Metropolitan Mihailo: It is a sin before God and people not to bow down before Srebrenica victims

The Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro is among the best educated clergymen in the Balkans. He graduated from the Theological faculty in Belgrade and earned his master’s degree at the Spiritual Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. He is one of the postgraduates of SANU (Serb Academy of Science and Arts). He also completed postgraduate studies at the Papal Oriental Institute in Rome. He is famous for talking openly in his public appearances.

In an exclusive interview with news agency Patria, he spoke about Srebrenica genocide, ecumenism, and Patriarch Irinej's statement that 'Serbia is wherever Serbs live'...

The interview is published without any editor's interventions, in Montenegrin language.

Patria: Dear Metropolitan Mihailo, you were the first to bow to the Vukovar victims. You were the first member of the high clergy who visited Potocari and Srebrenica. You have openly spoken about the carnage of Bosniak Muslims, drawing attention to the Srebrenica genocide in particular. One can assume that you have faced both praising and condemning of your public appearances?

Metropolitan Mihailo: Most probably I was the first of the orthodox clergymen to visit martyrial Srebrenica in 2005 with a representative of the Islamic religious community of Montenegro, Mr. Idriz Demirovic and a catholic priest from Montenegro, Mr. Branko Zbutega.  That was the first time that representatives of three confessions bowed down to the victims of genocide. I also visited and bowed down before the victims of Vukovar, the city of horror, as well as Ovcari where patients in hospitals were being killed, the Croats. It is a crime when you take one life not to mention lives of thousands of people, women and children.

Patria: Why is it that the Serb Orthodox Church and Serbia refuse to recognize the genocide in Srebrenica?

Metropolitan Mihailo: Reparation is the hardest part, and to prove my point, I will give an example relating to Montenegro. Following the World War One, reparation towards Montenegro was in the range of 714 million gold marks. Of all the sum, only 5 million dinars was paid in the way that the President of Serbia Nikola Pasic distributed the sum to traders and his radicals. In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims were killed in Srebrenica and some still say that was not a genocide, while the murderers are being tried by The Hague Tribunal.

The Serb Orthodox Church and the Belgrade Patriarchy through their sub branch in Montenegro, Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral headed by colonel Amfilohije and a number of impassioned Serb priests, were against my visits to Srebrenica, Potocari, Vukovar and Ovcari. And that was, actually, an extended Seventh battalion that wanted and still aspires to cause unrest in Montenegro as they see it as the opportunity to extend their stay there and occupation of Montenegrin church facilities. I hope that will soon come to an end.

This crime – genocide, was not committed by human beings but wild beasts in human form. This is a big tragic, historical event which makes difference between good and evil, and will remain written in black letters not only in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, but in the Balkans and Europe. As far as any God's creature, regardless of his confession, not to bow down before the martyrs of Srebrenica is a sin before God and people. I will use the opportunity to mention the crime in Strpci, and our tragic reality that people who witnessed it, now take communion in Cetinje monastery. I will talk more about that tragic even some other time.

Patria: You have showed your noble intentions and feelings for innocent victims. Your words were a balm for deep wounds of the victims' families and all people with good intentions. Surely you touched those wounded souls. When you speak, Bosniaks listen to what you have to say. With your opinions and words, you have decidedly opened the door to new political and friendly relations between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and brought these two nations closer together.

Metropolitan Mihailo: I have been talking and I still am about the crime over innocent people in Srebrenica and elsewhere. When I found out about kinds of tortures committed over those poor people, particularly from the letters from Srebrenica mothers, I wondered if those who did it were humans or beasts. Only genocidal people could say that the torture over Srebrenica martyrs was not genocide.

Our friendship with the state Bosnia and Herzegovina goes a long way. I hope our relations will continue to improve, and we will become even closer with mutual respect and cooperation. My wish for BiH is that it remains one and whole to the joy of all its citizens. Crimes and misfortunes of our people have brought us closer together, to live together in our two ancient countries as people and friends.

When it comes to believers and nonbelievers, there has to be a dialogue with them instead of bloody duels as was the case in the latest war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia...

Bogomils are Slavic Christians. They considered themselves to be successors of apostles. They resisted politics and religious beliefs of Stefan Nemanja who tried to subdue them by burning them at the stake. Their bodies were cut in pieces, they were tortured. Thousands of Bogomils were killed by order of Stefan Nemanja. As if a desire was awoken in the Serb Orthodox Church to destroy Bosniak Muslims in Srebrenica and to canonize their murderers.

It is unbelievable that Nemanja – Simeun Mirotocivi had his picture painted at the Temple of Christ's Resurrection in Podgorica, as well as other criminals, Serb priests Slobodan Siljak and Milorad Vukojicic known as murderer – Maca of Pljevlja. Like I said, they are painted as saints in the said church in Podgorica, right next to Amfilohije, Marks, Lenin, Krivokapic, Djukanovic and others. This is actually a Satan church – the church without blessing as it was stricken by thunder in 1999. And in such a church, 'people' pray to God – what a blasphemy!?

Patria: You are probably the greatest believer in ecumenism in the region. Your wealthy biography reveals the fact that 1973 you completed postgraduate studies at Papal Oriental Institute in Rome. Would you tell us more about your interests and affinities?  

Metropolitan Mihailo: In addition to that, I graduated from the Theological faculty in Belgrade, and completed postgraduate studies at the Spiritual Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. I was also a postgraduate student of academic Radovan Samardzic and academic Vaso Cubrilovic at the Serb Academy of Science and Arts in Belgrade. However, all of that is not so important but I felt you should have the information just as well.   

Ecumenism was founded long time ago, in 1897. At one ecumenical conference in 1993, there were 6,500 participants, representatives of 120 world religions: Buddhism, orthodoxy, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Native Americans, Protestants, and Catholics etc. The aim of this global conference was not create one religion but to boost tolerance and dialogue among religions, and to underline that all the religions look up to God.

Roman Pope, His Holiness Woytila, who was of Polish descent, and whom I had the opportunity to meet, had built a big mosque in Rome for the Islamic community.

And here is what some patriarchs say about Islam:

Alexandrian Patriarch: 'Islam is religion of great God and his apostle Mohamed',

Russian Patriarch Pimen: 'May your service to the people of God be blessed'

Dimitrije, Patriarch of Constantinople (I was a priest under his jurisdiction): 'The great God whose children we are, all of us who bow before Him and believe in Him, wishes that we all save ourselves and that we are brothers'.

Even the current Patriarch Bartholomew (I was also a priest under his authority) continues the politics of his predecessors.

As we all know, three big religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Christianity originated from Judaism, and Islam originated from Christianity. The Serb Orthodox Church from Belgrade, through our domestic traitors headed by Amfilohije, instigate conflicts among the citizens of Montenegro. As the best known Serb anarchist, Amfilohije calls Islam a 'fake and dog's faith' and its beliefs a 'spiritual death'. I haven't noticed that the Islamic community in Montenegro and elsewhere reacted to such shameful statement, which was after all made with the purpose of creating conflicts among the citizens of Montenegro.  

Patria: Before the war, in Montenegro, particularly in Boka Kotorska, during Christmas time and Easter, people went to the nearest churches to pray, regardless it was a catholic or an orthodox church. That was one of the brightest examples of ecumenism, even as far as Europe was concerned. It has such a positive effect on human soul. Just like today in Bosnia, priests some to pray at mosques or churches to make a point of the fact that we belong to one Creator.

Metropolitan Mihailo: Vaseljen Patriarch or ecumenical Patriarch was the first one to add the term 'ecumenism' to his name (the 8th century). The Roman church reacted to such a stance of the Vaseljen patriarchy.

In Montenegro, there are churches with two or three altars, as well as catholic, orthodox and Slavic churches. These churches came about following the final separation between the Eastern Christian churches and the Western church in 1054.

There are some clergymen of Constantinople who aspire to a new Christianity founded on new understandings and definitions.

There was a doxology for peace in the United States, in which, besides the Patriarch of Constantinople Dimitrios I and Metropolitan Bartholomew (the current Patriarch), also participated representatives of the Catholic Church, Lutheran church, the Director of Islamic center Imam Faisal Han, representatives of Armenian Church, a Jewish rabbi and others. The Catholic Cardinal read out gospel with backing by a Greek Orthodox choir. The Jewish rabbi read a psalm, while the Muslim imam read a passage from the Quran. The conference was concluded with a joint text – a prayer: 'Blessed be the name of God from now, forever'. Furthermore, there was an initiative for building of non-dogmatic temples.

And all this while, the Serbs and the Serb Orthodox Church are asking the question: 'How could both a Muslim and an Orthodox pray at a mosque?'

The answer is, all religions serve one God. The Christianity and all other religions should be liberated from the elements that support proselytism. They should be liberated from aggression and the attitude that 'only my religion is right, and all others are wrong'.

Here's one of many examples from Montenegro, the place Kazanci near Niksic, where Pasha Kazanski had built a church and a mosque, one next to another, for the people to make peace among themselves, to stop killing each others. The foundations of both houses of God are still visible.

There are more than 93 lines in Quran that refer to Jesus Christ; Muslims and Bosniaks give their children names such as Isa (Jesus) or Merima, by the Holy Virgin Mary. This means that here we don't give ugly names to our children, but the names that convey love. Just like many Biblical names in Quran: Adam, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon etc.

We can also mention the example of Turkish president Erdogan who once said that Aya Sofia could be turned into a mosque again, and that he will be attending a prayer at Aya Sofia. When a Turkish sultan first entered Aya Sofia in 561, he put a fistful of earth on his turban as a sign of humility before God. In 1936, Aya Sofia became a museum by the order of Kemal Ataturk, and it was a private property of Mehmed II.

Several centuries long presence of two-altar churches could be considered a phenomenon of these Montenegrin lands, particularly if we take into consideration fanatism which has been prevailing ideology in medieval Europe.

It is obvious that Montenegrin coast in the period from the 16th to the 18th century had objective conditions for rise of two-altar churches. They are not a mere expression of religious tolerance stimulated by acts of political government (Austro-Hungarian and Venetian) but they represent monuments of culture of togetherness and coexistence of peoples from these lands, which culminated in thousand years old ceremony of carrying St. Vladimir's cross to the top of Rumija.

In Boka, there has always been abundance of love and respect regardless of confessional affiliation. It is a tradition inherited long time ago.

Unfortunately, in the nineties of the past century, that tradition was repeatedly attacked by Belgrade Patriarchy, spreading hatred towards Catholics. It managed, therefore, to damage the relations of the people in Boka. Not only it attacks the Catholics by word and act, it also attacks their cultural legacy, interpreting it as belonging to Serbs and making their monasteries – Serb. That happened with the catholic monastery St. Mihailo near Tivt, on which foundations the sub branch of the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro – Amfilohij's Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, is building a Serb monastery and an episcopal temple. This is one of many examples of Amfilohij's 'architecture' in Montenegro.

Let me tell you about one interesting ecumenical godparenthood. Bartholomew I of Constantinople allowed a Muslim woman to be a godmother to an Orthodox child. Greek magazine 'Elefteris' wrote about this christening. Professor Mardas and his wife Hara decided that their son should be christened in Constantinople (Istanbul). Godparents were Panajotis Kustik, an Orthodox, and Ebru Sanver, a Muslim. After the christening, they visited Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who said that a Muslim godmother to an Orthodox child is important event which should serve as a positive example to the Turkish-Greek society and the Orthodox Christians.

Patria: There have been quite shocking statements by some clergymen, full of hatred and animosity, calling for violence towards the 'different'. Could such people count on support in Montenegro for their frightening and primitive public appearances?

Metropolitan Mihailo: Your question points at the absurd of our tragic reality, that the priests of the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro headed by the bishop Amfilohije Radovic, who apparently aspire to be bearers of Christ's gospel, instead of building peace and spreading love and tolerance, are the ones who lie, create stumbling blocks and hence present the instability factor.

Here are several messages of hate of the bishop Amfilohije:

'Montenegrin nation was created by the Satan, Montenegrins are Serbs, Montenegro is a teacup state whose borders are not recognized as it is a schizoid creation, and the Montenegrins are communist offspring, Montenegrin language is a cow's language, all of them in Montenegro are bulls and they cannot be called Montenegrins as they are not christened in the Serb Orthodox Church called Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.'

O make it sound even worse, such messages come from centuries old Montenegrin sacred places occupied by Amfilohije and his entourage, denying the citizens of Islamic and catholic faith to declare themselves as Montenegrins... I should stop counting their endless stupid acts, yet I have to emphasize that such messages generate religious and national hatred and may lead to conflicts.   

I rightly called the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro occupier and terrorist organization, which attacks constitutional and civil order of Montenegro and endangers religious rights and freedoms of the Orthodox Montenegrins but also of Muslims whom it calls 'fake people'. Fueling hatred towards Catholics and Muslims is a several decades long tradition of the Belgrade Patriarchy in Montenegro, which started with arrival of unfortunate Amfilohije to Cetinje in 1991. That occupier church in Montenegro has become a shelter for warlords and criminals from the past wars, from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Hundreds of such men, masked by omophorion and cloaks, reside in Montenegrin monasteries, which the Serb church, supported by Serbia and the Republika Srpska, illegally occupied.  

The issue of church properties is currently being looked at. Once a week, groups of people come from Bosnia and Herzegovina by bus, under the pretense of visiting our shrines. Each time they get fed with nationalism and chauvinism. Their target is Bosnia and Herzegovina, but to make you feel better, Montenegro as well. They are concentrating all their powers to break the constitutional order and bring the country into a colonial position. Those visitors of our monasteries, foreign citizens, are being tried as we speak for last year's attempt at instigating an armed conflict and causing chaos in the country.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church has been under 100 years long occupation by the Serb Orthodox Church from Belgrade through Amfilohije Radovic and unblessed Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Even though the Montenegrin Orthodox Church has been renewed and registered, in Montenegro and other countries it does not have any rights so to speak, although it is domestic and for centuries the only Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Everything is allowed to the Serb Littoral metropolitanate, while everything has been taken away from and forbidden to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. I wonder how come there have been no civil unrest across the country. Montenegro is an ancient European country, the first ecological country in the world, it recently became a member of the NATO and soon it will see an accession to the European Union. Had the church issue been solved in accordance with the strictest European standards, Montenegro would have already been in the EU.

Colonel Amfilohije Radovic, who fathered and financed the idea of the notorious 7th battalion in Montenegro, continues to shamefully attack Montenegro and its people, while people with authority in the country hear and know all that, yet they do not take any measures to protect the Montenegrin Orthodox Church from these paid bandits. Even I, the Montenegrin Metropolitan, do not feel safe to travel across the country.

This is how Amfilohije views Montenegro, while the court and other state institutions keep silent: NATO is a terrorist organization, he says, encouraging with 'gusle' (string music instrument) reservists and paramilitary units to strike Konavle and Dubrovnik, Montenegrins are gays; he also compared the president of Assembly, Ranko Krivokapic with a gay parade, saying that they have the same roots; he condemned Podgorica and its government because then Prime minister Djukanovic supported Ukraine government and recognized Kosovo. He damned all statesmen in Montenegro: 'You cannot build a state on spiritual stink'...

It is worthwhile mentioning conclusions of shameful and illegal 'Assembly of Podgorica' from 1918, which contain words of Milos Jovanovic: 'To burn Montenegrin holy men – St Peter of Cetinje, St Vasil of Ostrozac and St Stefan of Piper...', and 'there are no more Montenegrins from today, we are all Serbs', said unfortunate lawyer Savo Fatic who subsequently got elevated to the position of the president of the Supreme court of serbicised Montenegro.

I will also mention the latest example relating to a Turkish building – the Clock Tower in Podgorica. The Montenegrin government sought approval from the Serb sub branch of the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro to put a cross on this cultural monument, as if there are no Montenegrins and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. I heard and I read that the Cetinje sub branch office of the Belgrade patriarchy expressed its pleasure that the cross was placed back on the Clock tower in Podgorica. They praised the decision of the city government to put the cross back on the tower, and thanked God for the act which, they say, brought joy to all people of good will who respect all three faiths. I'm astonished that somebody could make such a decision, and to praise it saying that it brought joy to all people of good will. Only people of ill will could be made happy by such an act.

I wonder how come the Law on protection of cultural properties, Article 96, was ignored. The article inter alia reads: Restauration means returning of missing parts of the cultural property and removal of nonauthentic parts and additions from the cultural property, in accordance with its original form and characteristics'. It is known that the Clock Tower was built in 1667 and that it did not have any characteristics other than that of a clock, and that the cross was put up only at the end of the 19th century. Since everyone who were deciding about its reconstruction were well aware of this, I wonder, how they dare to claim that the oriental Clock Tower in its original form had a cross on its top, and that the cross is one of its characteristics. That's why I would like to warn those who made the decision in spite of the Law, the justice and humanity, about one Biblical wisdom: Whoever sows injustice, reaps calamity.

Such act that insults the citizens of Islamic faith and with such statements by this St. Sava organization from Cetinje, a dark message is sent to the public. They provoke interfaith and interethnic rifts which are likely to cause hatred and conflicts. The very same bishop from Cetinje – colonel Amfilohije who governs this organization in Montenegro, 12 years ago erected a metal object on Rumija, thus creating an unrest in the villages and settlements below Rumija and elsewhere. He would do the same in Podgorica, should anyone try to stop him. Those in the state administration who tolerate such statements and deeds, are not wise – they think they can play with fire without consequences.

It is also a unique case in the history of court trials and prosecution that, a bishop gives guarantee for arrested Serb nationalists, convicted terrorists, and to personally organizes their stay and welcome at Montenegrin monasteries, and they are charged for organizing a coup and preparing an assassination of the Prime Minister Djukanovic. In any orderly state, Amfilohije would be arrested together with the terrorists, as there is no difference between them.

Patria: Montenegro is a civil state, which provides full individual and religious freedoms, and which should smooth out differences in nationalities. Unfortunately, national and collective rights in BiH are of key importance, which creates room for all kinds of divisions. Do you think that Montenegro today is seeing an improvement as far as human, religious and national rights and freedoms are concerned?

Metropolitan Mihailo: I have already answered your question, to a degree at least. However, I have to say that such qualification does not stand. Modern concept of religious freedom is no longer viewed in the context of relation of the state towards religious communities, but in the context of tolerance and freedoms that one religious community allows other religious community.

Montenegro was a witness of such 'tolerance' when for the first time in 40 years made the first step with draft Law on religious freedom, when I personally experienced physical and verbal attacks by instructed 'believers' of the Serb church. Only they refused at the table with 18 other registered religious communities in Montenegro. Not to mention that we are not allowed to serve in the churches built by our ancestors, and that every regularly and timely announced gathering or service, as was recently the case with requiem for king Nikola on Cipur, must be protected by police.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church is crucified, as back in the ancient biblical times. Ever since the annexation of Montenegro by Serbia in 1918, the Serb Orthodox Church occupied our churches and monasteries. And, in the beginning of the nineties of the last century, relying on force and threating with the army which was under the rule of Belgrade, one fifth of the church properties, several churches and monasteries were illegitimately registered as property of the Serb Orthodox Church. Legal proceedings relating to this issue are well under way. They should bring the church properties back to the state ownership, from which it was taken. It is the same church that considered Islam a fake religion. All that said, when the Serb Orthodox church is leading a war against Montenegrin state, its peoples and the church, and at the same time is spreading hatred towards Muslims and Catholics, you can work out an answer to your question about religious and national freedoms.

Patria: What do you think of the recent statement by the Serb Patriarch Irinej that 'Serbia is wherever Serbs live'?

Metropolitan Mihailo: The Serb Patriarch Irinej is known for his unguarded statements, and that he is not much of a spiritual man. I know him quite well as we both lectured at the monastery school Ostrog in the seventies of the last century. Here are some of the statements by most probably a future 'saint':

'Montenegrin and Serb peoples are one people – indivisible Serb people, and Siamese people cannot be separated.' Poor Patriarch, he does not know that even Siamese twins can be surgically separate. What he also does not know is that Montenegrins have never been Serbs and they never will be Serbs?

He also says that the citizens of Republika Srpska have to be together, like one, to look after Republika Srpska. Wherever Serbs live, from Tokyo to Vladivostok, it is all called Great Serbia.

Poor Patriarch! That’s what all normal Serbs think about him. With such insane statements he is provoking another conflict between Bosniaks and Serbs, another genocide, another Srebrenica. If he continues making such statements, and with his politics, poor Patriarch Irinej will reduce Serbia to 'Belgrade Eyalet (pasaluk)'.