Perović: Parliament could help the authorities understand that they must not endanger people's religious rights

The Trojičindan Council for the Defense of the Faith and the Holy Places of God, announced for June 15, could help the Montenegrin authorities to understand that they must not endanger the religious rights of people and the rights of their Church, and if they do, they are also endangering themselves, Gojko Perović says. rector of the Cetinje seminary.

Perović told Sputnik that the Trojičindan Council is extremely important because the mass of the gathering will help both the Church and the state to find a way out of current misunderstandings.

"First of all, God loves that we are all together. Not only mentally and emotionally, but concretely 'all in one place'. Such prayers are dearest to God, such a gathering of all His children is what the Lord prefers to see. Along with the three-day fast that will precede this gathering , and on the eve of the feast of the Holy Trinity (which is the Church's birthday), I believe that the Lord will hear our sincere and fervent prayers to 'enlighten more of Montenegro' and 'remove from it the lightning and clouds' of fraternal hatred and mutual misunderstanding," said Perović.

He adds that today, "unfortunately, we live in a time of various media speculations, misinformation and semi-information, which is why it is most beautiful that, first of all, we Christians can see and hear each other on the spot".

"Let's greet each other brotherly and receive the blessing of our Holy Community, so that we know what lies ahead and how to understand the future events that will follow and which, God willing, will be blessed and happy," says Perović.

He notes that "people from the state government in Montenegro obviously do not understand the true nature of the Church and the essence of its existence on earth", and therefore "publish some of their unreasonable intentions regarding the relationship between the Church and the state".

"I think that such a meeting will help them to understand that Christians in Montenegro are local people and citizens of this country, that they are the people who give this country sovereignty and strength. The state cannot and must not threaten their religious rights and rights of their Churches. Then, if she does that, she endangers herself, far from it. The more of us there are in Podgorica on that day, in the Church of the Resurrection, let me remind you, in the only church in the world that was jointly consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow and Constantinople, the better we will understand ourselves, and the more others will understand and hear our message," added Perović.

On the occasion of the recently adopted Bill on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which envisages the confiscation of church property (Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro), on Saturday June 15 in Podgorica, a large national assembly of Trojičindan will be held in Podgorica for the defense of the faith and the holy places of God.

The assembly will begin at nine o'clock with the Holy Bishop's Liturgy, which will be served by several bishops in the Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection with the clergy and the faithful. After the Holy Liturgy, at 11 a.m., from the plateau of the Cathedral, as announced, a joint message will be sent to all the faithful, Montenegrin authorities, the international community and the general public for the defense of our faith and sanctuaries, in the spirit of peace, love and mutual respect.