Montenegrin Orthodox Church

Montenegrin Orthodox Church (Crnogorski Pravoslavna Crkva)
Autocephaly / Autonomy recognized	Unrecognized
Current primate	Archbishop Michel
Headquarters	Cetinje, Montenegro
Primary territory	Montenegro
Rite	Byzantine
Language (s) liturgical (s)	Slavonic - Montenegrin
Musical tradition	Byzantine Slav
Calendar	Julian
Estimated population	220 000
change

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church or Orthodox Church of Montenegro is an Orthodox Church restored in 1993 that calls itself the heir and the continuation of the historic Orthodox Church in Montenegro, and canonical autocephalous, abolished in 1920. The head of the Church carries the title of Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro, with residence in Cetinje , the former royal capital. The current incumbent is His Beatitude Mihailo Cetinje since 6 January 1997 ) ^History

The Orthodox Church in Montenegro (in Montenegrin : Crnogorski Pravoslavna Crkva), has its roots in the old historic diocese of Zeta , later well known as the Metropolitan of Montenegro, erected in 1219 by Saint Sava, the first Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The former diocese of Zeta (Metropolitan of Montenegro), began to govern as autocephalous, that is to say, canonically independent from the late ^fifteenth century or early ^sixteenth century.

In the year 1516, the death of Ivan the Black, the bishop of Montenegro began practicing civil government on the tribes of Montenegro. In fact, his authority was "supra-tribal," which granted the Montenegrins who lived in the old Ottoman Empire some centralization, not only spiritual but also government. The Bishop of Montenegro was elected among the various tribes, and at his death, his estate was held by a member of another tribe, thus constituting a form of government rotary. This system was in use until 1697, when the dynasty was established Episcopal Petrovic Njegos , founded by Metropolitan Danilo I. This particular dynasty was possible thanks to the estate of an uncle to nephew, as the Bishops, being monks, had no children.

The Orthodox Metropolitan of Montenegro was independent, both of the Serbian Church as the Patriarchate of Constantinople, both tightly controlled by the civil administration of the Ottoman Empire, which fought against the Slavic tribes of Montenegro. This particular political situation remained the Church of Montenegro for several centuries, in a certain isolation from neighboring Orthodox churches. Nevertheless, the de facto autocephalous Church of Montenegro became formal and enjoyed canonically recognized after the abolition of the Patriarchate of Pec in 1766.

This is neither a scientist nor a scholar Montenegrin Serb who masterfully explained the ecclesiastical and political situation of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro at the time, but one of the great saints of the Russian ^twentieth century , Archbishop St. Jean ( Maximovich) of Rocor, who wrote about it: "...

In this context, it becomes apparent why, as the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople that does not recognize independence for several centuries of Montenegrin Church.

One of the most salient features of the Montenegrin Church from the time of Vladikat (Government of bishops or vladika) resides in the fact that the Metropolitan authentically exercised the highest civil authority, is unprecedented in all of Europe Orthodox. The Church of Montenegro successfully maintains a theocratic government for over three centuries, while showing a great religious tolerance. Small chapels built during that time - there are a few left - were two altars, one of them Orthodox and one Catholic. These chapels were erected for the common use of the two Christian communities that were threatened by the Turkish Islamic.

Another salient feature of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church is the activity of some bishops and warrior monks, foreign to the Byzantine tradition of neighboring peoples. St. Peter of Cetinje was famous because he personally commanded his army in battle.

The secular clergy (priests married) had no asianwebcamgirls (cassock), or beard until the end of the ^nineteenth century , because - given the low population of the Montenegrin land - they were often personally fight against the Turkey to defend its own. So the priests had to dress up as secular bear arms and the Montenegrin traditional mustache to avoid being identified as priests by the Islamic invaders. If they were captured, the priesthood would cause long sessions of torture before execution.

Returning to the historical arguments which are the basis of the legal constitution of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, we can see clearly exposed by the scholar Valtazar Bogii saying: "The Montenegrin Orthodox Church is autocephalous and independent Eparchy, which does no other legal relationship with the other autocephalous churches that peace and love " . In the same sense speaking historian and highly respected Orthodox canon, D ^r. Nikodin Milas . He mentions the Catalog called Syntagma (published in Athens in 1855 with the consent of the Patriarchate of Constantinople), where the list of all the Orthodox Church recognized at the time: "Metropolitan of Montenegro Autocephalous (Autokefalna Mitropolija Crnogorski)" is in ninth place.

Some Serbian historians, including Professor Cupic .

The vast majority of scholars who have written on this subject agree in that "the abolition of the Patriarchate of Pec in 1766, Sava II Petrovi-Njego Metropolite declared himself independent, and the Orthodox Church Montenegro continued to carry out its activities independently with the support of the Russian Orthodox Church, who recognized its autocephalous during the reign of Petar I Petrovi-Njegos , which explains why the Metropolitans Montenegrins received their episcopal consecration in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg , not in Serbia.

The last Metropolitan of the dynasty Petrovic Njegos was Vladika Petar II Petrovi-Njegos , who ruled from 1830 to 1851. At his death died the last European theocracy, with exception of course of the Vatican State. Metropolitan Petar II was succeeded by his nephew Danilo , who refused to be consecrated bishop and appointed his government as secular prince (Knjaz). From the Government of Knjaz Danilo church and state separated.

With the process of formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Montenegrin Church, ancient and independent, was forced to dissolve in the Serbian Orthodox Church, under the government of the Regent Serbian Aleksandar Karadjordjevic in 1920. It should be added that the Kingdom of Montenegro even disappeared as a sovereign state to be part of the Yugoslav Kingdom. In this political context, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church disappeared from history. The last Metropolitan of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church during this period was the Vladika Mitrophan Ban.

Recent History

In 1993 began the first movement for the restoration of Montenegrin Orthodox Church after 73 years of disappearance. This occurs in the context of the disintegration of Yugoslavia. His first is the Metropolitan Vladika Antonije (Antonio), who performs his pastoral duties in the Montenegrin Orthodox Church between 1993 and 1996. Metropolitan Antonije is a tonsured monk Montenegro in 1933 in the Monastery of Visoki Decani (Kosovo), and for several years, he exercises his pastoral work within the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 1961 he took into exile, and he has been serving the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) - in Canada, where he returned to Montenegro to undertake the restoration of the Church.

In 1997, after his death, succeeded him Archimandrite Mihailo, another cleric Montenegrin who exercised his pastoral work in Rome, at St. Andrew's Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Episcopal consecration took place March 15 at the city of Sofia. Shortly after the consecration, the schism of the Bulgarian Church has been exceeded, and consecrating bishops of Vladika Mihailo were accepted within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, where they continue today to enjoy their quality of bishops.

Metropolitan Mihailo was inducted in Cetinje, the ancient capital of Montenegro, 31 October 1998. After independence in 2006, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church has consolidated substantially.

With the advent of independence of Montenegro, Montenegrin Orthodox Church also began a process of consolidation in the diaspora. In this context, Metropolitan Mihailo, the tenth anniversary of his enthronement as head of the Church of Montenegro, was consecrated as bishops (31-10-2008) beside Vladika Simeon (Minihof) - former member of the Greek Synod Old Calendar Kyprianos-has Vladika Gervasio (Patarov), bishop of Nevrokop - Alternative Synod of the Bulgarian-, and another bishop, the current Vladika Gorazd, as bishop for Argentina , where there is an Orthodox community Montenegro held in the province of Chaco.

In 2010, the Synod of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro is composed by three bishops:

1. His Beatitude Metropolitan Mihailo Cetinje and Montenegro.
2. Archbishop Symeon of Kotor
3. Bishop Gorazd, for the Eparchy of Argentina.

Relations with other Orthodox Churches

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church maintains informal relations with the canonical Kiev Patriarchate and the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

The Serbian Church says that the Republic of Montenegro is part of its canonical territory, categorically denying the existence of the ancient Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which for 500 years, has watched over the souls of the Orthodox faithful of this country. .

Organization

The church has five dioceses in Montenegro:

• Eparchy of Cetinje
• Eparchy of Duklja
• Eparchy of Kotor
• Eparchy of Ostrog
• Eparchy of Berane

In 2008 was erected a Eparchy of Argentina (an Orthodox community is organized in the province of Chaco).

In 2010, the Synod of the Church is composed of three members:

• Metropolitan Mihailo and all of Cetinje Montenegro
• Archbishop Symeon of Kotor
• Bishop Gorazd, for the Eparchy of Argentina

See also

Related articles

• List of primates of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church

External Links

• (My) Web Site (Official) - Montenegrin Orthodox Church
• (It) Web Site of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro Italy
• (Es) Web Site (Encyclopedia) of the Eparchy of Montenegrin Argentina
• (In) Montenegrin Orthodox Church - Crkva Crnogorski Pravoslavna
• (Sr) Mtropolinat of Montenegro and the Littoral (eg. ort. Serbian)
• (In) One Faith, Two churches: CNN.com article
• (En) page supports the autocephalous Montenegrin
• (En) Article Religioscope - Orthodoxy: the face of Serbian church schisms Macedonian and Montenegrin
• (En) Le Courrier des Balkans Article - Serbian and Montenegrin churches: towards a separation close?
• (En) Article Religioscope - Balkans after the independence of Montenegro, the Serbian Orthodox Church in turmoil

References

• Montenegro portal
• Christians of the East Portal

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