His Eminence the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Mr. Joanikije served today, on the feast day of the Holy Martyr Joanikije of Montenegrin and Littoral, the Holy Service of God in the Cetinje Monastery.

He was supported by the Cetinje clergy and clergy.

In the liturgical sermon, Metropolitan Ioannikije said that from his earliest youth, Saint Ioannikije worked hard for the glory of God, preparing and educating himself for the holy priestly service.

"Later, when he received that service, he worked diligently and already as a young priest and catechist, professor, he gave extremely significant and great fruits." He was mild-mannered, kind-hearted, open-hearted, accommodating, a wonderful man in everything. That's why the Blessed Patriarch Gavrilo wanted him to be his successor on the throne of the Metropolitan of Montenegrin and Littoral. When he was elected patriarch, he soon proposed Joaniki Lipovac, already a respected Belgrade professor of catechism, priest, and respected clergyman, as the metropolitan of Montenegro. He must have seen many qualities in him, his meekness, obedience and faithfulness and perseverance in serving the Lord," he said.

Metropolitan Joanikije added that Saint Joanikije came to the Cetinje throne in difficult times, a little before the beginning of the Second World War.

"The whirlwind of war stirred up everything here. Occupied country. But, in addition to that unfortunate occupation, there was another accident with much more serious consequences, because our nation, for the first time in its history, was so divided, deeply, sharply, that brothers began to accuse and kill each other, which is already underway At the end of the war, bloodshed began so much that they did not hesitate to kill priests and throw them into pits. The godless communist ideology was destroying everything before it. St. Johnnikius suffered a lot because of this and such a division in the people. But, he suffered even more because the people had become quite ungodly, because many had left the churches and their baptisms and advocated an ungodly communist ideology that not only persecuted God but also destroyed our memory and our history, our culture, thinking that by self-destruction and to do something good by demolishing," said the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral.

He said that, of course, they couldn't do anything good, because the only thing they could do was to quarrel the people and kill their brothers.

"All this tore the metropolitan's soul apart and he did what he could - reconciled the people, helped both, saved lives, fed the poor, comforted the sad and bereaved, was father and mother to everyone as much as he could be." But, although meek and calm and tolerant, he opposed the new communist ideology heroically, never hesitating for a second in this regard. He saw, of course, what would happen, so he said back in 1943: If that godless ideology wins, it will close our churches and our sanctuaries. They will drive religious education out of schools, trample on memory, extinguish the baptismal candle, destroy temples and, worst of all, ruin, deify and divide the people, turning them on the path of self-destruction. He had seen all this before. And in the end, he suffered at the hands of the ungodly, but unfortunately brotherly. He was tortured by Montenegrin communists. They wanted to enjoy his suffering. It's a horror what that holy man of God suffered, but, not condemning anyone, but just trying to stay clean until the end and make his sacrifice to the Lord God until the end," reminded Metropolitan Ioannikije.

Metropolitan Ioannikije also reminded that Saint Ioannikije was not only brutally killed but also thrown somewhere so that neither his grave nor his marble remains are known.

"However, his memory shines as bright as the sun." He shines as the first martyrs, the first saints of Christ, as the apostles of Christ in his time, because he followed a narrow and narrow path defending the holy Orthodox faith and sacrificing himself for it to the last atom of his strength and life. That is why the Lord glorified him. And even more so because he took all the sufferings of the people, all the sorrows, all the anxieties on his soul and his heart. He carried his people on his soul and prayed to God for them until the end. And in the end, he made a sacrifice for him. His sacrifice is Christlike," said Metropolitan Ioannikije and added that today is a great holiday for our Metropolis.

He also reminded that evil ideology and evil times did not stop only at the murder of Metropolitan Joaniki Lipovac, but persecuted priests all the time.

"Every priest who had the courage to speak the word of God was labeled as an enemy of the state. And priests were killed, not only during the war, by the evil communist hand, but also after the war. Many suffered, like St. Joanikije, after the end of the war. And his successor suffered just as he did. Not in the same way, but he suffered as much as the Holy Priest Martyr Ioannikias. His successor, Metropolitan Arsenije, was slandered as an enemy of the state, accused, tried and sentenced unjustly," said Metropolitan Ioannikije.

He said that it was difficult and too difficult for Metropolitan Danilo Dajković.

"He also died in Montenegro, especially due to the demolition of the Lovcen chapel," reminded Bishop Joanikije.

The Metropolitan told an interesting story about the daughter of Metropolitan Joaniki Lipovac:

"She was a respected intellectual here in Cetinje, she worked in education." She had one son, a sailor. Somewhere in the old days in correspondence with her son, she writes with the love and warmth of a mother: I am glad, my dear son, that you were in Kotor on duty. Everything is certainly different there than in Cetinje. There, spies don't stand in front of the church like they do in front of the Cetinje monastery and register everyone who enters the monastery to pray to God. I am very glad that you were at the Holy Service and that you are always ready to say that you are the grandson of the holy God's favorite and the father of my Metropolitan Ioanniki. Well, that's a testimony of what the times were like, especially how it was here in Cetinje, where, according to the testimonies of the respectable and virtuous citizens of Cetinje at the time, two spies were constantly taking turns. And it was like that until recently, I don't know if it is still today, that in front of the Cetinje monastery they record who all enters the church of the Cetinje monastery and who all approaches the life of Saint Peter of Cetinje", said Metropolitan Joanikije and concluded that no arrivals, no threats, no amount of suffering could eradicate the holy Orthodox faith.

"The more they chased her, the more she suffered, the stronger she became. And thank God, that flame of the holy Orthodox faith was ignited and flared up when the beatified Metropolitan Amfilohije came," concluded His Eminence the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, Mr. Joannikius.

Radosav Rajo Vojinović

Photo: Nikola Joksimović

Metropolis of Montenegrin and Littoral