16.1.2001

 

 

INSTEAD OF FALSIFYING HISTORICAL FACTS AND SUPPORTING THE CHURCH DELINQUENT MR. DJUKANOVIC SHOULD LOOK FOR SELF RESPECT AS A TICKET TO EUROPE

 

(Comments of the Montenegrin Orthodox Youth Organizations on the parts of Djukanovic’s interview in the "Blic" weekly)

 

In his latest interview for "Blic" weekly, Mr. Milo Djukanovic president of Montenegro, presenting himself as an outstanding history expert, victoriously states that the existence of the so-called Montenegrin orthodox church is an "indisputable historical fact". We can only say that, it would be much better for everyone, if Mr. president refrained from delving into sensitive historical matters. He is simply not qualified to deal with these issues. People in Montenegro know all too well that Mr. Djukanovic is a leader whose formative years were decisively shaped by communist ideology and that his general knowledge is unfortunately quite inadequate. Proposing only hedonistic values, as the position of "new Montenegro", he became the symbol of open disdain towards genuine culture and spirituality. Such persons highly rate and respect only material wealth and brute political force. Spiritual sphere becomes effectively irrelevant since it doesn’t bring them money .

We can justifiably say that, of all political leaders in the Balkans, Djukanovic undoubtedly stands out as one of the least educated persons. And yet, in his interviews, he keeps stating that Montenegro has been burdened for long with "false history and mythomania". How can he say something like that? What are his self-confident statements based on? How can people of Montenegro be expected to trust him when they know that Mr. Djukanovic was never the sort of person to dedicate his free time to reading academic literature?!

As someone who openly ignores basic cornerstones of his own people's history Mr. Djukanovic cannot be accepted as an authority in the sphere of science, despite the fact that he is the current Montenegrin president. Djukanovic’s behavior, ominously reminds us of Stalin, Broz, Causesku, Tudjman, Milosevic and other autocrats of the communist era who, through the power of their political authority, tried to direct and control the development of the complete scientific field in their countries although their education and their knowledge were minimal and more than questionable. Being also an ideological offspring of Broz’s era, Djukanovic wants to dominate and freely direct the complete course and the development of the Montenegrin scientific thought, but especially in the field of national history. Everything has to be subdued to his passionate need to rule over Montenegro and its people as long as he lives. Particularly worrying to us, seems also the fact that Mr. President persistently interferes in the affairs of the Orthodox Church and breaks the rules Montenegrin Constitution regarding the Church matters in the process even though he is not a baptized orthodox Christian.

Historical science is familiar with the fact that, from 1766, that is, from the abolition of the Patriarchate of Pec, to 1920, Montenegrin Metropolitanate was an autonomous church community. As such it would not have survived and continued to exist without an obvious, immediate and direct help of the Serbian Metropolitanate in Karlovci and the Russian Orthodox Church. Montenegrin Metropolitanate, needless to say, never formally asked anyone for and therefore never received a formal document -‘tomos’ which is required when a particular Church wants to become autocephalous. It is also a very well known that such document could only be issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. We therefore, regard as an absurdity, the fact that Dedeic’s supporters (who call themselves supporters just as football fans would), as the members of a pseudo-religious organization, keep insisting that the "autocephality" of the Montenegrin church was repealed through the decree of regent Aleksandar on 17th June 1920." If something is to be abolished, it has first to be constituted, just as everything that dies has first to be born. Neither Dedeic’s supporters, nor president Djukanovic who regards the goals of Dedeic's supporters as a legitimate matter, can give an answer to this simple question: who, when and through which legally binding act ever established the "Montenegrin autocephalous church?" It now seems that both parties Djukanovic and the so called "MOC" have real difficulties coping with all the confusion that they have created. The name "autocephalous" stems from the 1903 Constitution and presents an expression of King Nikola's arbitrary will which of course as such is completely invalid in terms of the canon law of the Orthodox church. Even then, when through King Nikola's self-willed act it got to be called autocephalous, it kept its centuries old name which it has today: the Metropolitanate of Montenegro.

It is, also, a well known fact that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, or any other Orthodox Autocephalous Church, never issued a decree regarding the formal recognition of the Montenegrin Metropolitanate’s autocephalous status. Canonical autocephality had always to be approved and then "given" by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as the "Mother" of all Orthodox Churches in the Balkans. Today it also cannot be acquired through biased political obstinacy or Mr. Djukanovic’s personal preferences and his wishful thinking. On 16th December 1918, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Montenegrin Metropolitanate, the Orthodox Church in Montenegro was united with the Orthodox Church in Serbia. This act, signed by Montenegrin Metropolitan Mitrofan Ban was adopted almost a year and half before regent Aleksandar’s decree. Through his decree, regent Aleksandar not only did not abolish the "Montenegrin autocephalous church," but actually merely officially announced the already established union of all Orthodox Episcopates within the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, including the Montenegrin Metropolitanate into new and united Serbian Orthodox Church. Unlike the present Montenegrin regime, King Aleksandar, obviously, fully respected the sovereignty of the Orthodox Church's decisions regarding these matters.

Speaking about "indisputable historical facts", we all know the indisputable fact that all prince Bishops and other rulers from the Petrovic's dynasty, as well as the majority of the people in Montenegro and the Hills regarded themselves as the Serbs. There are, of course, numerous historical, and literary sources that testify to this but these facts, however, do not seem strong enough to bind Mr. Djukanovic, because, according to him, it is all "false history and mythomania." Njegos’s "Mountain Wreath", epistles and letters of St. Petar Cetinjski, works of Marko Miljanov, "Empress of the Balkans" and "The Poet and the Fairy" by king Nikola belong to what Mr. Djukanovic regards as "false history and mythomania", and on the other hand, complete works of Jevrem Brkovic, Rotkovic, Sekula Drljevic, Stedimlija, Zbutega, Rastoder and others are to become the alpha and omega of Montenegrin spirituality, history and tradition, as well as cornerstones of the Montenegrin state and the Montenegrin people? All this matches well with Djukanovic’s doctrine, according to which, Montenegrins, finally, have to "redefine" their history. He, naturally, doesn’t specify for whom and why should the Montenegrins do this. But, really, this seems too much to swallow, even if it comes from Mr. Djukanovic.

We are all getting a bit tired of Mr. Djukanovic's numerous theatrical statements where he loudly keeps announcing Montenegrin entry into Europe and also how his regime allegedly works very hard towards applying European democratic standards over here. He should realize that Montenegrin road to Europe leads, also, through showing respect for legally - binding decisions of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate. If Mr. Djukanovic continues to support the church delinquent, Dedeic, who is defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Montenegro will never become a civilized part of Europe. Through his adherence to such a philosophy of history as we described it in the previous paragraph, Mr. Djukanovic will increase the distance between Montenegro and all the positive heritage of European civilization, directing his country towards a complete dark chaos. If they really want spiritual regeneration Montenegrins will have to emancipate themselves from pseudo-statesmanlike, historically unfounded and politically irresponsible doctrines of Mr. Djukanovic and return to some of their more traditional sets of values, which once established Montenegro as a well known and honorable country. Needless to say, these traditional values are totally naturally in-built into the various identities of all countries, who are now members of the European Community.

Brothers and sisters!

As long as the Montenegrin regime and president Djukanovic himself keep inducing the phantom group of looters - the so-called "montenegrin orthodox church" to plunder and desecrate the churches of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of the Montenegro and the Littoral;

As long as the religiously uneducated and ignorant people, from their high positions of political power keep imposing themselves and interpreting the very complex and dignified history of the Metropolitanate of the Montenegro and the Littoral;

As long as the Orthodox Metropolitanate of the Montenegro and the Littoral with its clergy are obstructed in their mission by pseudo-religious groups whose lawlessness is not only tolerated but also encouraged by certain institutions of the current regime in Montenegro, led by their president, we shall keep organizing peaceful protests in front of the Montenegrin president's workplace.

We are ready to fight till the end for our religious and human rights and the prevention of the camouflaged terror of the current regime over the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral! This is why we are inviting you to join these peaceful democratic protests in front of the building of Montenegrin president, on 10th of January 2001 at 4.00p.m.

 

Press service of the Orthodox Youth Organizations of Montenegro