On the night between December 26 and 27, 2019, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the discriminatory and unconstitutional Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities, thereby “death to justice and law in the Parliament of Montenegro,” as our spiritual father, the late Metropolitan Amfilohije, assessed at the time.

The law was adopted by the votes of the ruling coalition (DPS, SD, Liberal Party, Bosniak Party, Croatian Civic Initiative and Forca) and three SDP MPs, who already knew at the time that the majority of Montenegro was opposed to such an act, which, even before it entered the parliamentary procedure, deepened divisions in Montenegrin society.
Before the parliamentary debate on this law, Metropolitan Amfilohije, in a personal address to the deputies, expressed his hope that at this important moment they would have a responsibility before God and the citizens of Montenegro, as well as the entire domestic and European public: That you will not support this Draft Law that grossly discriminates against the Orthodox Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral and other dioceses of the Serbian Patriarchate in Montenegro, which were founded eight centuries ago by Saint Sava, the first Serbian Archbishop. We repeat to you in this personal address what we have already publicly stated: the Draft Law formulated in this way does not deserve to be considered in the Parliament of Montenegro, and we call on you not to give legitimacy to the debate and vote on this Draft Law by your participation, or to vote against it, if reason does not prevail and a vote on it takes place.
Before the vote, the Assembly rejected three amendments by the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral and other dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, proposed as a minimum minimum for the sake of peace and fraternal harmony, and with the aim of calming social tensions and preventing the serious consequences of adopting such a legal act. By rejecting these amendments, which represented an honorable way out for everyone in this dishonorable affair, as the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral assessed at the time, the Montenegrin regime essentially refused to discuss property-legal relations before the courts of this country in regular proceedings, in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission:
In this way, the suspicions of our Church were clearly confirmed that this law, first and foremost, was being passed not to ensure freedom of religion, but to begin the seizure of the property of the Orthodox Church and thereby begin the realization of the goal from the program of the ruling party, which was proclaimed by the president of that party and the president of Montenegro - the creation/"reconstruction" of a new, state-owned, suitable and obedient to the regime "autocephalous Montenegrin Orthodox Church".
All responsibility for the consequences of the adoption of such a law lies directly with the MPs who voted for its adoption, the Government of Montenegro, which proposed it, and Milo Đukanović, the President of Montenegro, causing, especially by arresting opposition MPs and violence against gathered citizens throughout our country, unprecedented divisions and hatred and introducing Montenegro into a situation that cannot bring good to anyone.
Thanks to this, Orthodox believers in Montenegro are celebrating one of the saddest Christmases in recent history.
The parliamentary debate and adoption of the Law on Freedom of Religion, which legalizes the seizure of property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, were accompanied by great tensions and protests throughout the country, as well as road blockades by dissatisfied citizens and excessive use of police force against the people.
On that December 26th in the morning, Metropolitan Amfilohije, understanding the moment of growing tensions, as well as the need of the then authorities to provoke conflicts, sent a video message to his flock in which he also called on everyone to peace, and on Comrade Đukanović to abandon the mace law:
I am again free to, here, next to the life of Saint Peter, and from his life, call on all Montenegrins, all people who live in Montenegro, regardless of what ideology, party they belong to, how they feel nationally – to call on them to peace, to brotherly harmony, to love, because that is the only thing that is needed here at this moment for all of us. And at the same time, to call on Comrade Đukanović to abandon the mace law, from that lawlessness that should be voted on today in the Parliament of Montenegro. Because, he should keep in mind that this is precisely the reason for what is happening in Montenegro today, contrary to my blessing. He is the main cause of what is happening in Montenegro today. He, with his Titoist-Bolshevik policies and ideology, has provoked the righteous anger of the people.

Today, a law is being passed under a blockade of the entire city, under violence in which the entire Montenegrin police force is engaged, in order to obtain a law on freedom of religion under that violence.

I hope in God that those in power, and everyone else, will sober up, so that the future is not built on violence and lawlessness. The future, not only of Montenegro, but the future of Europe and the world is built on the eternal laws of God's justice, God's truth, God's love. And that is why this is a call today, both to those in power and to everyone else, to embark on that path of peace, on the path of brotherly love and harmony. It is time, after so many troubles and misfortunes that have accompanied us, to embark on that path of God, because only in this way can we do something as this generation. And let us not lose sight of - let comrade Milo Đukanović come first! – that whoever has the law in his hand, his tracks stink of inhumanity! This is what the Lovcen Seer says, who was arrested on Lovcen by the same spirit of violence and crime, and by which his church was demolished. Just as they are preparing a law that will take away our churches

During that time, in Podgorica, the faithful, clergy and monks, led by Bishops Joanikis of Budimlje-Niksic, the current Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, and Methodius of Dioclea, the current Bishop of Budimlje-Niksic, who set out from the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection to the Monastery of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Giver in Nemanja's Castle, are serving a prayer service on the Blaža Jovanović Bridge, near the Parliament of Montenegro, where they were stopped by the police who had blocked the center of Podgorica and all approaches to the Parliament since early morning. They will also await the passing of the law on that bridge on the night between December 26 and 27.

After the prayer service in front of the police cordon, Bishop Metodije read a statement from the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, calling on the faithful to peace and brotherly harmony: Peace and brotherly harmony are what we need most, because any form of violence is unbecoming of Orthodox Christians, as well as anyone else in Montenegro. The bearers and perpetrators of violence are the current rulers in Montenegro, who are provoking righteous public anger, forgetting Njegoš's universal truth: He who has the law in his hand, his tracks stink of inhumanity.

Addressing the gathering on the Blaž Jovanović Bridge, who did not care about the cold or the unprecedented police presence, Bishop Joanikije said that the Parliament had received a monstrous text of the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion, which is not in accordance with either the Constitution or international standards regulating religious rights, and that this gathering represents an expression of disagreement with the law that is preparing an attack on Orthodoxy in Montenegro. He emphasized that the gathering is neither political nor partisan, but a people's gathering where priests and the people are together, and he said: It is ours to stand up against injustice, but not with weapons, nor with any force, but only with the force of truth and justice, with a call for brotherly love, understanding and harmony. We are for the law, but not for this one, which is actually a law on the seizure of church property.

Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral also arrived in Podgorica in the afternoon and spoke with Duško Marković, then Prime Minister, and Zoran Pažin, then Minister of Justice, in order to convey to them the demands of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro and request that the hearing be postponed until after Christmas.

After that, the blessed Metropolitan addressed the gathered faithful on the Blaž Jovanović Bridge, bringing the blessing of Saint Peter of Cetinje and his life with the message that everything passes, only the Church survives and remains. He said that the Church advocates that the law on freedom of religion be adopted in accordance with the Opinion of the Venice Commission and through dialogue with the Church and other religious communities: There has been no such genuine dialogue so far, and the way some parts of the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion are formulated does not bring peace and tranquility to Montenegro, but misfortune.

During the parliamentary debate, citizens block roads throughout Montenegro in protest. The police intervene, arrests and prosecutions occur.

On the bridge over Đurđevića Tara, the police brutally beat a group of believers and Bishop Metodije, who was subsequently treated at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade.

Before the controversial law was voted on, an incident occurred in the parliament hall and the entire Democratic Front parliamentary group was arrested and taken to the Security Center in Podgorica.

On the morning of that cold and dark December 27, immediately after the Parliament passed the discriminatory Law on Freedom of Religion, which condoned the seizure of property from the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Bishop Jonikije announced that our fight against evil and injustice would continue: We were here tonight as if at a penance, as if at a funeral! Justice has been buried and the legal order of Montenegro has been buried with such a law adopted, with such a poorly drafted law, with evil intent and with such problems that it has brought to Montenegro”

In his address to the people on the Blaž Bridge in Podgorica, who had been protesting prayerfully throughout the parliamentary session not far from the parliament building, the Bishop thanked the gathered people for their support: We can say, let them adopt it, that law has already failed, it is already a dead letter on paper. Let them be alive and well, but nowhere in the world will a law on freedom of religion be adopted in this way.

We will organize ourselves. In all regions, in all cities, and in all villages, we will form committees and brotherhoods for the defense of holy places. We cannot allow the holy places that our ancestors visited to God to be desecrated and fall into the hands of the godless. That will not happen!

We will certainly continue our fight against evil and injustice, and especially against the desecration of holy places, and if we fight as Christians, we will certainly win, and we have already won a lot. This fight of ours has strengthened us a lot, and those who have adopted a law in this way, namely the law on freedom of religion, I think have already dug a big hole for themselves. As they did, so God gave them. Amen!

After that, the clergy and monastics, the faithful people, led by Bishop Ionikije, came to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, where they prayed for our Church and all the people, calling everyone to love, peace and harmony, and then they dispersed in peace.

Serbian Patriarch Irinej calls on the state authorities of Montenegro, especially members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to immediately stop the brutal terror against the Serbian Church, its clergy and faithful people: The inhuman beating of the Vicar Bishop of Diocletian, Mr. Methodius, priests and Serbian Orthodox believers, just because they are Serbs and of the Orthodox faith, is an act unprecedented in Europe since the fall of fascism and the end of Bolshevik terror.

Following the passage of the Law on Freedom of Religion and developments in the country, an employee of the Nikšić Security Center Miloje Šćepanović resigned after 30 years of service in order to be a free man and an Orthodox Christian: I could not intervene against my neighbors and friends. I went to the Security Center, thanked him, and left the Ministry of Internal Affairs

His example would be followed in the days to come by other free and courageous believers.

On the occasion of the passing of the discriminatory Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities, which was directed against the Church of St. Sava, thereby burying law and justice in the Montenegrin legislature, the Episcopal Council of the Dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro ordered that every two hours until Christmas, in all churches, the requiem bells be rung, and after the evening services, the Moleban to the Most Holy Theotokos be served, which is served in times of trouble and temptation that befall the Church of God and its faithful.

After the Molebno to the Most Holy Theotokos was served in the Cetinje Monastery on December 27, Father Obren Jovanović, then secretary of the Metropolis and hierarchal vicar of Cetinje, said that the Lord allowed everything that is happening for our good and salvation, to test our faith.

Today we pray first for ourselves, to cleanse our souls from the sorrow with which we have been filled these days. But, at the same time, we pray for all those who did not have ears to hear, eyes to see, who did not have hearts to open to receive the word of their brother, their spiritual father, their priests, their people. Nothing else than for this holy elder Metropolitan of 82 years old to walk the streets of Podgorica and kneel before some children, known and unknown, who yesterday held some apologies that have nothing to do with the truth. But God allows such things in times to show themselves as they are.

Heaven does not give anyone power to last forever and to mistreat someone. This spiritual snow that fell today in Montenegro did not fall for us to follow and for our hearts to be afraid, or for us to suffer, but for everyone to show their mark, who is faith and who is unbelief. Therefore, may the Lord God first give us the strength to bear this cross that we must bear with dignity, so that we can show those who do not have the love of Christ what they should strive for.

And so it was. The protests that began that night, on December 26/27, over the adoption of the Law on Freedom of Religion, turned into an unstoppable force that led to the downfall of those responsible for its adoption on August 30, and became a bright spot in contemporary Montenegrin history, which came true in the prophetic words of the beloved of God, the blessed Metropolitan, who placed his hope in the Lord that He would not allow this lawlessness to triumph in Montenegro.

Only those who are rich in God, in what is eternal and imperishable, are the only truly rich. All the others who worship earthly dust, deify money, dollars, euros, or some property, or their power, or their passions, are defeated, whoever they may be. So, that is the defeat that needs to happen here, not the defeat of those in power, nor of us who serve Christ God, but the defeat of evil, hatred, division, schism, the spirit of fratricide and deicide. That needs to be defeated. And I hope in God that it will be defeated. Lawlessness must be defeated, so that the law of God – the law of truth and justice – and truly human laws may triumph.

A year after the adoption of the controversial discriminatory law by the former regime, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted on December 29, 2020, the year of our Lord, amendments to the Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities. 41 deputies of the ruling majority voted in favor of the amendments to the Law.

Remembering the pre-Christmas days of 2019, when our believing people raised the banner of their faith high in defense of holy places, once again, a big thank you to everyone who supported the Serbian Orthodox Church in any way in its justified fight against the discriminatory Law on Freedom of Religion and the injustice it was subjected to by the then authorities.

Vesna Dević

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7A_-V0g8UE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGd_b-qliQM