PM Đukanović hosts patriarchs and representatives of Christian churches

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Podgorica, Montenegro (8 October 2013) – Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milo Đukanović hosted Monday Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, and patriarchs and representatives of Orthodox and other Christian churches, as well as representatives of the Islamic community, who visited Montenegro to mark 1700 years of the Edict of Milan and the consecration of the newly built Temple of Christ's resurrection in Podgorica.

The Edict of Milan's timeless message promotes peace, tolerance and understanding, PM Đukanović said, adding that it has a huge historical significance for Christians and members of other cultures, religions and traditions. He also pointed out that the spirit of the document has been embedded in the principles and standards on which modern democracies are based, as well as the international organisation that contribute to peace in the world, especially the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

Prime Minister Đukanović expressed his gratitude for the religious dignitaries’ visit, as a gesture of appreciation for Montenegro and its citizens, and for all who have made a contribution to the construction of the Temple of Christ's Resurrection.

The Prime Minister stressed that Montenegro nowadays is a place of harmonious life, thanks to the ability of the Montenegrin society to preserve, even at the worst moments, unity despite diversity, as the country’s greatest value. 

He noted that the Government is aware of the importance and role of the church in society, stressing the need to improve the existing legal framework and to boost the government's efforts in that field as soon as possible.

He pointed out that the Christian values are part of Montenegro’s identity and voiced the country 's readiness to assist in establishing a more complete unity, particularly among Orthodox believers, in accordance with the constitutional framework.

Patriarch Bartholomew thanked PM Đukanović for the warm welcome and expressed satisfaction with having an opportunity to testify a fraternal encounter between religions in Montenegro. Emphasising the value of the Edict of Milan, he highlighted the importance of joint efforts towards promoting dialogue among religions at all levels. He recalled that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has initiated the beginning of the dialogue at academic and theological levels, and in this context he expressed desire to come back to the canonical unity within the Orthodox Church in Montenegro. He thanked Prime Minister Đukanović and the Government for what they have done and are doing for the church, adding that the construction of the Temple in Podgorica is an example of how a state should treat its churches and religious communities.

Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radović handed to PM Đukanović the Charter of the Great Benefactor of the Temple and a reproduction of the Christian discus kept in the Hermitage museum, in recognition of the Government’s contribution to the temple’s construction.