Rome Meeting Raises Questions Over Phanar’s Denials of Ties to Montenegrin Schismatics

"Metropolitan" Boris Bojović of the schismatic "Montenegrin Orthodox Church" is pictured at left, and Archbishop Elia of Finland is pictured at right. Photo: aktuelno.me

Editor's note: Archbishop Elia of Finland has posted about the photo taken with Boris Bojović, saying that it was a brief encounter that involved no negotiations. The Union of Orthodox Journalists of America rejects claims that our original reporting included "disinformation," but rather notes that it contained facts related to the event — including that some have expressed concerns about the interaction with a schismatic.

ROME — A recent visit by a delegation of the unrecognized “Montenegrin Orthodox Church” to Rome and the Vatican has drawn renewed scrutiny over the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s stated position toward Montenegrin schismatics. While the delegation portrayed the trip as a diplomatic breakthrough, the visit has highlighted apparent inconsistencies between official denials from the Phanar and events on the ground.

During the Rome visit, “Metropolitan” Boris Bojović, leader of the schismatic group, met with Archbishop Elia (Wallgrén) of Helsinki and All Finland. The Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous body under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, rather than an autocephalous Church.

The meeting stands in contrast to recent statements by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who has publicly insisted that the Phanar maintains no contacts with representatives of the so-called Montenegrin Orthodox Church and does not recognize their canonical status.

Critics argue that the encounter reinforces concerns that, despite official denials, the Phanar continues to engage with schismatic groups in the Balkans through churches and structures under its jurisdiction. They also say that such a meeting would be unlikely to take place without at least the knowledge or tacit approval of Constantinople.

The Rome meeting has also revived comparisons to the “Ukrainian scenario,” with critics warning that assurances of non-interference in the affairs of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro may be tactical rather than substantive. It should be noted that, during his time in Rome, Bojović also met with Ivan Sidor, a cleric of the state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

Boris Bojović kisses the hand of Metropolitan Emmanuel in Ukraine in 2019. Photo: OCU

Bojović — an unrecognized runaway from the Serbian Orthodox Church — is the self-proclaimed head of one faction of the so-called Montenegrin Church, while Mihailo Dedeić is the head of the other. In 2016, Bojović was tonsured a monastic and given the rank of archimandrite in Kyiv, and in 2019, he became a bishop in Dedeić's structure. In 2023, he began a campaign to replace Dedeić as head of the non-canonical Church — according to Dedeić, this attempt fell short, and Bojović was defrocked. However, an assembly declared Bojović as the new head of the structure — a decision accepted by the secular courts but still denied by Dedeić.

As for Dedeić himself, the self-proclaimed primate served as a priest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate until his defrocking and excommunication for adultery and embezzlement in 1997. In 1998, he was enthroned as head of the "Montenegrin Orthodox Church." Bojović even served as a subdeacon under him for a number of years.

As previously reported by UOJ-Ukraine, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon also concelebrated with Bojović back in 2019 as part of a service of the OCU. The press service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said that, with so many clergy present at the liturgy, it was impossible for Metropolitan Emmanuel to know who all of them were.

Previously, UOJ reported that the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation issued a statement calling Patriarch Bartholomew "Antichrist in a cassock" for continually engaging in "schismatic activity."

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