BELGRADE (Sputnik) – Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Joanikije of Budimlye-Niksic and several other priests, who had been detained in Montenegro earlier this week, were released on Saturday and thanked people for their love and support.
Bishop Joanikije and other priests were released at 0:30 a.m. (22:30 on Friday GMT) after three days of detention over leading a religious procession to celebrate St Vasilije’s Day despite the government ban on public gatherings because of the coronavirus. Their detention caused protests in Montenegro despite the restrictions linked to COVID-19,
He described the detention of priests as a slight misunderstanding.
The bishop stressed that police officers were behaving correctly and in a professional manner during the priests’ detention.
Tensions rose between the Serbian Orthodox Church, which is followed by the majority of Montenegro’s population, and the government after the signing of a bill in December that turned the estates of religious sites into public property if they are unable to prove their right to ownership before 1918.
Protests broke out across the country, with demonstrators and the church saying that the bill is an attempt to seize property that will be then transferred to the self-proclaimed Montenegrin Orthodox Church.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
0.00 (0%) 0 votes
