Changes

The '''Montenegrin Orthodox Church''' (MOC; in Montenegrin / CrnogorskiSerbian: '''Crnogorska Pravoslavna Crkva''') is a [[jurisdiction]] in Montenegro which declares itself to be [[autocephaly|autocephalous]]. It separated from the [[Church of Serbia]]. Its self-proclaimed autocephaly and is not officially recognized by most of other Orthodox churches.

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church was registered as a non-governmental organization at the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior in 1997. MOC is It claims to be the sole legitimate Eastern Orthodox Church in Montenegro, and but it is recognized unrecognized internationally by most of canonical Orthodox churches.

MOC supporters also present an excerpt from the 1911 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica as one of the proofs of legitimacy: "The Montenegrin Church is an autocephalous branch of the Eastern Orthodox communion. In 1894 it formally vindicated its independence against the claims of the Russian synod". The However the remainder of the article never refers to Montenegro as a "serbian Serbian state", which completely supports contradicts the church's basic beliefs. The Catalogue of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (April 1855), Athens Sintagma, letter of Ecumenical Patriarch Grigorius to St. Petar I Petrovic Njegos (dated 29th January 1798), and against the claims of other documents. Claims are (in support of MOC) that MOC was independent and autocephalous until Serbian and Yugoslav King Alexander I of Yugoslavia put MOC, by the decree of 17th (30th) June 1920, under the Serbian Orthodox Church's rule [12] [13]. However, although initially voicing his opposition, the dethroned King Nicholas I Petrovic-Njegos in late 1920 was forced to recognize also recognized the annexion uniting of the MOC by Church with the SOC, for the "benefit" of so called "all the serbian Serbian people".

It must be noted that the current Montenegrin Orthodox Church is absolutely nothing in character and or aims similar to the old Church of Montenegro, which was never a part of the Church of Serbia. After abolition of While the latter based itself upon successorship to the abolished Serbian Orthodox Church by Ottoman decree of 1766, Serbian with its Metropolitans have been asserting the title "Exarch of the Serb Throne" which they hold up to today, they allways who were a also great proponents of the serb assimilation reunification of MOC the SOC which has finally occurred in 1920 as well as the national serbisation liberation and unification of ethnic Montenegrins by the Serbs based on medieval serbian mythology. The Serbian heritage, the MOC presents itself as a church of just Montenegro, is a supporter of the Montenegrin nation and a proponent for a separate Montenegrin language, trying to gather not only Orthodox, but all of Montenegro's faithful as well.

Metropolitan Antonije (Abramović) (initially vehemently supported by the biggest pro-independence party in Montenegro at the time - Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG)[15]) was the first leader of the church in 1993. He was later replaced by Metropolitan Mihailo (Dedeić), anathemized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and banished from Orthodoxy.

On [[January 11]], 2007, MOC reconstituted its [[Holy Synod]] and proclaimed its first decree in which it reconfirms its autocephalous status. The Holy Synod is constituted by archpriests of MOC, led by [[Metropolitan]] Mihailo, who was [[Excommunication|excommunicate]]d by the [[Ecumenical Patriarch]].

*[http://www.cpcnjegos.org.me/]*[http:past//www.cpc.orgmetrohist.me/eng/htm "Brief History of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral"]