The former Prime Minister of Montenegro Zdravko Krivokapić said in the TV E show that there was pressure for the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić to speak at the funeral of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije, but that it did not happen, because it would be a “Montenegrin embarrassment.”
“There was even an attempt by the patriarch (Irinej) for the speech to the late metropolitan, who had a clear attitude towards Vučić, which I imitated to the end, there was pressure for him (Vučić) to give a speech on the day the metropolitan passed away. Do you know what a Montenegrin embarrassment that is? You know family-wise what it looks like – that, God forbid, someone you did not respect gives a speech, say to my father or I do not know to whom,” said Krivokapić.
Nova.rs wrote in 2020 that it had information that the bishops unanimously decided that Vučić could not speak at Amfilohije’s funeral.
As this portal added, citing an unnamed interlocutor, one of the bishops was particularly against Vučić’s address, because, as they stated, he had trampled on the Kosovo covenant.
“The bishops agreed last night that it is good that Vučić came to Podgorica to ask for forgiveness from Metropolitan Amfilohije, but that it is not worthy for him to speak over his coffin,” a source from Nova.rs from the Metropolis said.
“Media close to the regime today released the news that the patriarch is asking for Vučić to speak. The truth is that Vučić’s people pressured Joanikije and asked Patriarch Irinej to allow his address. The patriarch conveyed that message, but the bishops repeated their position that it is impossible and inappropriate,” added the Nova.rs source.
He pointed out that “Vučić could not stand Amfilohije during his lifetime”.
“His people wrote all the worst things about him. And the second and equally important reason is the story about Kosovo. It is no coincidence that Bishop Atanasije, over the coffin of his best friend, reminded Vučić of the Kosovo covenant and said that there is no betrayal,” the Nova.rs interlocutor explained.
Amfilohije said in 2018 that Vučić’s policy leads to “the betrayal of Serbia and Kosovo”, to which Vučić said that the statement hurt and personally affected him because he did not deserve it.
The following year, Amfilohije called Vučić an ignoramus, commenting on his statement that “the Montenegrin autocephalous church exists de facto and de jure even before the establishment of independence in 2006”.
The President of Serbia said that he would not respond with insults to insults, because it is not appropriate for him and because he does not want to further divide the people in Montenegro.
“I would have a lot to say about the results around Kosovo and Montenegro, and to him (Metropolitan Amfilohije) and those he supported, and especially to those he is most critical of,” said Vučić.
Krivokapić assessed, speaking about the influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, that it wants to and “it is its legitimate right, but while Metropolitan Amfilohije was alive, it could not realize that influence anywhere.”
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Source: N1, Photo: Mitropolija crnogorsko-primorska