanate of Montenegro. The main decisions reached at the event were:

The unification of Serbia and Montenegro.

Dethronization of king Nikola I Petrović and the acceptance of Karađorđević dynasty.

Although most Montenegrins were in fervour of these decisions, one part of king Nikola's supporters (the greens) wished to preserve the Petrović dynasty, and also wanted the union with Serbia but under completely different terms (a federal union and not a centralised one).

The unification of the Serbian church was, however, a completely different issue supported by both sides in the dispute, the greens (federalists) and the whites (centralists). The dethroned king Nikola I Petrovic never opposed the unification of the church. The decision to unify the Metropolitanate of Montenegro with the other Serbian dioceses, was reached on 16 December 1918 by the Bishops Council of the Montenegrin Metropolitanate as the only institution empowered by the church law to do so.[4] The Bishops Council unanimously accepted the following proposal: " That the independent Serbian – Orthodox Holy Church in Montenegro unites with the autocephalous Orthodox Church in The Kingdom of Serbia." (The Decision of The Bishops Council, Nr. 1169, 16th of December 1918, Cetinje). This decision was signed by all diocesan bishops in Montenegro: Metropolitan of Montenegro Mitrofan Ban, Metropolitan of Pec Dr. Gavrilo Dozic and the Bishop of Niksic Kiril Mitrovic. Everybody gladly accepted unification of the church in Montenegro and that is testified not only in the documents and sources cited here but also through the fact that not a single document pointing in a different direction was ever produced. The decision of the Church regarding the unification was accepted and confirmed by his majesty king Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic in 1920. His festive declaration as to the unification of The Serbian Church came two years after the Church already reached the decision to unify.

[edit] Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (World War II – present)

During the Second World War and after the communists came to power in 1945 the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral suffered the worst persecution at the hands of the atheist regime. Communists killed 105 priests and thousands of patriotic Montenegrin people. Fifteen other priests were killed by the fascist occupiers. Metropolitan of Montenegro Joanikije (Lipovac) was also brutally murdered by the communists in 1945. The new regime exerted unprecedented pressures upon the remaining clergy to abandon their flocks. The property belonging to the Church was forcefully and illegally confiscated, many churches and monasteries turned into police stations, stables for cattle and warehouses.

The Communists in 1972 seriously damaged the "spiritual veil" of Montenegro, by destroying the church dedicated to St. Petar I Petrovic (St. Petar of Cetinje) and desecrated the tomb of the world famous poet, Metropolitan Petar II Petrovic Njegos who built this church on top of the Lovcen mountain. This barbarous act shows the regime's disregard for the last will of Petar II Petrovic, ages old Christian traditions of Montenegro and even the laws that communists themselves established after they came to power in 1945. In these circumstances the Orthodox Church in Montenegro was marginalized by the communist government. This period can be marked as the time of open and brutal persecution of the Church.

The present Metropolitan of Montenegro Dr. Amfilohije Radovic became the head of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro in 1990, at the same time when the processes of deconstructing the old communist system resulted in free democratic elections. Hoping that the old times and the old ways have passed the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral quickly started to flourish. The number of priests, monks and nuns as well as the number of the faithful increased rapidly. Many monasteries and parish churches were rebuilt and brought back to their former glory. For example from only 10 active monasteries with about 20 monks and nuns in 1991, Montenegro now has 30 active monasteries with more than 160 monks and nuns. The number of parish priests also increased from 20 in 1991 to more than 60 today.

However, the blossoming of the resurrected Orthodox Church in Montenegro immediately became a thorn in the side of the old communist aparatchiks now disguised as members of certain political parties and various other non-governmental organisations. These people are trying very hard to legitimise themselves and pose as democrats in the changed circumstances, but their communist anti-church mentality seems still to prevail.

Understanding well, that it is no longer politically profitable to openly position themselves against the real Church, these new "democrats" decide to change tactics. People who for 50 years brutally persecuted the Orthodox Church in Montenegro now decide to form the "church" according to their own image and likeness. Consequently, four individuals who perfectly fit the role are found:

Miras Dedeic, self proclaimed metropolitan, defrocked and returned to the order of laity by the decision of The Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople in April 1997.

Zivorad Pavlovic, runaway and defrocked priest from the town of Smederevo (Serbia). Wanted for serious charges of theft and sought by the Serbian police.

Milutin Cvijic, born in Teslic (Bosnia), former priest monk in Ostrog monastery. Defrocked as a priest since he broke his monastic vows and got married.

Jelisej Lalatovic, former monk, defrocked for theft of church property.

These church became leaders of the so called "Montenegrin Orthodox church". Meanwhile, because their "clergy" are without canonical legitimacy in the world of Orthodox Christianity and consequently in the rest of the Christian world at large, our disguised communists return to their "old ways" and illegal methods:

Open extortion of property that legally belongs to The Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.

The brutal breaking of the rules of the Montenegrin Constitution, and the laws and regulations stemming from it. Constitution as the republic's main legal act allows the existence of just one Orthodox church in Montenegro[5]5. The campaign organised by the state media, that identifies the robbers dressed as priests with the real and legally recognised clergy.

Introduction of the new, and until now in the spheres of international law unrecognised principle which through the collection of signatures enables the take-over of property that is legally owned by somebody else (the Church in this case). The decision of Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic to publicly support the "MOC" by sending them Easter greetings this year, through which he, in a well known authoritarian communist manner, put himself against and above the legal arbitration of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Moscow and All of Russia Alexei II, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Pavle, Archbishop of Athens Christodoulos as well as the other leaders of autocephalous orthodox churches throughout the world.