A recent article published in the Serbian daily Politika has reignited debate about the future of church jurisdiction in Montenegro, particularly regarding the status of the Bay of Kotor within the structure of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The text, titled “Who Across the Bay of Kotor Is Trying to Pit the Patriarch Against Joanikije?”, emerged after media reports suggested that the upcoming Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church could consider separating the Bay of Kotor from the jurisdiction of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral.
Author Vladimir Vuković dismisses such claims as part of a broader attempt to create divisions within the Church. Rather than offering a direct denial, however, he focuses on stressing the importance of “institutional unity” within the Serbian Orthodox Church and the need to support the canonical order and the patriarch as the visible symbol of church unity.
The article also touches on the sensitive issue of the identity and role of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral in the country. Observers note that the Church operates in a complex historical and political environment, where religious institutions often carry strong national and symbolic significance.
Critics warn that any potential move to detach the Bay of Kotor from the Metropolitanate could have far-reaching consequences for the position and influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. For decades, the Metropolitanate has played a central role in the country’s religious and social life, particularly highlighted during the mass church-led processions that mobilized thousands of believers in recent years.
Some analysts argue that the insistence on “unconditional support” for the church leadership may also be interpreted as subtle pressure on Metropolitan Joanikije, especially at a time when questions about internal organization and authority remain sensitive.
Although there has been no official confirmation that the issue will be formally discussed at the upcoming assembly, the public debate itself reveals how delicate and politically charged the question of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s structure in Montenegro continues to be.
