Archbishopric of Podgorica-Duklja of the Orthodox Church of Montenegro

The Diocesan Council of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Podgorica-Duklja, at its founding session in Trojčindanska on June 3 (16), 2019, adopted the Constitution and registered with the competent state body. Based on the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) and the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church and the Rules (canons) of the Ecumenical Councils and the apostolic rules recognized by them, local councils and the teachings of the Holy Fathers, starting from:

– non-canonical abolition of the Archbishopric of Cetinje and the Metropolitanate of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church on July 14, 1922, by an act of Aleksandar Karađorđević, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes;

– the apostolic, prophetic and pastoral work of the blessed Bishop Antonio Abramović, who came to Montenegro as a cleric of the American Orthodox Church from Canada, and who responded to the call of Orthodox Montenegrins on Lucindan in 1993, who did not feel the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro Gori, and at the Church-People’s Assembly he put himself at the head of the movement for the renewal of the canonically recognized autocephalous Montenegrin Orthodox Church, as the only existing Orthodox church in Montenegro.

– the fact that the citizens are in the referendum from 21.05.2006. restored the state independence of Montenegro,- the necessity of rebuilding the autocephalous Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which, until abolished by the decision of the so-called “Podgorica Assembly” in 1918, existed as part of the Holy Synod and Apostolic Church, and which maintained full canonical and dogmatic unity with all Orthodox churches and recognized Eastern dominance. -Orthodox Ecumenical Churches;

– illegal and non-canonical activities of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro-Primorje and other dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which exist on the territory of Montenegro and their almost centuries-old heresies of Saint Sava nationalism and Serbian ethnophiletism without legal registration and which created a local church that usurps its status of autocephaly acquired by the decree. Regent Alexander, which, looking from the perspective of the eternity of the Church, becomes uncoordinated, ie not included in the order of Orthodox catholicity – so it loses the characteristics of the Church and becomes a schismatic group that puts ethnic before and above the biblical and canonical,

– persecution in 2018 of the clergy of the Diocese of Podgorica-Duklja, because they did not agree to non-canonical exclusions and illegal actions of the newly formed Montenegrin Orthodox Church and their obstruction of the civil petition “AMANET”, which demanded annulment of illegal registration of SOC property in Montenegrin monasteries and churches and their return owned by the State of Montenegro,

– the interruption of the prayerful and Eucharistic unity of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as well as the international excommunication, penance and anathema under which certain hierarchs of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church find themselves,

– Decision / Decree N.325bis of the Italian Orthodox Church of 02 (15) February 2019 on accepting the clergy of the Diocese of Podgorica-Duklja in order to continue to operate hierarchically and legally in Montenegro, as a diocese / diocese of the Italian Orthodox Church, under the omophorion of His Beatitude, First Metropolitan, Mr. Basil I,

– awareness that only the Church, which is based on the Holy Scriptures and Canons, can, along with the state and language, form the third pillar of Montenegro’s national identity and be a factor of stability, peace, unity of social being and civic character of the State of Montenegro guaranteed by Constitution (2007. years)

The Arhidioceses of Podgorica and Duklja of the Orthodox Church of Montenegro is a religious community, which is registered according to the laws of the State of Montenegro and which acts as archdiocese in Montenegro since July 12, 2019. acts as a religious community in Montenegro, under the omophorion of the Autonomous Archbishopric Western European and Canadian UPC KP maintaining canonical and dogmatic unity with all Orthodox churches.

The mission of the Diocese is the evangelization of Montenegro, with the aim of spiritual revival and renewal of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Montenegro, as it existed in the Kingdom of Montenegro until 1918 on the foundations of the thousand-year-old Montenegrin spiritual vertical of our saints St. Vladimir, Prince of Duklja; St. Isaiah of Onogosh; All Vasilije Ostroški, miracle worker; All Stefan Piperski; All Ivan Crnojević, Lord of Montenegro; All The Great Martyrs Panteleimon Kaludjerović and St. Peter of Cetinje.

The Archdiocese is open for human and ecumenical dialogue with every believer and will cooperate with every institution in the country and the world that is ready to respect the Mission of the Diocese and to cooperate in achieving the goals and principles defined by this Constitution, ie renewing the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Montenegro. Ecumenical dialogue in today’s world, and in Montenegro in particular, is becoming a duty and a necessity. All believers who wish to call themselves disciples of Jesus Christ are obliged to work for the unification of Christians and thus contribute to ending the temptation of their disunity. Advocating for the only

– Vladimir Lajović, MA, Archbishop of Podgorica and Duklja

– Antonije Miranović, hieromonk and archbishop’s deputy

– Boris Popovic, deacon

– Antonije Stamenković, deacon

– Radosav Rasovic, MA, Secretary of the Orthodox church of Montenegro1