The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) organized a St. Sava liturgy in Mostar to support the SOC and Orthodox believers in Montenegro. According to Mostar Parish priest Radivoj Krulj, a prayer meeting was organized on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Sava and the 96th anniversary of the death of poet Aleksa Santic, Fena reports.
The procession started from the old church in Bjelusine to the monument of Aleksa Santic at the Mostar cemetery in Bjelusine, where a memorial service and a recital was held in his honor.
“With this prayer, we also make a small contribution to supporting our brothers in Montenegro and their just struggle for basic human and religious rights. I am pleased that a large number of believers have joined us and that we have shown the unity of the Serbian people wherever they are,” Krulj said.
At the end of 2019, Montenegro adopted the Law on Freedom of Religion, which also regulates the ownership of property of religious communities.
The SOC sees the law as a front for the seizure of its property in Montenegro.
The law, however, is supported by the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which sees it as the first major step towards restoring the autocephaly of that church. Since the adoption of the law in Montenegro, SPC believers have been gathering in protest walks in almost every city across the country.