The President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović said yesterday that he will come to a protest in Cetinje on September 5, if the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) does not give up its intention to enthrone the Metropolitan of Montenegrin Littoral Joaniki in the Cetinje Monastery.
And while Đukanović says that he hopes that his request for the enthronement to be held in another city will be respected and that there will be no need for him to be in the capital on that day, Joanikije points out that he will not seek his throne anywhere else, "beyond the one who is the Lord and Saint Peter of Cetinje fortified".
Joanikije said that they did everything possible for peace, judging that the message of the opponents of the enthronement was insidious and sad.
"If they don't want peace, then they will take the curse. And whoever will not take the peace of God, then he will take the curse of Saint Peter. And I warn them not to rush to damnation. And I repeat again - I cannot renounce them, they are my brothers... And let them do what they like", said Joanikije after the liturgy in the Morača monastery.
Protests against the enthronement of Ioaniki in the Cetinje monastery were previously announced for September 5.
"I think it's smart to move that event from the capital, that it's smart to do it somewhere else in Montenegro, in one of the numerous churches of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. It seems to me that this would be the only responsible attitude towards Montenegro and its national interests, with priority towards its stability and the need to preserve multinational and multi-religious harmony", announced Đukanović at the press conference after the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said that the politics coming from various state addresses from Serbia led the Cetinje public to experience the announced enthronement as a final attempt to embarrass Montenegro and its capital. According to him, church dignitaries should know that their mission cannot be accomplished if they do not show respect for the country in which they want to carry out their mission.
"Like their church, like them individually. And we know very well that SPC bishops, when they want to, know how to do it. Let's not go any further - let's remind ourselves of the wonderful relationship that is still evident today in the relationship between the current patriarch (Porfirij) and the state of Croatia. I would say that such a practice should be even more binding on the new metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Cetinje, bearing in mind his lifelong and spiritual experience. It is very important that we all understand that it is impossible to do such work by force. In particular, it is not possible to do them by force in Cetinje, where nothing can be done by force that endangers the state and national dignity of Montenegro and Montenegrins", pointed out Đukanović.
Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić announced that Đukanović's statement "completely exposed the inspirer and initiator of tensions in Montenegro."
"It is the absolute right of the Metropolis to perform the enthronement in the centuries-old seat of its Metropolis in Cetinje. The state will provide all the necessary conditions for the SPC, as the most dominant religious community in Montenegro, in terms of the number of its believers, to realize its right guaranteed by the Constitution. Where Đukanović will be on that day is the least important. But it is important to call on him to stop provoking and fueling conflicts, divisions and tensions, and all this, obviously, with the aim of preventing or putting on the back burner the fight against organized crime, which is progressing day by day", Krivokapić said.
Mandić: Đukanović to report the rally and take responsibility
One of the leaders of the Democratic Front (DF), Andrija Mandić, assessed that Đukanović's statement is the best confirmation that he stands behind the extremist movement in Montenegro, as well as behind all previous gatherings and organizations.
He told the Mina agency that extremist movements are directed against the majority of Montenegro and the SPC.
Mandić said that it would be brave and chivalrous for Djukanović, if he already wants to organize demonstrations, to personally report the gathering and, as he said, take responsibility for everything that may happen that day in Cetinje.
Democrat MP Vladimir Martinović called on the citizens to respond with contempt, wisely and with dignity to what he said was a new attempt to extremize circumstances. He stated that Đukanović's statement clearly proves that the various events and statements of the previous weeks, as well as the statements of Đukanović's adviser Veselin Veljović, were not the result of coincidence, but clearly coordinated actions.
The Socialist People's Party (SNP) assessed that it was confirmed yesterday that Đukanović and the DPS were behind the whole uproar over the enthronement.
"We hope that the Prosecutor's Office will soon function in our country, but independently, impartially and professionally, in front of which Đukanović will have to explain today's call for rebellion against a traditional, centuries-old religious act founded on Cetinje".
Official of the United Montenegro Goran Danilović announced that Đukanović "started to mobilize and revealed the cards".
He said that Đukanović did not scare anyone, but that he showed his willingness to fight "until the last misunderstanding, even an accident if necessary."
The leader of Prava Montenegro, Marko Milačić, called the citizens for peace, telling them not to worry about the arrival of Đukanović in Cetinje, because, as he stated, "this is a person who has been recognized for decades as exclusively pushing others into conflicts - our brothers, godfathers, friends - while she has always lacked personal courage for that".
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