Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Returns to Argentina

Metropolitan Amphilochius (Radovic) of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro has begun a pastoral visit to the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Buenos Aires and South America, of which he is currently administrator per the decision of the Serbian Orthodox Holy Synod when it established the new diocese. Traveling with Metropolitan Amphilochius were two priests newly assigned to Serbian Orthodox parishes in Argentina.

In addition to his visits to Argentina's Serbian Orthodox parishes Metropolitan Amphilochius will also concelebrate at the consecration of a new auxiliary bishop for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Buenos Aires. More here.

Montenegrin Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Macedonia

Metropolitan Amphilochius (Radovic) of Cetinje, leader of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, has undertaken a three-day visit to Macedonia and the Serbian Orthodox Church's autonomous Archdiocese of Ohrid there. While in Macedonia Metropolitan Amphilochius met with the bishops of the autonomous Macedonian Orthodox Church, visited some of its monasteries and parishes, and discussed the situation of Archbishop John VI (Vraniskovski) of Ohrid, who has been imprisoned for the sixth time by the Macedonian authorities. More in Serbian here.

Montenegrin Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Argentina

Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro has begun a pastoral visit to Argentina in his capacity as administrator of the newly established Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Buenos Aires and Latin America. The new diocese encompasses all of Latin America (with the exception of Mexico), with parishes and missions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela. More (in Serbian) on Metropolitan Amfilohije's ongoing visit to South America can be found here.

Montenegrin Orthodox Episcopal Council Meets

The Episcopal Council of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro has held a session near Danilovgrad, Montenegro, with Metropolitan Amfilohije of Cetinje, Bishops Filaret (Micevic) of Mileseva, Joanikije (Micovic) of Budimlje, and Grigorije (Duric) of Zahumlje, and retired Bishop Atanasije of Zahumlje participating. (The diocesan boundaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church don't always correspond to current territorial realities, hence the inclusion in the Episcopal Council of hierarchs based in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.)

The assembled hierarchs discussed at length the need for legal regulation of the relationship between the Montenegrin government and the Church of Montenegro that would respect the former's non-interference in the canonical structure and internal life of the Church. At its close the Council reiterated the Church of Montenegro's commitment to caring for the spiritual needs of all the Orthodox faithful in Montenegro regardless of their ethnic or political background. More (in Serbian) here.

Montenegrin Metropolitan Rejects Government Commitment Dialogue as Farcical

The head of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic), has condemned the Montenegrin government's commitment to dialogue over the issue of church unity in Montenegro as a farce, noting that in the aftermath of the recent visit of the Russian Orthodox Church's Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) leaders in the Montenegrin government began denouncing the latter's statements on the canonicity of the Church of Montenegro as attacks on Montenegro's sovereignty. More (in Serbian) here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Suggests Self-Government for Orthodox Church in Montenegro

It has emerged that during his recent Montenegro visit the Russian Orthodox Church's Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk suggested to Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Cetinje that he should request some sort of self-governing status from the Serbian Orthodox Church for the Orthodox Church in Montenegro to help reduce the tensions between itself and the Montenegrin government. More here.

Metropolitan Hilarion Meets with Montenegrin Metropolitan, Officials

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk has begun his visit to Montenegro, on his first day meeting with Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Cetinje and Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic to reassure both the Orthodox Church in Montenegro and the Montenegrin government of the Russian Orthodox Church's recognition and support of the canonical Church of Montenegro against the claims of nationalist schismatics led by a defrocked clergyman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Metropolitan Hilarion is expected to meet today with Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Luksic upon the latter's return from Serbia. More here.

Metropolitan Amfilohije Ready to Appeal Government Mistreatment to European Courts

Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Amfilohije of Cetinje has stated that the Orthodox Church in Montenegro respects the independence of the Montenegrin state, but expects the state to respect the ancient structure of the Church. During his statements Metropolitan Amfilohije indicated that the Orthodox Church in Montenegro will appeal to European courts in Strasbourg and Brussels should the Montenegrin government not respect the freedom of the Church. More here.

Metropolitan Amfilohije Responds to Montenegrin Court

Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovich) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has responded to a Montenegrin court's claim that he is in contempt of court for not appearing at a hearing, sayign that he was not informed of the court date and did not learn of it until Montenegrin newspapers began running the story that he had defied the court's summons. More (in Serbian) here.

Controversy Over Montenegro's Sveti Stefan Church

The Montenegrin government has halted the reconstruction of St. Alexander of the Neva's Church in Sveti Stefan. Although formerly a parish of the Serbian Orthodox Church, since the Communist era St. Alexander's has been part of a resort on Adriatic Sea that is currently owned by a Greek company. A pause in the reconstruction of the church was agreed to by Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Lukšić and Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Cetinje. More here.

Montenegrin Metropolitan Calls on Flock to Freely Identify in Census

Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovich) of Cetinje, Montenegro, and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church has issued a press release exhorting his flock and all Montenegrins to participate in the upcoming national census "without fear and prejudice, without any ideological burdens...according to conscience and [their] responsibility before God, the people, and their descendants - to express their religious, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds." Orthodox Christians, however, were called upon to identify their faith. More here.

The press release comes after remarks by Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovich) of Pech encouraging Montenegro's ethnic Serb majority to identify as Serb and by Muslim leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia for Montenegro's Muslim minority to identify as ethnic Bosnians.

Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Must Apologize for Discriminatory Remarks

The Serbian government has ruled that Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovich) of Cetinje must publicly apologize for remarks he made after last year's pride parade in Belgrade that violated Serbia's anti-discrimination laws. More here.

Metropolitan Amfilohije on Injustice and Nations

At a recent lecture Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Cetinje and Montenegro stated that the peace of a land and its people is based on its relationship to justice, noting that states built on injustice inevitably fell and continue to fall, whereas "justice builds villages and towns." The statement is stunning in the light of the ongoing collapse of Serbia and what was once Yugoslavia. Metropolitan Amfilohije is a senior hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church. More here.