The President of the Assembly, Aleksa Bečić, met today in Istanbul with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who, as reported from the parliament, congratulated him for fighting in the right way for religious freedom and the unity of all in Montenegro.
The Assembly said that Bartholomew expressed great satisfaction with the visit of the President of the Montenegrin Parliament.
"We have been waiting for this visit. We really encourage and admire your youth, wisdom and courage. I congratulate you on the fact that you are fighting for religious freedom and the unity of everyone in Montenegro in the right way. I congratulate you on your support for the Montenegrin Littoral Metropolitanate and its Metropolitan, Ioaniki", said Bartholomew, as reported by the parliament.
He also said, they add, that the citizens of Montenegro are happy to have Ioanniki as the successor of Metropolitan Amfilohi.
Bartholomew also said, as stated, that he was familiar with the "difficult conditions" under which Joaniki's enthronement took place in Cetinje.
“You gave him great support. We followed the entire situation and prayed for peace, progress and stability", emphasized Bartolomej, who asked Bečić to "convey greetings and brotherly love to Metropolitan Joaniki and the people of Montenegro".
Bečić pointed out that it is an extraordinary honor for him to have the opportunity to speak with the patriarch as the first in honor among the Orthodox bishops and the "spokesman of Orthodoxy".
"Emphasizing the importance that the throne of Constantinople has in religion, precisely because the Partiarchy of Constantinople is the mother Church of our Church, and pointing out that it is undoubtedly a great support for the Orthodox around the world, Bečić said that Montenegro is a majority Orthodox country, which, in addition, is adorned with multi-ethics and multi-confessionalism, and that our country is an example to countries in the region in creating the future through inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony", the Assembly announced.
Bečić, conveying greetings from Joaniki, said that "as a friend of the blessed Metropolitan Amfilohi, he heard from him on several occasions fraternal words of praise and love for the Church of Constantinople", and that he always "remembered fondly the student days he spent with His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew Amfilochius spent in Rome".
Bečić, the parliament added, "informed the patriarch about how much we, as a society, have done for religious freedom" by amending the disputed articles of the Law on Freedom of Religion.
"Exactly one year after the Parliament of Montenegro, by the decisions of the new parliamentary majority, adopted the Law on Freedom of Religion, which essentially eliminates all controversial members for churches and religious communities," said Bečić.
He emphasized the gratitude of the "faithful people of Montenegro" for, as he said, the valuable contribution that Bartholomew made to the construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica, from the foundation stone, in which he participated, to the ceremonial consecration.
"I am fully committed to the constitutional principle of secularism, and respecting the centuries-old duration of the Orthodox Church, its importance for education, culture and society, and in accordance with that principle, I, as the President of the Assembly, stay aside when it comes to the internal organization of the Orthodox Church - respecting the Constitution of Montenegro The canonical order of the church goes up," Bečić concluded and pointed out that the Montenegrin-Limrian Metropolitanate "was and remains the common house of Montenegrins and Serbs."
Bartholomew asked Bečić to give Joaniki a gift, a copy of the Panagia with his initials.
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