Serbian Church and Montenegrin authorities to sign an agreement soon

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović discussed preparations for the signing of an agreement between the Church and the state on 30 June 2022 at the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade, reports the press service of the Serbian Patriarchate. 

"In all countries, there are agreements regulating the obligations of the state towards the religious community, but also, of course, the obligations of the religious community towards the state. The aforementioned agreement in Montenegro started in 2012. Then there were delays, there were problems and, thank God, last year we reached the final phase," said the Primate of the Orthodox Church, addressing journalists after the meeting. 

According to Patriarch Porfirije, the text of the agreement can be approved and adopted after approval by the Holy Synod. 

"If God allows everything to be done as it should be, we will reach an agreement on the date of signing, which, when everything is over, could be the crowning moment of normalisation of relations between the state of Montenegro and our Church, as we have entered the final phase last year," the Primate of the Serbian Church added.  

Dritan Abazović also expressed confidence that the agreement will soon be signed and that its adoption will protect the interests of both the Serbian Orthodox Church and the state, "which, as we know, is secular and does not want to meddle in the internal affairs of any religious community". 

"The time has come to act differently and give reconciliation a chance for the benefit of all," the Montenegrin Prime Minister said. 

The agreement, which the Patriarch and Prime Minister are going to sign, is intended to regulate relations between the state of Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church. 

As reported, the two sides have already declared their readiness to sign an agreement in the spring of 2021, but this did not happen.