Amfilochius: I expect thousands of men under Ostrog

I expect that thousands of people will come to the Ostrog monastery on May 12, as they did before.

This is what Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral told the "News" yesterday, announcing that for the Day of St. Basil of Ostrog, he will serve a liturgy in the Ostrog monastery.

"I expect the people to come, as they do every year. I expect that they will release the people, it is an elementary thing. And that there will be the usual celebration in Ostrog. There was supposed to be a scientific meeting on the eve of St. Basil's Day, I think it will be postponed, that we will not be able to hold it, but, God willing, we will celebrate St. Basil's Day. Everyone who came, and there were thousands of them, is an opportunity for them to come and for it to be the greatest prayer and victory over the coronavirus," said Metropolitan Amfilohije.

Believers will be able to come, but as announced last night by the National Coordinating Body (NKT), in compliance with the measures to combat the new coronavirus: in a religious building there can be one person per ten square meters, and a maximum of 20 in front, with a mandatory physical distance of two meter, with a mask and hand disinfection at the entrance and exit. NKT also said that the ban on gatherings is still in force.

However, the Metropolitan assesses that St. Basil is "the best vaccine against many coronas":

"And especially against this current coronavirus. Therefore, if someone wants, and we all want, to be healed from this virus and from other viruses, it is natural that St. Basil's Day will be a day of prayer for healing from the coronavirus," he added.

He explained, however, that the Bishop of Budimlja-Nikšić, Joanikije, will decide whether the traditional nationwide St. Basil's Lithia will be held through Nikšić this year, or whether he will stop the tradition due to temporary measures.

Every year in Nikšić, during the celebration of St. Basil's Day, a liturgy is held led by several archbishops.

The St. Vasilije litia starts in front of the St. Vasilije Ostroski Cathedral, and thousands of people walk through it, through the streets of that city, every year.

Apostle Mark is in the coat of arms of Montenegro

Metropolitan Amfilohije said that the apostle Marko, patron of Podgorica, is in the coat of arms of Montenegro.

"The lion in the coat of arms of Montenegro is the apostle Marko. Ours, at the time of Venice, rightfully received the lion, which is the symbol of the apostle Mark. So it would be good if Montenegro, especially the capital city, behaved in the spirit of the lion, which is in the coat of arms. This includes both the past and the future... If Montenegro respects its coat of arms, then it must respect St. Mark and must base its future on the gospel of the apostle Mark, which is the gospel of the love of God and the gospel of us called to love, to brotherhood togetherness, to all generations", said Metropolitan Amfilohija yesterday to Vijesti, after the liturgical sermon on the Nemanja coast.

Yesterday, he held a liturgy in the Lavra of Saint Simeon Myrotočivo in Nemanja town in Podgorica.

Metropolitan Amfilohije also said that in Podgorica, where the Đečević family now lives, there was a monastery dedicated to Saint Mark.

"This virtuous family preserved the memory of that holy place. In the foundations of their building, there is still a chapel with preserved frescoes, and at the same time, between the two wars, that family handed over the relics of the saints to Metropolitan Gavril, the confessor patriarch, the one who ended the Second World War in Dachau, together with the holy bishop Nicholas Theodore of Tyrone and Stratilatus and the honorable cross that they preserved. We hope in God that this ancient sanctuary will be restored again", he said in his sermon.

He added that the Markovdan litany from the Church of St. George to that shrine, which was supposed to be held yesterday, was not held due to the coronavirus pandemic and told priest Velibor Džomić that it would be good if he organized a litany in honor of the Holy Apostle Mark during the day in Podgorica. - with priests, without faithful people.

"Perhaps it would be good if the priests today from the church of St. George to Mark's monastery perform a litany to pray to the apostle and evangelist Mark, the protector of this city for freedom from the coronavirus," said Amfilohije.

The Podgorica priests did not do that, but held a prayer at the Đečević estate, where the Markovdan litany usually ends.

Markovdan Litia with the relics of Saint Simeon Dajbabski is traditionally held every May 8 on the occasion of Saint Mark, the glory of the city of Podgorica.

Metropolitan: The police are doing their job

The liturgy on the Nemanja bank was supervised yesterday by several police inspectors from Podgorica. Metropolitan Amfilohije said that he understood them:

"We do our job, they do their job," he said and called on the clergy to honor the police in celebration of the holiday.

He also said that yesterday they prayed to the patron saint of Podgorica, the Holy Apostle Mark, to help the people heal.

"For this virus to disappear, but even more for those other, much more dangerous viruses that have taken over here, those who once banned the litany of the Holy Apostle Mark and those who pass lawless laws in our time. Which are a continuation of those laws, even worse than those passed by the Turkish occupiers. God will grant that they too will understand that Marko is the foundation of this city and its protector and patron," said the Metropolitan.

Lithiums continue

Metropolitan Amfilohije also announced the continuation of the liturgy for the defense of the holy places:

"Lithias continue. They are not interrupted. Here, in this ancient city, they certainly began at the end of the third century".

He said that the processions are organized to defend, first of all, the sanctity of the human being and the human soul.

“It's that defense. And then, of course, what people built for the glory of God, and for their own salvation and enlightenment. Therefore, the first and basic sanctuary is the human being. A human being born for eternity, not for death and transience. Therefore he who prevents these litias, he condemns a man to death for nothingness. I hope that today, in the 21st century, there are no such people who condemn themselves and their children and their descendants to death and nothingness", said the Metropolitan of the MCP.

Complaints due to the riot in Berane

Because of the Đurđevdan litia and gathering of citizens in Berane on May 6, the police filed criminal charges against four priests from the Đurđevi stupovi monastery and the subdeacon there.

Complaints were filed against archpriest-stavrophore Dragan Ristić, priests Stefan Milovanović and Miloš Cicmil, archdeacon Evstatij (Predrag Dragojević) and subdeacon Vuksan Vešović.

The Police Administration announced that they did this on the order of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office from Beran.

The priests and Beranec are suspected of having committed the criminal offense of failure to comply with health regulations for the prevention of a dangerous infectious disease: "In the coming period, interrogations of the suspects will be carried out, as well as other measures and actions necessary for the decision of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Beranec. On this occasion, the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Berane once again appeals to all citizens to fully comply with the recommendations of the National Coordinating Body for Infectious Diseases, as well as the Order of the Ministry of Health on taking measures to protect citizens from the spread of the coronavirus, and that otherwise failure to comply with these orders is subject to criminal charges. responsibilities". The Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality of Berane announced last night that the priests and monks of the Đurđevi stupovi monastery are very well acquainted with the measures prescribed by the Government.

"On St. George's Day, which is the glory of the St. George Stupovi monastery (alive for 807 years, from which the town of Berane was born), they decided to, as they did weeks ago, go on a prayer walk through the streets of our city (respecting all traffic regulations, moving exclusively on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, i.e. routes intended for pedestrian movement), reading prayers for the preservation of the health of all citizens of Beran. They did so by respecting mutual physical distance, as well as other measures prescribed for the preservation of individual and collective health...", it was announced.