"Swearing to you and to Almighty God, with the same seriousness with which my predecessors did almost 180 years ago... The rights of man do not derive from the benevolence of the state but from the hand of God..." (from the inaugural speech of J. F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961 years)
This speech of the American president, obviously inspired by God's name, does not represent a violation of the secular spirit of the USA, nor some incident at this essentially civil and political event, but - check, it is written down - the traditional manner of almost all the successors of J. Washington in the past two and a half centuries, up to the current US President Joe Biden. Biden, like Kennedy, is an exposed Roman Catholic, who began his presidential campaign with a prayer with a priest officiating, and the American public is aware of his participation in almost every Sunday mass of the church in Georgetown.
There is no need to waste words on how each new government in Greece begins its mandate with a priestly ceremony. The strong political role of the Roman Church in the lives of Italy, Ireland, Croatia and Poland (all of them, like Greece, are members of the EU) is undoubted and legitimate and desirable for a good part of the citizens there. There are certainly other examples in other countries of the West, but - these mentioned lead us to a clear question: is there a principle, democratic and civil, on the basis of which someone could and should scare us here with the Church and its ("inappropriate") participation in public life.
The recently mourned British Queen Elizabeth was a sort of head of the Anglican Church and bore the title of "defender of the faith". She got all that from her father, and her son will inherit all that. And all this in Great Britain, the leading country of Western civil politics. For the queen, neither were mere formalities nor the remains of an outdated tradition, but, according to her personal confession, "faith is extremely important" to her and gave her the strength "to do her duty". It is therefore not only a matter of her intimacy, but on the contrary: the Queen of England does not ask a lot, but shows a lot in public. That is why her throne has survived to this day, and exactly for that purpose - the demonstration of tradition - the citizens of Britain co-finance it from their own pockets. With such a title of head of the church, and with such personal religious beliefs, Elizabeth, in addition to an abundance of good and noble deeds, was more or less willingly a (co)participant (like her predecessors on the throne) in various sins against humanity committed by the empire with her on forehead.
And yet all this does not prevent the local defenders of secularism from shedding a tear of remembrance or some kind of commemorative text for Elizabeth, and at the same time, "from the same footsteps", criticizing, in a cataclysmic tone of warning, the presence of the Church in the public life of Montenegro, and reflecting the same in local politics. . And that, in Montenegro, which has a millennial continuity of this and that presence. Five times longer than the American, say. It's just that, tradition and conservatism are endearing characteristics of the most developed countries in the world and the bearers of Euro-Atlantic integration, and will our own conservatism slow down the way to Europe?
The German philosopher HG Gadamer believed that every current conversation is just a continuation of "conversations that started a long time ago", so this text should not necessarily be understood as an extension of a certain polemic, but it would not be a mistake to look at it that way either. The ceremony in Savina from 20 days ago, on which the Great Lady's Day was celebrated as the temple's glory there, and in which, in addition to priests, believers, the mayor... the president of the Parliament of Montenegro took part, caused indignation among certain people. I would say that there were many more who were satisfied with that ceremony, because it is a tradition depicted in the timeless "Memories from Boka" by Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, written as early as 1904. Dissatisfied people have the right to their feeling and public opinion, but when it becomes an appeal addressed to dissenters, or when it takes the form of an alarm of danger, there is an obligation to clarify things and clarify the principles for which we stand.
The wording that the president of the parliament attended a "dinner with five-bread" was particularly disturbing! I mean, that's all behind us, so why go back to it now? But there will be a new vespers with five loaves of bread. It is very possible, thank God, that in the coming period one of the highest state officials in Montenegro will follow in the footsteps of Biden, Queen Elizabeth and similar leaders of Western democracies, and cross themselves in one of the local Orthodox churches. Or to perform a worship ritual in a Montenegrin mosque. That's why I ask in time: should it be hidden? It is clear that the imperative of civil democracy is that such a ceremony should not be anyone's obligation. But what if some political leader or statesman sees happiness in this and does it both for his own soul and for the good of the whole community? Will such an act be understood as a landing on Drvar, excuse me, as an attack on civil and multi-ethnic Montenegro?
The prayer of the five loaves is motivated by the biblical miracle of Christ's multiplication of five loaves and two fish, which, according to the Gospel account, fed about five thousand people. The priest prays over the five loaves, wheat, wine and oil that the necessary food will be multiplied, both in that place and in the city, region, country and the whole world. That prayer is not performed in the square or in the municipal building, but in the temple. Free entry for all well-wishers. We are not looking for daily food only for Christians, but for all people. From that and such a prayer comes the Church's humanitarian effort to ensure that no one lacks the basic necessities of life. Such a prayer was read in Montenegro centuries ago. It is one of the first tests printed in the "Slavic South". It is not against anyone, and it sends the most humane wishes to every human being.
Now, if it is difficult for you to identify the Church with such and such a spirit, or with people such as Patriarch Paul or Saint Simeon of Dajbab, I see no reason or basis to identify the entire Church with individual performances of harsh speakers against gay parades, or priests who they sit for the intonation of the anthem, or with the signatory of these lines. Well, then what is it permissible and legitimate to identify the Church with? I think that valid teachings, official announcements and the actions of the obvious majority (priests, believers) are completely acceptable principles to reasonable and civilized people. The vast majority of priests and believers stand behind the prayer of the Pentateuch, and a distinct minority chants, sits during the anthem or writes columns in daily newspapers. Judge the latter by their personal actions and your personal affinities, and with the former, find a place in the space outlined by the Constitution and laws, and of course, the practice of advanced world democratic societies that we look up to and whose chapters we open and close as a condition of our social progress.
Another great German philosopher of the last century, J. Habermans, writes extensively about the post-secular age. One of his insights relates to the fact that the citizens of contemporary countries, in addition to their political views and degree of civil cultivation, also have obvious pre-political identities, cultural, traditional patterns with which they live and which, on an emotional level, are stronger than the sense of civic belonging. Wise politicians and public officials will not wage war against this fact, nor will they consider it "opium for the people", but will strive to integrate such citizens and such cultural groups into society and the state, to motivate them with additional efforts to develop a sense of belonging to a political community. Among other things, when an entire town comes out for a religious gathering, they, as representatives of the same people, will be with them.
Bonus video:
