Today, the General Assembly of Montenegro declared Bishop Boris of Ostroška-Nikšić to be the Metropolitan of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (CPC), reports Anadolu.
At the assembly held in Cetinje, decisions were made to retire the current head of the CPC, Mihailo, and to canonize the restorer of the CPC, Antonije Abramović, and proclaim him as Saint Anthony, Metropolitan of Montenegro.
Boris thanked Mihail for all the good he did while he was at the head of the CPC.
“There are clear obligations and activities before us. To form the Metropolitan Council and the Management Board together. Let us renew the work of the Holy Synod with the bishops and the clergy and make decisions that would lead the CPC out of the crisis and to pass a Constitution that would never again allow anyone to block the work of the CPC,” said Boris.
He emphasized that a legal team should be formed that will initiate proceedings against institutions and individuals for the seizure of Montenegrin churches and monasteries, but also that a finance authority should be formed in order to prepare annual budget plans for the CPC.
Shortly after the end of the assembly in Cetinje, there was a reaction from Metropolitan Mihail, who called the gathering a “failed political rally” that has “neither legitimacy nor legality”.
Mihailo, in a statement published on the CPC website, stated that the gathering in Cetinje “represents the trampling of the CPC Constitution”.
“Therefore, it is legally null and void and does not produce any consequences for the status and established hierarchy and structure of the CPC”, said Mihailo.
He stated that the metropolitan cannot be replaced by street rallies.
“Nor elect a new leader in addition to a living and healthy leader, by violent means, contrary to the Constitution of the CPC, so ‘decisions’ are without any importance for the CPC. The CPC, within its legal powers, will take canonical, ecclesiastical-constitutional legal measures against violators of internal order and order,” said Mihailo.
The President of the Committee for the Preservation of the CPC, Milenko Perović, said that it is well known who fears the powerful voice of the CPC, which would demand that all the Orthodox sacred treasures that were robbed be returned to Montenegro.
According to him, respectable people talked to Metropolitan Mihail so that he would retire, while preserving his dignity as a metropolitan with all the privileges that belong to him.
“He resolutely rejected that idea. By blocking the work of the Synod, the metropolitan de facto blocked any legal and legitimate discussion in the church about his work. He indirectly introduced the dogma of the infallibility and irreplaceability of the metropolitan into the church,” said Perović.
According to him, separating from all the organs of the church, from the bishops, the clergy and the faithful, “Mihailo de facto retired, regardless of whether he is aware of it”.
Perović added that the General Assembly of Montenegro has a legitimate right to elect a new Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro.
“He has the right to choose him from among the most visible Montenegrins who have donned bishop’s robes, who have proven their deep Montenegrin patriotism and ability to lead the church with their visionary and enormous energy,” said Perović.
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