Montenegrin Orthodox Church

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The Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC) (Serbian/Montenegrin: Crnogorska pravoslavna crkva, CPC) is an uncannonical church that registered as a non-governmental organization at the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior in 1997.

It claims to be the sole legitimate Eastern Orthodox Church in Montenegro, but it is unrecognized internationally by mainstream Orthodox theological circles. In addition to not being recognized by the official Orthodox Christian representatives (Ecumenical Patriarch), MOC's leader is anathemized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and banished from the Orthodoxy. Also in Montenegro itself, the presence of the Serb Orthodox Church is prevailing.

Contents

[edit] Leader

MOC is led by the Archbishop of Cetinje and Montenegro Metropolitan Mihailo. At the general Montenegrin people's assembly in Cetinje on January 6, 1997, he was chosen by traditional public acclamation the Head of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. In the Church of St. Paraskeva in Sofia, on March 15, 1998, he was ordained as bishop by Bulgarian Alternative Synod's head Patriarch Pimen and seven Metropolitans and Episcopes of a his synod.[1] He was enthroned to Metropolitan of Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Cetinje on October 31, 1998, in the presence of several thousands of believers and followers of Montenegrin Orthodox Church.

Coat of arms of the Church
Coat of arms of the Church

Metropolitan Mihailo was a priest of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. The MOC claims to be the true and sole descendant of the church which was established in Montenegro in the 13th century.

[edit] Services

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church currently holds its regular services in dozens of churches in the area of Montenegro's former royal capital Cetinje as well as in its newly built temple in Kotor. Open-air services are held across Montenegro for Christmas and Easter [2][3] The MOC officially opened a new shrine in the old town of Kotor in 2006, following the referendum on independence.

[edit] Support

The Church claims support from the also uncannonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church[verification needed], the Bulgarian Alternative Synod (founded by patriarch Pimen)[4], and the Orthodox Church in Italy.[5] However, in official Orthodox theological circles (such as the Russian Orthodox Church or the Ecumenical Patriarchate), MOC is seen as a schizmatic group and a political fabrication (similar to the churches that support it).

The MOC claims support from abroad, however it has not managed to build any shrines in North America, South America, Australia and Western Europe, all home to important Montenegrin émigré communities, many of whom also support the Serbian Orthodox Church. Eleven ex-Yugoslav emigrees from the US and Canada have together donated US$670 and Can$270 for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.[6]

MOC supporters also present an excerpt from the 1911 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica as one of the proofs of legitimacy: "The Montenegrin Church is an autocephalous branch of the Eastern Orthodox communion. In 1894 it formally vindicated its independence against the claims of the Russian synod"[7], The Catalogue of Tzarigrad Patriarchy (April 1855) [8], Athens Sintagma, letter of Tzarigrad Patriarch Grigorius to St. Petar I Petrovic Njegos (dated 29th January 1798) [9], and against the claims of other documents, see here [10] and here [11] (a list of historical documents; external links are in Serbian/Montenegrin). Claims are (in supporters of MOC) that MOC was independent and autocephalous until Serbian and Yugoslav king Alexander I of Yugoslavia put MOC, by the decree of 17th (30th) June 1920, under Serbian Orthodox Church 's rule [12] [13].

MOC followers present foreign early 20th century travelogues as supposed proofs of the church's legitimacy. In that vein they claim that in pre-Yugoslavia times, the independence of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church has been confirmed as late as 1905, by one of the best known and well traveled Balkan experts from the early 20th century, Mary Edith Durham. In her book The Burden of the Balkans, published in London in 1905, Durham explained: "Montenegro alone kept a free and independent Slav Church, which survives to this day"[14]

[edit] Status

Opponents accuse it of being a group without theological purpose, and of having only political goals. Metropolitan Antonije Abramović (initialy vehemently supported by the biggest pro-independence party in Montenegro at the time - Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG)[15]) was the first leader of the church in 1993. He was later replaced by Metropolitan Dedeić. Most Liberals didn't approve of this change and their support for the church soon started to fade. Not too long after Milo Đukanović became Montenegro's president in early 1998, the links between MOC and LSCG were pretty well broken off.

The MOC and the SOC had equal status in relations with the Montenegrin government consisting of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro as well as their coalition partner Social Democratic Party of Montenegro.

[edit] Opposition of Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church maintains that Serbian Orthodox Church usurped its churches and other property in Montenegro in the early 20th century, following the unification of Montenegro with Serbia.

According to the MOC, the Metropolia of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), headed by Metropolitan Amfilohije Radović, has existed for only around eight decades, "or to be more precise, it has been there since 1920 when it was established as a structural and integral part of the Serbian Patriarchy in doctrinal, legal and organizational sense". The MOC maintains that the SOC Metropotanate was installed in Montenegro only after the autocephalous Montenegrin Orthodox Church was dissolved in 1920 "against the constitution and canon law".

[edit] Holy Synod

On January 11, 2007, MOC reconsituted its Holy Synod and proclaimed its first decree in which it reconfirms its autocephalous status. The Holy Synod is constituted by archpriests of MOC, led by Metropolitan Mihailo and honorary member Metropolitane of Italy Antonio. The Holy Synod divided Montenegro in five eparchies - Cetinjska, Dukljanska, Primorska, Ostroška and Beranska.

[edit] Construction of First Shrine Abroad

Construction of the first MOC shrine abroad, the Holy Church of Righteous Ivan Crnojević, is planned to take place in Lovćenac, Vojvodina with the help of the Association of Ethnic Montenegrins in Serbia Krstaš.[16] A contract for the land on which the new MOC shrine will be built has been signed on 5 August 2005. [17] A list with the names of several dozen donations—from Montenegro, USA, Slovenia, Australia and Switzerland—for the construction of a MOC shrine in Serbia has also been published. [18]

[edit] Churches

  • Crkva Rođenja Presvete Bogorodice, Đinovići, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveta Neđelja, Erakovići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveta Petka, Vrba, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svete Bogorodice, Raićevići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Arhanđel Mihailo, Raićevići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Đorđije, Erakovići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Đorđije, Vrba, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Đorđije, Mirac, Njeguši, Kotor
  • Crkva Sveti Jeremija, Žanjev Do, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Jovan, Mali Zalazi, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Nikola, Dugi Do, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Nikola, Kopito, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Sava, Erakovići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Sveti Vračevi, Veliki Zalazi, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Arhanđela Mihaila, Čevo, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Đorđija, Tomići, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Đorđija, Vučji Do, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Đorđija, Prediš, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Đorđija, Raićevići, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Jovana, Očinići, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Nikole, Čevo, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetoga Preobraženja, Ivanova Korita, Njeguši, Cetinje
  • Crkva Svetog Petra Cetinjskog, Kotor

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ MOC Official Website—communiques
  3. ^ Map of MOC Temples in Montenegro
  4. ^ CNEWA.com, The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria
  5. ^ Italian Orthodox Church,
  6. ^ Montenet.org News
  7. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica 1911—Montenegro
  8. ^ The Catalogue of Tzarigrad Patriarchy (April 1855)
  9. ^ Letter of Tzarigrad Patriarch Grigorius to St. Petar I Petrovic Njegos, dated 29th January 1798
  10. ^ Brief History of Montenegrin Orhodox Church - written by MOC itself
  11. ^ Montenegrin Association of Australia - NEKOLIKO SVJEDOČANSTAVA O AUTOKEFALNOSTI - Several Proofs of Autocephalousy
  12. ^ Novak Adžić: Crnogorska pravoslavna crkva u doba dinastije Petrović-Njegoš (1667-1921)
  13. ^ RELIGIJA NA BALKANU - Religion at the Balcans
  14. ^ The Burden of the Balkans (London, 1905)
  15. ^ Liberal Alliance of Montenegro official site
  16. ^ Krstaš, Association of Montenegrins in Serbia
  17. ^ Krstaš website
  18. ^ Krstaš website

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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