Stari Bar, Montenegro, May 26, 2020
Photo: mitropolija.com
A priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church has forgiven the man who threatened him at his home and scared his family and has offered to pay his fine if the man is unable.
The incident occurred on May 21 when a group of young people gathered outside the parish house of the Church of St. Nicholas in Stari Bar and began shouting, swearing, and threatening the priest, Fr. Nikola Radović. The threats and commotion greatly frightened his wife and young children.
When Fr. Nikola asked the men to leave, they began to insult him on the basis of nationality, saying Serbian priests would not be able to move so freely in Montenegro soon, reports Pravoslavie.ru.
“It shook me, and everything happened in front of the Church of St. Nicholas, in Stari Bar, which is a symbol of harmony and coexistence. I couldn't understand. One of them started to threaten me, the others stopped him. I took the phone and started recording, and they withdrew,” Fr. Nikola said, reports the site of the Montenegrin Metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The next day, the Montenegrin Metropolis issued an open appeal, pointing to the malicious and irresponsible actions and words of President Milo Đukanović and Prime Minister Duško Marković who claim that the Serbian Church is importing priests to Montenegro to undermine Montenegrin independence.
The main offender was identified and fined $440 (400 euros) by the Stari Bar Prosecutor’s Office for his role in the incident.
However, as Fr. Nikola states, the man was young, only 20 years old, and has repented of his actions.
“We saw each other at the Attorney General’s office and he apologized, clearly shocked by what he did,” Fr. Nikola said, adding that he was also willing to help the young man pay his fine if he is unable.
