Serbian Church hierarch reports political persecution in Montenegro
According to the metropolitan, the aim of attacks on the Church is to restrict freedom of speech and religion for clergy and believers.
Metropolitan Methodius of Budimlja and Nikšić of the Serbian Orthodox Church described as political persecution his police interrogation over criticism of Communists.
In his statement, the hierarch noted that the lawsuit filed against him by the head of an NGO in Montenegro over his sermon criticizing communism is part of a systematic campaign by anti-church forces in the country, who use the law to create a negative public image of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
According to the metropolitan, the goal of these attacks is to limit freedom of speech and religion for clergy and faithful.
“Yet again, pastoral sermons delivered in church during services have to be explained to police and prosecutors. This encourages censorship in society, which contradicts the Constitution and is incompatible with a democratic system,” the metropolitan said.
He stressed that “such actions are aimed at restricting not only religious but also fundamental rights and freedoms of clergy and laity.”
The lawsuit against the hierarch was filed by Svetlana Pajović Mušović, the founder of a well-known NGO in Montenegro, accusing him of “inciting religious and national intolerance.”
In response, the metropolitan stated that he has never engaged in such behavior and, on the contrary, considers it his pastoral duty to warn his flock about sin and to call for peace.
The hierarch characterized the accusation as part of an ongoing political campaign against the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Serbian Church hierarch in Montenegro had been questioned over criticism of Communists.
