Montenegrin Orthodox Church

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church (Serbian Црногорска православна Црква / Crnogorska Pravoslavna Crkva ) is according to their own point of view a autocephalous Orthodox Church on the territory of Montenegro. Your autocephaly is not recognized by the other Orthodox churches, their canonicity is therefore moot.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church bases her existence on the Archdiocese of Cetinje, which in 1920 the Metropolis of Belgrade, the Metropolis of Karlovci, the Metropolis of Bosnia - Herzegovina and the Metropolis of Dalmatia to the Serbian Orthodox Church united and today exists as an archbishopric within the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Thus there are not two Orthodox churches in Montenegro, once the recognized by the other Orthodox Churches Archdiocese of Montenegro and the coastal states within the Serbian Orthodox Church, which holds most of the church buildings and monasteries in Montenegro, and the church was founded in 1993, the Orthodox from the other recognized independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church. Both claim to be the legitimate Orthodox Church of Montenegro.

In the view of the followers of the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church, the independent Archdiocese of Cetinje in 1920 was annexed by the Serbian Orthodox Church. 1993, with the founding of the church, the Archdiocese had been renewed from Cetinje. In the understanding of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which also share the other Orthodox churches, the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church is a political instrument of the proponents of state independence of Montenegro.

History

In the Middle Ages and the Ottoman Empire

An Orthodox church for today's Montenegro was founded as a diocese and eparchy 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. 1346 the diocese of Zeta from Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan Church, the Serbian Archbishopric was patriarchy.

With the advance of the Ottomans in Southeast Europe and the conquest of Serbia in 1459, the local ruling family of Crnojević to Cetinje could build a reasonably self- rule. This laid the foundation for the later Montenegro was laid. With the conquest of Serbia by the Ottomans 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 then Venetian Bar to Cetinje. Romilo I was called in 1504 for the first time Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coast ( next to the title of Zeta).

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 what was then Hungary and the Cetinje in Montenegro was created. Both Metropolitanates claimed this to be the legitimate successor of the Serbian Patriarchate, and two Metropolitanates was 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 from 1912 and the Diocese of Peć was under the jurisdiction of Cetinje, which was until 1766 the seat of the Serbian Patriarchate.

In Yugoslavia

1918, at the Association of Montenegro and Serbia in the SHS - State (later Yugoslavia), the Montenegrin church was involved in the Serbian Orthodox Church. The union did not happen voluntarily after some opinions. So should, at least according to the advocates of independence of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, the Archbishop of Cetinje have been a supporter of the deposed Montenegrin dynasty and little thought of the Association. Archbishop Mitrofan Ban said to have been forced under threat of force, convene an extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod of the Montenegrin Church, who agreed to the union with 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.

Independence

After the end of communism in Yugoslavia there was in Montenegro soon aspirations, the connection to Serbian Orthodoxy and to solve their own church wiederzuerrichten. How were the issue of national independence and the Montenegrins are divided in regard to these ecclesiastical matter. One part wants to stay in the Serbian Church, the other began to revive the Montenegrin autocephaly. As a result, a broad movement which joined thousands of Montenegrins, 1993, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was restored. Their first leader was the Metropolitan Antonjie Abramović.

Cetinje, the former capital of Montenegro, currently houses two church centers; resides in a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Amfilohije Radovic; in the chapel of Saint Petar of Cetinje, the representatives of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church are staying with the Metropolitan Mihailo Dedeić at the top, because so far they could recover no great church of the Serbs. 1998 was ordained Metropolitan Mihailo Dedeić by the Bulgarian Patriarch Pimen counter. This is also the responsibility of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Montenegro has been questioned.

The independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church considers itself as the Archdiocese of Montenegro within the Serbian Orthodox Church as the legitimate Orthodox Church for the state of Montenegro. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel and Russian Patriarch Alexy II, however, support the Serbian position that the montengrinisch Orthodox Christians were schismatics. Because of the resistance of Serbian Orthodoxy registered the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior rebuilt church only on 6 January 2000 officially as a state- recognized religious community.

Presence

Currently, the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church from an archbishop, Mihailo, as Miras Dedeić born in Bosnia - Herzegovina, once excommunicated priest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel and from that because of ecclesiastical misconduct, and four other priests, two of whom were from Serbia and have heretofore been also removed from the Serbian Orthodox Church for religious misconduct of their priestly ministry. Clear figures on its believers do not exist.

In the Orthodox world church general rule of the view that the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church is supported politically by the proponents of Montenegrin statehood, and it is not recognized as a church or as a religious community. Add to that the priesthood is composed of formerly excommunicated or their priests deposed members. Despite all this, the Montenegrin government Milo Djukanovic has the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church registered as a state- recognized religious community and confiscated 50 of the total 650 Orthodox churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church and slammed it to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.

Finance Minister Igor Luksic has again returned 16 properties of the Serbian Orthodox Church.