Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral

The Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral or archbishopric Cetinje is an Archdiocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.

History

In the Middle Ages and the Ottoman Empire

An Orthodox church for today's Montenegro was founded as a diocese ( eparchy ) of Zeta in the archbishopric of Serbia in 1219 by Sava of Serbia. In the Orthodox Church there are also local churches from local churches, dioceses, which in turn independently within their area of ​​responsibility. In 1346 the diocese of Zeta under the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan Church, the Serbian Archbishopric was patriarchy.

The seat of the diocese and later Metropolia was initially the flower island in the Bay of Kotor. As in 1439, the Serbian Despotate was first conquered by the Ottomans, the metropolitan of Zeta moved to a bar, which was still under the rule of Đurađ Brankovic. The city of Venice should ask a little later for protection and put yourself under its rule.

In parallel with the advance of the Ottoman Turks in Southeastern Europe and the final conquest of Serbia in 1459 was the local ruling family of Cetinje Crnojević to build a separate dominion, mostly in suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire and Venice. This laid the foundation for the later Montenegro was laid. After the conquest of Serbia became extinct and the independence of the Serbian Patriarchate, it was annexed to the Archbishopric of Ohrid. However, the Metropolis of Zeta was able to preserve its autonomy, which was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople Opel. 1483 laid the Metropolitan of zeta his seat from the Venetian Bar to Cetinje. Romilo I was called in 1504 for the first time Metropolitan of Montenegro and the coast next to the Zeta. At the time also had a priest monk Makarije with his printing press.

1557 was renewed with the permission of the Ottomans, the Serbian Patriarchate; the Metropolis of Zeta who described himself at that time more than Metropolis of Montenegro or Metropolis of Cetinje, was part of the Serbian Patriarchate. 1766 the Serbian Patriarchate was abolished by the Ottomans and a second time affiliated with the Archdiocese of Ohrid again. The eparchies of the Serbian Patriarchate, which were located outside of the Ottoman dominions, resisted this Regulation. Thus, the independent Metropolis of Karlovci in the former Kingdom of Hungary and the Cetinje in Montenegro was created. Both Metropolitanates claimed this to be the legitimate successor of the Serbian Patriarchate, and the two became Konstantin Opel and granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Moscow.

Montenegro itself could throw off the end of the 17th century under the leadership of Metropolitan of Cetinje Ottoman rule. The Ottoman rule was never a strong presence in the barren mountains to Cetinje, and new political conditions made ​​it possible to de facto independence of Montenegro, but remained part of the Ottoman Empire formally. There was a prince-bishopric under the Petrović - Njegoš, who led both the religious and the secular affairs of the country as Metropolitan of Montenegro to the 19th century. 1851, the theocracy in Montenegro was abolished and the country into a secular principality. The Metropolis of Cetinje was the state church.

In independent Montenegro 1878-1918

1878 Montenegro was also under international law granted to the Congress of Berlin 's sovereignty. 1910 was proclaimed under Nikola I. to the kingdom. The Metropolis of Cetinje was raised to the rank of an archbishopric and confirmed in its autocephaly of the Orthodox world church. In the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 extended Montenegro its territory; the Archdiocese of Cetinje received two new dioceses. King Nikola I pursued a policy of unification of all Serbian lands, but at the same time also wanted to preserve the independence of Montenegro. Although großserbisch minded, he refused a predominance of Belgrade. In this sense, he claimed the Serbian Patriarchate for the Archdiocese of Cetinje, as the Eparchy of Peć was under the jurisdiction of Cetinje in 1912 as well, which had been until 1766 the seat of the Serbian Patriarchate.

In Yugoslavia

With the union of Montenegro and Serbia in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) in 1918, the Montenegrin church was involved in the Serbian Orthodox Church. 1920 united the Archbishopric of Cetinje, the. Belgrade, of Karlovci, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Dalmatia to the Serbian Orthodox Church

The Holy Synod of Constantinople Opel decreed on 19 March 1920 that the autocephalous churches of Serbia, Montenegro, Karlovac, and two Dalmatian dioceses are summarized new to the united Serbian Church. On September 28, 1920, the Metropolitan of Belgrade, Dimitrije Pavlović, raised for the first patriarch of the united Serbian Church.

The Archdiocese of Cetinje was demoted to the rank of a Metropolitan Church, but retained an important influence in the Serbian Orthodox Church. Two of the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church since 1920 came from Montenegro, Varnava Rosić ( 1930-1937 ) and Gabriel Dozic ( 1937-1950 ). The present Archbishop Amfilohije Radovic is representative of the late Patriarch Pavle Stojčević.

Presence

After the end of communism and the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991, the number of believers grew up in the Orthodox Church of Montenegro. Was there in the church around 1990 active at the 10 monasteries with about 20 men and women who have dedicated their lives to the secular monastic existence, now there are 30 active monasteries with about 160 monks and nuns. The number of priests also increased, from 20 in 1990 to present 60 priests. In the monastery of Cetinje, in which resides the Archbishop, there is a theological faculty. The administration of the church was redesigned, it was an eparchy for Nikšić and titular of Dioklitien formed, and the Metropolitan Amfilohije the former title of Archbishop of Cetinje was awarded again.

Simultaneously with this positive development for the church was the self-declared Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which claims to be the legitimate Orthodox Church in Montenegro.

See also: Montenegrin Orthodox Church, Diocese of Montenegro