SPC after Serbian patriarch-Krivokapic meeting: The signing of fundamental agreement postponed

Photo: Tanjug/Sava Radovanovic

The previously announced ceremony of the signing of the fundamental agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the state of Montenegro did not take place last night, because Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic presented Patriarch Porfirije with previously "unspoken reasons why he believes the signing of the agreement must be postponed," the Serbian Orthodox Church has announced.

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The Serbian Orthodox Church said, on the occasion of Thursday evening's conversation between Zdravko Krivokapic and Patriarch Porfirije behind closed doors at the Patriarchate in Belgrade, that during yesterday afternoon representatives of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Government of Montenegro fully harmonized the text of the fundamental agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the state of Montenegrin.

The Serbian Orthodox Church said that the Government of Montenegro then verbally confirmed that Krivokapic would arrive in Belgrade in the afternoon, in order to sign the fundamental agreement with Patriarch Porfirije.

The same intention of Krivokapic was verbally confirmed to the patriarch from the cabinet of the Montenegrin prime minister, according to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"After several hours of delays and of informing the head of the Serbian Church about a number of completely different reasons for delaying his departure from Podgorica, Krivokapic arrived at the agreed meeting at around 9 pm," said the SPC statement, that also stressed that Krivokapic then "presented new and (previously) unspoken reasons why he believes that the signing of the agreement must be postponed."

The statement adds that the patriarch heard those reasons showing attention, great patience, but also even greater surprise, unable to see in the least the merits and justification for Prime Minister Krivokapic's intention not to sign the agreement, which was the only reason for his arrival to the Patriarchal Palace in Belgrade.

"His Holiness the patriarch and the hierarchs who were present expressed great regret and concern for the future position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful people, considering that although the absolute majority of the people in Montenegro belong to it, (the state of Montenegro) has not singed the agreement guaranteeing its legal position, and thus religious and civil rights of the people of St. Sava only with it, which is an act of open discrimination," said the statement.

The SPC and its faithful people will not give up on defending their rights and their shrines in these circumstances, the Church said.

Prime Minister Krivokapic later announced on Twitter that he had come to Belgrade to convey the will of the Montenegrin people that Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje-Niksic should be elected as the metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and that the fundamental agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the state of Montenegro should be signed on October 30, the day the previous metropolitan, Amfilohije, died.

Дошао сам у Београд, у Патријаршију СПЦ да Његовој Светости пренесем поздраве вјерног народа и његову вољу да на трону Светог Петра Цетињског виде Владику Јоаникија. 1/2— Zdravko Krivokapić (@profKrivokapic) May 27, 2021

(Telegraf.rs)