Photo: Zoran Zestić/TanjugThe saga surrounding the Basic Treaty has been going on for months and is being brought to the light of day, one would say, according to political needs. The last episode was the meeting between Dritan Abazović and Patriarch Porfiri. At the same time, excessive insistence on the national, which is often the result of (un)pure interests, and/or commenting on local politics from here, is closing the door to the detriment of both the Church and society.
Considering the turmoil in Montenegro, and the very complex relations between the parties there and the division of the electorate, the message of the patriarch of the SPC Porphyria that the Basic Agreement will be signed as soon as the political situation normalizes, it sounds like a lot of water will flow through Sava and Morača until the first man of the Montenegrin Government and the first man of the SPC put their signatures on the document. And who will then be the prime minister of the neighboring country is uncertain.
The saga surrounding the Basic Treaty has been going on for months and is being brought to the light of day, one would say, according to political needs. The last episode was the meeting between Dritan Abazović and Patriarch Porfiri. The guest described coming to the Patriarchate as a private visit, and the host as just one in a long series of conversations with "responsible political figures from Montenegro."
None of the bishops sitting in Montenegro attended any of those talks.
This year's chronology, when it comes to church actors, could fit into several statements.
In the Christmas interview that Bishop Irinej Bačka traditionally gives to the "Seal" newspaper - whose founder Milorad Vučelić, as a reminder, was recently awarded the Order of Saint Sava - he stated: "Personally, I do not believe that (the Basic Agreement) will be signed as long as Dr. Zdravko Krivokapić will be the Prime Minister of Montenegro". Then came the accusation against Krivokapić - that he is the only one to blame, that he does not keep his word, as well as drawing a parallel between Krivokapić and the communist authorities, and then Krivokapić and Brussels, i.e. Brussels conditions.
"No Synod and no head of the Church can allow themselves to take part in this or a similar 'game without borders'," a member of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church concluded in "Pečat". And it would be quite clear how things will unfold.
And if it's a game, it's a game, the only question is what are the motives of the main players, to whose detriment and whose benefit, it takes place.
In a Christmas interview in "Politica", Patriarch Porfirije said that he is a complete optimist regarding the signing of the Basic Agreement, explaining then that as soon as the political situation in Montenegro settles down, joint consideration of all options that have been submitted from Podgorica will be started. "If it is expedient, it will not be difficult for us to start from completely white paper." We will do everything for the good of the people, the state and the Church," he concluded.
While there is certainly no objection to the idea of a deal for the good of all, this white paper can sound confusing.
Namely, months have passed in the exchange of proposals for the Basic Agreement, the smallest details have been worked out, and the negotiations between the Government of Montenegro and the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church are continuing. At the end of October last year, Metropolitan Ioannikije explained that there are still several problematic things, that everything is very close to agreement and that more people need to agree on the date and place of signing.
The fundamental contract has (re)mained a matter of political-ecclesiastical, Serbian-Montenegrin games. While ping pong is going on, what should not be overlooked?
The disputed legal solutions, which caused the lawsuits, have been changed a long time ago. After the experience Milo Đukanović had in trying to deal with the Church, it is unlikely that any political actor will dare to repeat that mistake. In other words, even if fierce critics of the SPC are in power, those attacks will certainly not be as brutal as they were during Đukanović's time.
On the other hand, given that the outcome of the political situation there is extremely uncertain, it is certainly a pity for the SPC in Montenegro that the Synod and the Government have not been able to reach an agreement on the Basic Agreement so far.
Her position in the local society is perhaps even more disturbed by the constant fueling of divisions and Serbization from Belgrade. Because it is up to the clergy there to present the sensitive dynamics of national and religious relations - there is not a small number of SPC believers who identify themselves as Montenegrins. The Church's mission is to be open to everyone and that "there is no difference between a Jew and a Jew." That is why excessive insistence on the national, which is often the result of (im)pure interests, and/or commenting on local politics from here, is closing the door to harm and Churches and societies.
The representatives of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the dioceses there are mostly kept aside in the political turmoil, despite many attempts to bring them back into that arena, continuing to show an enviable level of intelligence and moderation, not so often seen in the region.
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