Many thousands took part in a cross procession in support of the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro that took place in Belgrade on January 8, 2020. The procession was headed by representatives of the Serbian clergy, Nikola Selakovich, Head of the presidential administration, and Marco Djurić, Head of the Kosovo and Metohija Office under the Ministers Cabinet, reported Tass.ru.
Singing hymns of the Nativity of Christ, the participants walked through Terasie Street to the main cathedral of the Serbian capital – the Temple of St. Sava. The faithful carried crucifixes, church banners, icons and a large banner, saying “The Time of God’s Truth Has Come!” A Service of Intercession was officiated by Bishop Stefan of Remesian near the cathedral.
“We gathered here in support of the idea that every free person can live and educate their children according to their beliefs. Let’s show our unity together. We believe that we showed the Serbian people of Kosovo, Metohija, and Montenegro that Belgrade is a holy city that is protected by the Holy Theotokos and Serbian saints. We hope that our brothers and sisters of Montenegro will be wise enough to protect their rights,” the bishop pointed out.
The event took place under the call of the Serbian Orthodox Church “in support of the long-suffering people of Montenegro, Kosovo, and Metohija, and all Serbian territories”. It was associated with the recently adopted law “On Freedom of Religion and Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities”.
Massive protests against this law take place daily in Montenegro, Serbia, and Serb Republic (an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina). The law provides that all immovable property of the Serbian Orthodox Church, built before December 1, 1918, to be transferred to state ownership.
