Not all Serbs will fall under Vučić's yoke: Metodije and the President of Serbia on one side, Joanikije and Mandić on the other

Conflicting positions of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic due to the statement Aleksandar Vučić on the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in the state, made official what had been rumored more and more recently, and what had long been suspected - that the church in Montenegro had also "fallen out" over the president of Serbia. This conflict also more clearly outlined new boundaries between pro-Serbian actors on the political scene - those who are completely loyal to Vučić and others who are increasingly distancing themselves from him.

The interlocutors of "Vijesti" assess that the Metropolitan of Budimlje-Niksic Methods has shown himself to be a reliable executor of the orders of the regime in Belgrade, and that the only reason why there is not an even more open conflict with the Metropolitanate is its understanding of the context in which the church operates in Montenegro.

Vučić said earlier this week that the 2020 processions - which began due to changes to the Law on Freedom of Religion - actually started when "some people wanted to create an Orthodox church in Montenegro, just to erase the 'Serbian' part." He also spoke of "dangerous and wicked" ideas in the church, and of alleged intentions to "federalize and confederate" the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"It's about so-called polycentric ideas, and now lately you've been hearing it from prominent Serbian nationalists - ideas about polycentric Serbness. That's the death of the Serbian people, that's the death of the Serbian church," he added.

The Metropolis of Cetinje announced the day before yesterday that Vučić's statements were unclear, and that the uninvited interference of politicians in church matters does not bring good to the state and the church.

"... We consider it unacceptable that these confused, yet loud accusations about 'evil and dangerous ideas in the church' are repeated continuously, and very unhealthy that they are, as a rule, linked to the time of the 2020 liturgy in Montenegro, and that through some allusions, incomplete and inaccurate, they are directed towards 'someone' who 'tried' to do 'something' with the church in Montenegro," the Metropolitanate said in a statement.

However, the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic stood in defense of the President of Serbia, stating that "his messages bring peace among the people of St. Sava and preserve the unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church."

"His (Vučić's) public emphasis on the importance of preserving church unity testifies to a high responsibility towards the spiritual identity of our people...", they emphasized.

Vučić had his "mouth full" of Montenegro this week, and he mainly focused on the decision of the authorities in Podgorica to send a representative to mark the Croatian Operation "Storm". He said that representatives of the Montenegrin government "will rejoice in the Serbian suffering and crimes committed against Serbs in Knin".

Milićević: Methods in the Service of Destruction

Theologian from Belgrade Vukašin Milićević He told "Vijesti" that last year it became clear that Metodije is someone the regime in Belgrade is counting on when it comes to "destructive policies" with which they are trying to preserve power.

He stated that every attack by Vučić's government on countries in the region actually has the ultimate goal of preserving its position of power in Serbia, which has been greatly shaken since the beginning of the student-led protests.

"... This export of the crisis through meaningless mantras about the 'Serbian world' and all that, an attempt to destabilize surrounding countries - they are primarily intended for the domestic market. Metodije, unfortunately, has proven to be a very reliable executor of the Belgrade regime's orders," he said.

Metodije became a metropolitan in mid-May last year (he was previously a bishop), and since then, as "Vijesti" wrote, his statements have become increasingly harsh and his actions increasingly controversial. This culminated during and after the events of exactly one year ago regarding the illegal erection of a monument to the notorious Chetnik commander. Pavlo Đurišić in the Berane village of Gornje Zaostro.

Milićević emphasized that his impression was that there was no more open church conflict in Montenegro because the Metropolitanate was "more reasonable and considerate, both in terms of the context in which they operate and in terms of what the real interests of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro would be."

"And it seems to me that, regardless of who declares themselves nationally, who chooses to be politically, that the Metropolis - that is, the Orthodox Church in Montenegro - has managed to preserve enough authority that both can recognize it as a place where they can practice their faith, but also to be an institution that can play a significant role in the future of Montenegro as a state, as it has in the past," the interlocutor underlined.

Experts in church and political affairs have repeatedly stated in recent years that Belgrade is working to diminish the importance of the Metropolitanate. In this context, they also saw the decision of the 2021 SPC Council, made under the leadership of the then newly elected patriarch. Porphyria, to abolish the episcopal councils as temporary advisory church bodies, among which was the Episcopal Council of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, formed in 2006. On that occasion (2021), the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral to Joaniki stripped of the title of Archbishop of Cetinje, which his predecessor had Amphilochius.

Joanikije has been a target of church circles and the regime in Belgrade since March last year, when he signed a letter condemning the Serbian Orthodox Church's claims that students protesting in Serbia are "Serbian Ustashas".

Disagreement over Wolf's Valley

That (recent) developments in the church are inseparable from politics is also shown by the recent ceremonial academy in Nikšić on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Vučji dol.

Although, at first, it seemed that the event passed peacefully, this was not the case. After the academy was held, the Belgrade-based “Politika”, close to the local authorities, announced that the event was organized exclusively by the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic, without the participation of the Municipality of Niksic. The article states that the Diocese’s idea was to have a “church-people’s gathering”, and that the Municipality, headed by Marko Kovacevic (New Serbian Democracy), wanted to turn the event into a "political and state-party manifestation" by putting pressure on the Diocese, and then tried to take credit for organizing the academy.

The text also states that "particularly controversial" was the insistence that Kovačević and the leader of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) and the head of the Montenegrin parliament speak at the ceremonial academy. Andrija Mandic.

"The Church, however, maintained its position that the gathering dedicated to Vučje dol must not be turned into a political stage, nor into an opportunity for party officials to present their current actions and political decisions as policies that have the blessing of the Serbian Orthodox Church," it states.

The municipality denied these claims, stating that they participated in the organization, that they institutionally stood by the Diocese, but that their only request was to be provided with the event program in advance, which they claim they received an hour before it began, and that it did not include the historian's speech. Aleksandar Stamatović.

Stamatović repeatedly called out the NSD in his speech, which has not been on the same page with Vučić in recent months. Stamatović, among other things, called on Nikšić to “remain consistent with the historical legacy of the Vučedol warriors and the Kosovo oath,” asking that an initiative not be “betrayed” to annul the decision by which Montenegro recognized Kosovo at the local level.

These initiatives of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević So far, they have "passed" in Zeta and Pljevlja, but the NSD in Nikšić said that it would not support such a proposal, saying that "Nikšić never recognized Kosovo so they would recognize it today."

Stamatović also spoke about the "response of the people."

"Our answer has always been, in the name of the geography of the Principality and Kingdom of Montenegro, that only pure Serbs live in Montenegro," he said.

This was an indirect "arrow" towards "a new Serbian response for a new time" - the recently coined slogan and political direction of the NSD.

There is public speculation that the Diocese allegedly did not allow Mandić to speak at the academy, that he left the event before it ended, not staying for the dinner that was held, at which Kovačević allegedly strongly reprimanded Stamatović for his speech. However, "Vijesti" could not confirm this.

The text also indicates that the organization was problematic. Milutin Mićović, brother of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, published on the portal “Žurnal.me”. He stated that the Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic could not exclude the institution of the state of Montenegro, nor the Metropolis, from organizing the jubilee, and that it had thereby “created an internal conflict” in Montenegro.

Continuation of the offensive against Mandić

The fact that the conflict in the pro-Serb bloc has entered a new phase is also evidenced by the writings of "Politika" the day before yesterday. In the article titled "Who set a trap for Metropolitan Metodije in Gornji Zaostar", it is claimed that "preparations on the ground" for last year's installation of a monument to Pavle Đurišić were carried out by people from Mandić's political environment, and that the head of parliament personally financed the statue. "Politika" points out that, when "the action entered its final stages", Mandić remained invisible, and that all public, political and judicial burden was transferred - to Metodije.

This text came after Vučić fired several "poisonous arrows" at Mandić, who has been moving away from him in recent months, which is why he is increasingly on the agenda of Belgrade tabloids. The Serbian president stated that he did not know what the two would discuss, and that "Serbs in Montenegro should look at who is working in their interests."

When asked whether the church conflict is the beginning of a wider split in the pro-Serbian bloc in Montenegro, Vukašin Milićević told the editorial staff that, if we talk about the Serbian corpus as something that can be linked to political factors - he believes that it has to do with the division that now has to choose between "a normal state that has some perspective through European integration" and the situation in which Serbia finds itself.

"... Neither Serbia nor Montenegro are normal states yet. Serbia is far from it, Montenegro has taken a step in that direction, but they are faced with that choice. Now anyone who refuses to see that has to compensate for that fact with an additional amount of insane poison and propaganda with which to blind not only those they are addressing, but also themselves," he added.

Mandić's office did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions yesterday about how the first man in the Parliament views Vučić's statement and the writings of "Politika".

“Counterattack” on Fundina

If he did not get the opportunity to give a speech at the commemoration of the anniversary of the Battle of Vučji dol, Andrija Mandić will not miss out on doing so at the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fundina.

This event will be held today in Kuči, organized by the Serbian National Council, and under the auspices of the Parliament of Montenegro.

Mandić will speak at the event, and it has been announced that Joanikije will also attend the gathering.