Budimlja, Montenegro, August 26, 2025
His Eminence Metropolitan Metodije of Budimlja-Nikšić in Montenegro has released a comprehensive statement addressing the events of August 8, in the village of Gornje Zaostro, where a monument to World War II commander Pavle Đurišić was erected and subsequently removed following police intervention.
In his statement dated August 25, the Metropolitan firmly denies allegations that he consecrated the controversial monument. “A fabrication has been created and publicly spread that I performed an act of consecration of the monument on that occasion, because it is not true that I performed any ceremonial act,” Met. Metodije stated. “No ceremonial act in that sense was planned, nor was it undertaken on my part.”
The Metropolitan explains that he kissed the plaque and made the sign of the cross “as is customary when praying for the soul at a gravestone,” adding the traditional Orthodox prayer “Memory eternal!”
Regarding accusations of delivering an inflammatory speech, His Eminence categorically rejects the claims. “The sensationalist claim by some anti-church and anti-Serbian oriented and ideologically inflamed media and public about an ‘inflammatory’ speech is completely absurd and logically untenable, because after my speech the people peacefully removed the monument,” he wrote. “An inflammatory speech would imply that after it the atmosphere would ignite and control would be lost over the gathering—here the opposite happened.”
According to the Metropolitan’s account, the monument was erected at 4 AM on August 7 on private property belonging to Vujadin Dobrašinović, who was subsequently arrested and detained for 30 days. On the night between August 7 and 8, Mayor of Berane Đole Lutovac arrived with over 200 police officers, 30 armored vehicles, firefighters, and heavy machinery to remove the monument.
The Metropolitan credits parish priests with preventing potential violence by negotiating with police forces twice during the night. An agreement was reached that the monument would be voluntarily removed by 3 PM on August 8, which was successfully carried out.
“Under full moral and criminal responsibility, I declare that as long as I was present in the church and later at the Dobrašinović family property, I did not see and as far as I know there were no incidents, nor verbal and physical violence toward any person present,” Met. Metodije states.
He emphasizes that his address to the gathered people focused on unity and prayer. “I reminded the present people of unity and conciliarity, I pointed out the importance of prayer in the church and that this should always be most important and urgent for all of us,” the hierarch says.
The Metropolitan also addresses concerns about religious freedom, noting he had been “investigated and called for the second time in 30 days to practically give a statement to police officers on the same matter,” questioning how this aligns with constitutional guarantees of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Met. Metodije concludes by affirming his commitment to his episcopal duties “exclusively according to the canonical order of the Serbian Orthodox Church, within the boundaries of the law and according to my conscience,” while maintaining that he “does not approve, support or encourage any action by anyone that is not in accordance with the law.”
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