The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (MCP) announced that the deputy and president of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević continues to treat them as a political competitor.
The MCP states that this is "deeply wrong and harmful precisely for the welfare of those to whom Knežević swears - the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people."
"However, it is his choice and let him deal with it," the MCP statement reads.
They reacted to the statements of Knežević, who said that he would "always and in every place" defend the Serbian Orthodox Church and its canonical unity.
"The last announcement of the Metropolis, which Mr. Knežević is referring to, was published, like hundreds of announcements in previous decades, as chosen by those who decide on it in the Metropolis. This is certainly not done by anyone in their own name and at their own discretion. We will not change our practice because of the confusion caused by Mr. Knežević. Metropolitan Amfilohije's statement contains no personal animosity or political qualifications about the fact that she missed several specific occasions, they are simply not true, which is very easy to verify," the MCP announced.
They also add that it is not possible, "as Knežević does, to advocate the thesis that in church circles in Montenegro there is a plan to destroy the canonical unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church".
"And at the same time, show respect for Metropolitan Amfilohi, given that he is the one who, among the creators of those slanders, is the first to be accused of complicity in that plan. In Montenegro, there was no conspiratorial plan to break the unity of the Serbian Patriarchate, at least not among the clergy and believers. Those who had such a plan included it in their party programs, which are still current. The alleged participation of the priest in the plan to destroy the Serbian Orthodox Church remains to be seen Apparently, Mr. Knežević also got involved in them. In this story, as in his, there are also orderlies and controlled prosecutors, but also false witnesses from 'Sinđelići' and 'Velimirovići', who participated in the creation of that dishonorable construction for profit, because of moral corruption or out of fear."
The MCP points out that they are sure that Knežević does not want his campaign to resemble "the persecution carried out by the former regime, not choosing words and incitement to tarnish the image of the church in front of the public".
"We do not want to believe that he is doing it with such intentions. However, what he has done so far in relation to this issue represents ordinary sensationalism and tabloidization to the detriment of the Church. Given that Mr. Knežević himself stated that he is collecting evidence and that he will announce the names when, according to him, they are "100%" reliable, we asked him to hold a public trial and to introduce this evidence into a formal framework, thus taking full responsibility for his words and actions If he doesn't do that, any further public correspondence with Mr. Knežević on this topic will be pointless and therefore we will no longer participate in it," concludes the MCP's response.
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