After a difficult period several years ago, relations between the Church and the state in Montenegro have been put on a better footing, but much work remains to be done to improve these relations, announced Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral.
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (MCP) announced that Joanikije said this on Friday, June 20, at the MCP headquarters in the Cetinje Monastery, during a meeting with Jean-Christophe Pocel, advisor for religious affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Ambassador to Montenegro, Anne-Marie Masque.
"The visit was organized as part of a diplomatic tour that Ambassador Posel had last week, visiting several countries in our region and meeting with numerous representatives of churches and religious communities. Metropolitan Joanikije introduced the guest from France to the history and contemporary state of the Church, emphasizing that, after a difficult period several years ago, relations between the Church and the state in Montenegro have been set on a better basis, but that much work remains to be done to improve these relations. The Metropolitan referred to a phenomenon that is very present in Montenegro, and concerns the very harsh reaction of parts of the government, individuals and social groups to the statements of the Church or church representatives regarding certain ethical, moral, historical and similar socially relevant issues," the MCP statement states.
The statement added that Posel emphasized that political decisions are made where they belong - in the Parliament and other competent state bodies, but that the Church certainly has the right to its own voice.
"The interlocutors agreed that the principle of separation of Church and state, incorporated into the constitutional and legal systems of France and Montenegro, is beneficial for both the state and the Church, and that, on the other hand, this principle does not imply rivalry or hostility between the state and the Church," the MCO said.
In the statement, I also write that Posel accepted Joanikije's invitation to next time take the time to visit the most important spiritual centers of the Metropolis.
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