Patriarch of Serbia comments on situation in Montenegro

The Patriarch of Serbia, His Holiness Porfirije, this week commented on the situation faced by the Church in Montenegro, stressing that “…Everything the Church does is based on the words of Christ, on faith and prayer, on calmness and love.”
Controversial Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic has generated a firestorm of controversy and sharp criticism against him after he threatened to travel to the historic town of Cetinje to prevent the inauguration of the new Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
His words added to the already tense situation in the small Adriatic and predominately Orthodox country, where Metropolitan Bishop Joanikije II is due to be inaugurated on Sunday at the Cetinje Monastery, considered the historic cradle of Montenegrin statehood.
Among others, Djukanović statement provoked outrage, with a spokesman for the Socialist People’s Party (SNP), a member of the ruling coalition, saying the party will file request in parliament to initiate a procedure for Djukanovic’s impeachment.
On his part, His Holiness Porfirije emphasized from Belgrade that “…The Church acts and works always and exclusively from the Gospel. By its nature, it is not there to resolve any political misunderstandings, it is not even there to influence them, let alone make political decisions.”