Taken from here
His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic signed the Underlying Agreement between the Serbian Orthodox Church and Montenegro today, August 3, 2022, in Podgorica.
The signing of the Underlying Agreement was attended by members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church: His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Coastlands, Bishop Vasilije of Srem and Bishop Photije of Zvornik-Tuzla; along with hierarchs whose canonical jurisdiction is within the territory of Montenegro: Bishop Atanasije of Milesevo, Bishop Metodije of Budim and Niksic and Bishop Dimitrije of Zahum and Herzegovina; in attendance were also: the Secretary of the Holy Synod of Bishops Archimandrite Nektarije, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Jokovic, Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Fatmir Djeka, Minister of Health Dragoslav Scekic, and Minister of Finance, Aleksandar Damjanovic.
Upon signing the Underlying Agreement, His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said:
Esteemed President of the Government of Montenegro, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers in the Government of Montenegro, Brother Archbishops, Most Reverend Metropolitans and Most Reverend Bishops,
I rejoice today, above all, because of our cordial and brotherly meeting here in the capital of Montenegro, the capital of this beautiful country formed and molded in the love of God in such a way that it always remain- as it has been throughout the centuries – home to all people from wherever around the world they might come.
I am foremost grateful to God today, I am grateful to you, Mr. Prime Minister, for all the efforts you have made together with your colleagues to end the vicissitudes that have been going on since 2012 in this most solemn manner today with the signing of the Underyling Agreement between the country of Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
At this time I would also like to greet all citizens, regardless of how they pray to God or do not pray to God, whatever nation they belong to. We have so much in common over the centuries that it is truly a luxury to spend time on that which differentiates us, emphasizing and increasing each other’s differences. Centuries have proven that we truly need one another, that we cannot do without each other, and that we can truly accomplish all things when we are together and when we find room in our hearts for one another.
Therefore, I am grateful that, above all, you share in the sentiments regarding this topic of which I speak, the fact that we are directed towards each other, that we need each other. Of course, I am also grateful – in addition to your associates – to all those who have, ever since 2012, added a single pebble to the mosaic on the path leading to this moment and everyone has a place there.
If you will, I am even grateful to those who did not agree that we reach this moment. In their own way, they perhaps unconsciously – because God can use anyone – contributed to our understanding of how important it is for us to have an even better and deeper understanding of each other, that we fight for each other, that only working together can we make huge steps even in a short period of time.
On this occasion, I must express – to say the least – my gratitude and prayerful feeling of love and thanksgiving to Metropolitan Amphilohije of blessed who, regardless of the fact that he encountered various obstacles and those who in various ways wanted to challenge his feeling for the Gospel, his sense of the need for salvation for all people and his feeling of the fact that man is not only a biological and historical being, but created for eternity – he actually did much more than all of us gathered here today from the Church. I am sure that he is also rejoicing today with us in heaven and certainly his prayers contributed to us reaching this act in a simple, quick and easy manner – at least since you have been in the position of Prime Minister and I in the position I find myself in.
It didn’t take many words between us in order to understand that this kind of contract is something that both the state of Montenegro and the Serbian Orthodox Church needs. Why? Because we Serbs, in any country we find ourselves or in any country we have ecclesiastical jurisdiction, it goes without saying that we want to respect and obey the constitution and laws of that country. Therefore, I think it is very important that you, respecting the Constitution and laws of Montenegro, and we, also respecting the Constitution and laws of Montenegro, want nothing more than any citizen of Montenegro, nor do we aspire to achieve anything more than any other religious community, however it is naturally both logical and normal that it was not possible for us to accept anything less than that. What is valid for our Church and faithful is also valid for all religious communities here in Montenegro. We strive wherever our Church finds itself, if there exist problems when it comes to other religious communities that we always fight side by side for the rights of that religious community on all issues so that they are respected and applied to, to the same extent as the rights which we expect for ourselves, but also to try to live by them. Of course, the goal is not rights for the sake of having rights.
From our perspective as religious communities, the understanding of ‘rights’ is the space and the possibility for us to help and contribute on the foundation of the Gospel, on the system of evangelical values, to build not only a democratic society, but above all a human society with the aim that all feel and experience each other as brothers, as members of that in which we are all one, and that is first of all that we are parts and members of the human race, and then the rest comes after that.
Thank you once again for all yours efforts and the determination you and your colleagues have shown. I thank all citizens of Montenegro! They should also rejoice, regardless of how much someone will show it or not. May the Lord bless you and your kinsfolk with good health, may He grant peace to you and all people residing in Montenegro and throughout the whole world, something that everyone needs today. May the blessing of God descend on Montenegro, on all the people who live here but also on those who come to Montenegro.
AGAIN AND AGAIN 