Although duly sent to three email addresses of Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG), the Easter message of Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro Mihailo, which also included a video address, was, once again, not published. In doing so, the national broadcaster has clearly demonstrated its discriminatory attitude and lack of respect toward the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and its believers.

It is evident that there is no place for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and its faithful on the Public Service – a service meant to represent all citizens of Montenegro. This is not merely a matter of good manners and social norms, but also of legal obligation. For that reason, a formal response was sent to RTCG, which we hereby publish in full.

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Statement of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church

The Montenegrin Orthodox Church expresses deep concern and disappointment over the decision of the Public Service of Montenegro not to broadcast the Easter message of Metropolitan of Montenegro Mihailo, which was duly submitted along with accompanying video material, intended as an address to Orthodox believers on the occasion of Easter – a holiday of great significance for the Christian community.

We remind that Article 3 of the Law on the National Public Broadcaster – Public Media Service of Montenegro (“Official Gazette of Montenegro”, No. 60/2024) stipulates that the Public Service performs activities that meet the democratic, social, cultural, educational, and other needs of public interest for all segments of Montenegrin society, and that it must ensure the realization of the rights and interests of citizens without discrimination on any grounds, including religious affiliation.

Furthermore, Article 12, Paragraph 3 of the same law clearly defines the obligation of the Public Service to, among other things:

produce and broadcast content that “reflects different ideas and religious beliefs in society, in order to foster understanding and tolerance and to promote the multi-religious character of Montenegro.”

By failing to air the message of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, the Public Service has acted contrary to the law and the principles of public service broadcasting. We believe it is the right of every believer – including members of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church – to be equally represented in the public space, which is funded by all citizens.

In the spirit of respect for the law, pluralism, and interfaith understanding, we expect the Public Service to reconsider its decision and, in accordance with the practice it applies to other religious communities, publish the message of the Metropolitan of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. We also express hope that such oversights will be avoided in the future, so that the Montenegrin Orthodox Church may be granted equal treatment in the programming of the Public Service of Montenegro.

Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro
† Mihailo