Porfirije: We were not discouraged when they did not let us enter our birthplace, the Cetinje monastery

The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, said today from Beran that "God is alive in this holy land, even though many thought that God was expelled from this area."

"In recent decades, and especially recently, last year, they have shown that God is alive in this nation, first of all through the magnificent philanthropic, charitable and prayer processions that began right here," said Porfirije.

He arrived in Berane this afternoon in order to preside over the enthronement of Bishop Methodius of Budimljana-Nišići tomorrow.

"The liturgies that began here confirmed and showed in the most wonderful and miraculous way that the living God is among us," added Porphyry.

He said that it was a great joy for him to come to Berane "to gather around this wonderful and ancient endowment of Nemanjić and I must say right at the beginning, an endowment that has been wonderfully restored, and guarded and preserved by the care and hand of the household".

"Here, and you all know it better than I do, but let others also hear and know, once served the indomitable Mojsije Zečević, comrade and friend of Njegošev, comrade and friend of Saint Peter Cetinje, but also a member of the largest Serbian tribe of Vasojević. Vasojević, whose share in Serbian history and culture, to this day, incalculable and immeasurable. The national song, as a member of the Vasojevići tribe, mentions Paval Orlović, and this great tribe of ours is also the cradle of two Serbian dynasties - Obrenović and Karađorđević," said Porfirije.

He said that God does not recognize people by soil and blood, by what and by what nation we belong to.

"God will not recognize us by how much property we have, many think they are strong and powerful, how they rule countries and states, that they are actually the owners of fields and fields, rivers, hills and valleys, but also of human lives. And we know from the Gospel , that we ourselves, that by ourselves, we are not the owners of our own life, but at the same time in communion with the resurrected and crucified Christ, and when we are the poorest, when we have neither material goods nor any glory, we become rulers of the world. This is what many saints teach us and testify to. St. Vasilije Ostroski is close by. What was he the ruler of, what did he have, what was his. Nothing, of this world, but in Christ everything became his and he is the emperor, the king , the ruler of the world. He is the one whose prayers govern our lives according to the law of Christ. So who is powerful, then who is mighty," said Porphyry.

He added that God will not recognize us simply by belonging to a certain nation or how much property we have, nor will He decide about us who we vote for, whether we live in this or that country, or if we are residents of this or that city.

"God will recognize us and judge us only depending on whether we listen and whether we try, even if we are weak and powerless, to do his will and live according to his law. I will say it here, in front of your face, but more to be heard by others, those who say today that the church has pretensions in relation to some territories, that it threatens someone's sovereignty, that it is fighting for power from this world or that it has any similar aspirations. Those who say that are deceiving the people, deceiving us I can't because we are gathered around the shrine of St. George, but many, our brothers, our relatives, in whom the authentic seed of faith has not yet germinated, are being misled, and the spirit of Lithius has shown what our attitude should be. let him feel that he belongs to whatever nation he wants, no matter how much we sometimes think otherwise, I said in Podgorica, and someone criticized, saying "it was not pronounced by the Montenegrin people". Let whoever wants to be a Montenegrin, and not only whoever wants to he knows his roots, his tree, the fruits of Vasojević's tree, he knows and wants to belong to the Serbian people," said Porfirije.

The Serbian patriarch added that this does not mean "that we do not accept, understand, respect, and embrace those who live next to us and declare themselves to be Montenegrins. In the Church of Christ, however, not only are there no Serbs and Montenegrins, but there are no Greeks and Jews, no Albanians and Croats, no absolutization of the biological context of their existence".

"We cannot identify the church with any political or any state border. Therefore, there are no borders between heaven and earth in the church, and the borders of the church cannot change whenever the borders of states change. And in this sense, we have nothing against it, let it be everyone organizes into any kind of prayer community if it suits him, and on the condition that it does not endanger anyone, nor elementary human dignity. But any prayer community organized in this way cannot be in unity and is not in unity with the fullness of universal Orthodoxy and as such can never steal the identity of the Orthodox Church, which has its own canonical jurisdiction in these areas," Porfirje said.

He recalled the words of the Serbian Patriarch Pavle "whoever defeats himself, he has defeated the world. He who defeats egoism, self-love, who defeats the lie in himself, he has defeated the whole world".

"We were not discouraged even when they did not allow us to enter the house of our birth, the Cetinje Monastery, to hold a service and at that service to enthrone the Metropolitan of Cetinje, our Metropolitan Joaniki. Someone wanted to change the thesis that what springs from faith, what calmness springs from the lithia of that people, he wanted to show it and portray it as violence. And in fact, by violent means, the most brutal means, he wanted to prevent us from entering our house, while we have nothing against the fact that they are against it, but that they forcefully prevent us from entering our house, we know that it is a hoax that wanted to portray our Church, and that voice is circulating in these days, in these areas, as the source of all troubles, the source of all evil, and of course, when you declare someone is evil in itself, then give the legitimate right to anyone who wants to replace the thesis declared evil," said the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Porphyry said that they had no right not to carry out the work of the church, "that after many centuries we would be the ones who would give up, turn their backs on their own house, agree not to enthrone a metropolitan, in that place where they have always been enthroned and where they will always be, until the end of the world to be the seat of the metropolitan of Montenegrin Primorski canonical Orthodoxy, in this case of the canonical Serbian Orthodox Church".

"And we, begging the lords for peace for those who attack us, served the holy liturgy and enthroned Metropolitan Ioanniki as it should be. You, by your non-acceptance of violence, saved the face of those who resorted to violence. I hope that many among them also recognized the love of Christ and divine love in themselves, and that some of them are here with us tonight and that tomorrow they will be at the service of God, to enthrone Bishop Methodius," said the patriarch.

Metropolitan Joanikije recalled the history of the diocese of Budimlja-Nikšić.

"You follow in the footsteps of Christ and in the footsteps of your predecessor from ancient times, our Holy Father Sava of Serbia, the first Serbian archbishop, who enthroned the first Bishop of Budimlja, Jacob, here in this Nemanjic sanctuary, eight centuries ago. And this Bishopric of Sveti Sava had that a blessing to live a full life for four hundred and fifty years, until she left because of Turkish violence and domestic discord," said Jonaikije.

He added that the predecessors made sure that this Diocese continued its life.

"And so, one hundred years after its desolation, the Serbian Patriarch Arsenije IV Šakabenta tried to restore this Episcopate, but he did not succeed. However, this shrine and the people who gathered around it kept the faith, the fire of the living, Orthodox, primordial and the Christian faith. And some better times came, so your predecessor Gavrilo Dožić managed to restore this Episcopate under the name Budimljansko-Polyma. But it did not last long because of the pressure of communist impiety. And the holy patriarch Pavle, at the suggestion of the blessed Metropolitan Amfilohije, he blessed the restoration of this Episcopate 20 years ago. And here, as you can see, Your Holiness, it was restored, it was rejuvenated, it was united around this shrine and around other shrines, and it showed that it remained faithful to Christ God and the Holy Spirit, holy places in all and the most difficult times. With great joy, this Godly and blessed people of the Diocese of Budimlja-Nikšić welcomes you, Your Holiness and brother archbishops, and dear guests, open their hearts to embrace you with filial love and devotion," said the Metropolitan.

Jonaikije wished "a happy and blessed enthronement of our new bishop Methodius of Budimlja-Nikšić".

Below is a cultural program.

The ceremonial reception of the patriarch in Berane was attended by a large number of MPs of the New Serbian Democracy, SNP and Prava Montenegro, ministers Aleksandar Stijović and Ratko Mitrović, the mayor of Berane Tihomir Bogavac in the company of his predecessor Dragoslav Šćekić, the mayor of Andrijevica Željko Ćulafić, the mayor of Nikšić Marko Kovačević, director of the Revenue Administration and Customs Administration, Aleksandar Damjanović and many others.

The gate was full of citizens.

Tomorrow, the enthronement of the newly elected bishop of Budimlja-Nišići, Methodius, will take place in the Đurđevi stupovi monastery.