Pat. Irinej calls on Montenegrin authorities to end terror against Church

Patriarch Irinej of Serbia. Photo: foma.ru

The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, called on the Montenegrin authorities to end the brutal terror against the Serbian Church, its clergy and parishioners.

“His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia calls on the state authorities of Montenegro, especially the employees of the Ministry of the Interior, to immediately stop the brutal terror against the Serbian Orthodox Church, its clergy and faithful people,” Patriarch Irinej says in the appeal published on the website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The Primate of the Serbian Church drew the attention of the authorities that after the fall of fascism and the end of Bolshevik terror, the beating by the Montenegrin police of the Serbian bishop, clergy, and believers is an unprecedented case for Europe.

“The Serbian Patriarch demands that deputies, political representatives of the Orthodox Serbian people in Montenegro, as well as everyone else who was arrested yesterday and today for protecting their shrines from state terror and robbery, should be immediately and without fail released from prison,” said Patriarch Irinej.

The Primate of the Serbian Church concluded his official appeal to the authorities of Montenegro with words of support addressed to his archbishops, clergy, monks and flocks.

“Patriarch Irinej asks the Lord to reason with the people who lead Montenegro to stop violence and theft of church property and provide full support to the archbishops, clergy, monks and believers of the Serbian Orthodox Church so that they fight and do not refuse to defend the Serbian Orthodox Church anywhere and whenever possible,” resumed the Serbian Primate.

We recall that after a mass brawl and detention by the police of all opposition deputies who tried to prevent the adoption of the anti-church law, the Montenegrin Parliament adopted the law "On Freedom of Religion and Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities". The MPs who voted for the adoption of the law rejected all 117 amendments proposed by the Serbian Church.

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