Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Denounces Political Persecution in Montenegro
Church leader says lawsuit over anti-Communist sermon is part of broader crackdown on religious freedom.
BUDIMLJA — Metropolitan Methodius of Budimlja and Nikšić, a senior hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, has denounced as political persecution a lawsuit and police interrogation related to his recent sermon criticizing Communism.
In a public statement, the metropolitan claimed the legal action - initiated by NGO leader Svetlana Pajović Mušović - reflects a coordinated effort by anti-church forces in Montenegro to curtail freedom of speech and religion. He warned that these tactics aim to silence clergy and create a negative image of the Serbian Orthodox Church through legal and media pressure.
“Yet again, pastoral sermons delivered in church during services have to be explained to police and prosecutors” he said. “This encourages censorship in society, which contradicts the Constitution and is incompatible with a democratic system.”
The lawsuit accuses the metropolitan of “inciting religious and national intolerance,” an allegation he firmly rejects. He maintains that his remarks were rooted in Christian teaching, not hate speech, and that his role is to preach peace and moral clarity.
Calling the charges part of a larger political campaign against the Church, Metropolitan Methodius emphasized that such actions threaten not only religious liberty but fundamental democratic freedoms for all citizens.
Earlier, the UOJ's Ukrainian branch (SPZh) reported that a Serbian Church hierarch in Montenegro had been questioned over criticism of Communists.
