Metropolitan of the SOC was detained on Palm Sunday following a denunciation
Metropolitan Amfilohije Radovich of Montenegro and Primorye, priests and laity of the SOC were brought in for questioning by the Montenegrin police for holding festive services in honor of the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
This was reported by Balkan media, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Detentions of believers on Palm Sunday took place in the capital Podgorica in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and the Zlatitsa Monastery, where Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovich) of Montenegro and Primorsky himself served. A priest and ten laymen were also detained in Kolasin.
Montenegrin police arrived at the site of the festive liturgy
“Police officers noticed a large gathering of clergy and citizens near the Church of the Resurrection and the Zlatitsky Monastery,” the Montenegrin Police Department said in an official statement. “Everyone was invited to an informational meeting to determine the purpose of these meetings.”
Subsequently, other reasons for the detention of the priesthood and believers leaked to the media: some vigilant citizens, clearly from among the “correct Montenegrins,” saw that the believers were not maintaining “social distance” and were kissing the hand of the metropolitan (the Orthodox tradition of kissing the hand of a serving priest, since it is believed that in During his service, God guides his hand - ed.). Then the police were called.
Subsequently, Bishop Amphilohiy himself confirmed that he had to give an explanation to the police why the participants in the service kissed his hand. The Metropolitan and the rest of the detainees stayed at the police station from 11:00 to 14:30.
“Neither the metropolis nor the administration of the monastery called the faithful to serve,” Stavrophor Archpriest Velibor Dzhomich commented on the situation. – On the other hand, the service began at 7:00, and not at 9:00, as in previous years, only the metropolitan and two priests served, there were not fifteen of us, as in previous years, and there were a deacon, monks, and novices with us and singers.
After the end of the service, police officers came and invited us to report an alleged violation of social distance, because “someone saw that they were kissing the hand of the Metropolitan,” which is an integral part of the service... Religious sites are not closed, services are not prohibited. I think that believers have the right to visit them just as citizens have the right to visit supermarkets.”
Stavrophor Archpriest Velibor Dzhomich.
Also, as mentioned above, believers who had gathered near the Church of the Resurrection on the holiday were detained and taken to the police. Among those detained was the leader of the opposition party “Correct Montenegro” Marko Milacic.
Police detain Marko Milanic.
“Correct Montenegro” strongly condemns the illegal detention of Marko Milacic and calls on international institutions to prevent the unconstitutional behavior of the repressive Montenegrin authorities, the party responded to the detention of its leader. “The decision of the National Coordination Council of Montenegro on March 22 stipulated that services should be held in religious sites without the presence of believers, but it did not say that believers should not gather near religious sites.”
After several hours of interrogation at the police station, the opposition leader and other laymen, as well as the priests of the temple, who were detained “for company,” were released.
“Thank you for the messages and great support,” Milacic wrote on his Facebook page after his release. – This is a common struggle. Soon back on the streets! Until victory!
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