Citizens bid farewell to Amfilohije hours after the funeral, kissing the cross and the crypt

The Archbishop of Cetinje and the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Amfilohije, was buried on Sunday in the crypt of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Podgorica, Montenegro, while citizens were saying goodbye to him even hours after the funeral.

A video shows citizens, including children, paying their last respects to the metropolitan, who passed away on Friday, October 30.

Some of them kissed the cross and the crypt in which he was buried.

Metropolitan Amfilohije was laid to rest on Sunday in the presence of future Prime Minister of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapic and top Serbian and Serb Republic officials Aleksandar Vucic and Milorad Dodik, along with numerous citizens.

Thousands of citizens said goodbye to the metropolitan, who was loved and respected, but also criticized and disputed, paying their last respects to him in a procession that started on Saturday.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej, author and academician Matija Beckovic, Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic Joanikije, Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic and President of the Assembly Aleksa Becic all spoke at the funeral.

After the farewell speeches, the casket was raised, and during the prayer procession, people shouted, "We won't give up our shrines." It was then brought into the Temple and lowered into the crypt, the tomb which was prepared while Metropolitan Amfilohije was alive.

In several Montenegrin municipalities, the day of the metropolitan's funeral was declared a day of mourning, as well as in some municipalities in the Serb Republic.

Although Prime Minister-designate Krivokapic asked the outgoing government to declare a day of mourning in Montenegro on the occasion of the metropolitan's death, such decision was not made.

(Telegraf.rs)