Resurfaced Interview Rekindles Questions Over Constantinople–MOC Contacts
A resurfaced interview with Montenegrin schismatic leader Boris Bojović contradicts Constantinople’s denials of contact and revives questions about its dealings with non-canonical churches.
KYIV — As reported by Orthodox Christianity, a resurfaced 2024 interview with “Metropolitan” Boris Bojović, head of the schismatic Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOC), has raised new questions about contacts between the MOC and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Bojović’s testimony appears to contradict recent statements by Metr. Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who publicly maintained that Constantinople has no contact with the MOC.
In the interview, Bojović said he hoped to speak with “representatives of the Constantinople Patriarchate about the spiritual freedom of the Montenegrin people." He claimed, “The Patriarchate of Constantinople has now sent observers to see what the internal organization of the Montenegrin Church looks like.” These assertions suggest that direct communication and engagement may already be underway. In 2019, however, Patr. Bartholomew stated that he will never grant autocephaly to the "Montenegrin Church."
Before emerging as a leading figure in the schismatic MOC in the late 2010s, Boris Bojović was affiliated with the so-called “Kyiv Patriarchate,” another non-canonical Orthodox structure that was universally recognized as schismatic before its members became part of the state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) after being granted a Tomos of Autocephaly by Constantinople . Bojovic received his theological education at the Kyiv Patriarchate’s theological academy and was ordained within its ranks in 2006, later being elevated to archimandrite in 2016.
Last week, UOJ reported on an encounter between Bojovic and Abp. Elia of Finland, which the Archbishop has said was a chance meeting that involved no negotiations. His Eminence has stated that he thought Bojovic was a hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church before taking a photo with him.
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."
