Amfilohije: We Didn't forbid Vucic to come to Montenegro, it was a brotherly plea

Amfilohije, Vucic (Beta)

Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije said on Jan. 30 that he and the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, of which he is the head, “couldn’t and wouldn’t” forbid Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to visit Montenegro on Christmas Eve, on Jan. 6, but rather that they had sent Vucic “a brotherly request to postpone his visit until a more suitable time.”

“Until a time when a visit of the Serbian president cannot be abused and turned against the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro and the internal unity in Montenegro. We still believe that sending the plea was the right thing to do,” Amfilohije said for the latest issue of the Vreme weekly.

“Those were our first days of protests; of our authentic, spiritual and civic revolt against the said Law [on religious freedoms]. Having another country’s president come among disgruntled people could have easily been abused [and seen as him exercising his] political influence and interest, and [offering] his support – which would not be true and which would hurt the spirit of the gatherings,” said Amfilohije.

“On the other hand, we believe that everything that is in the legitimate interest of the Serbian state – in terms of spiritual and cultural heritage of the Serbian people in the region, as well as the preservation of identity of the Serbs living outside Serbia – should and can be solved through political activities of the Serbian president, rather than his informal visits,” the metropolitan added.