At the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of France, a meeting was held today at the Episcopal Residence of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church in Cetinje between His Beatitude Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro, Mr. Mihailo, and senior representatives of the Republic of France: Mr. Jean-Christophe Pezot, Advisor for Religious Affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Her Excellency Madame Anne-Marie Maskay, Ambassador of France to Montenegro.

The visit took place as part of the diplomatic tour of Mr. Pezot, a senior official visiting several countries in the region and meeting with representatives of churches and religious communities, with the aim of assessing the state of religious rights and freedoms, as well as the position of religious communities.

During the meeting, Metropolitan Mihailo and his associates responded to questions from the esteemed guests, who expressed particular interest in the restoration of the autocephaly of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and its relations with other religious communities in the country and abroad.

The Metropolitan informed the delegation about the history of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and its centuries-long autocephaly, which was recognized by all local Orthodox Churches worldwide, as evidenced by numerous documents. It was emphasized that this status lasted until the forcible abolition of both Montenegro and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church between 1918 and 1920. The Montenegrin Orthodox Church was restored in the early 1990s and has been active in Montenegro for over thirty years, contributing significantly to the restoration of Montenegrin independence.

The French delegation was informed about the difficult position of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and the attitude of the authorities—both former and especially the current government. It was emphasized that, by concluding a discriminatory agreement with the Belgrade Patriarchate, not only were the churches and monasteries already in use transferred to it, but also all unregistered properties, including those due to be returned in the restitution process of property seized after World War II. Despite this, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church has no access to resources, and the Government of Montenegro and certain municipalities not only fail to respond to its initiatives but have explicitly prohibited the allocation of land to the Montenegrin Church in Podgorica.

It was highlighted that resources are regularly allocated to other religious communities in Montenegro, particularly the Serbian Orthodox Church, which enjoys a privileged status. Montenegro thus remains the only country in the Orthodox world that has not resolved its ecclesiastical question, and the position of the Montenegrin Church is currently the most difficult of any religious community in Europe. Under media blackout and administrative silence, a passive-aggressive campaign aimed at its disappearance is underway.

Despite these challenges, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church expressed its gratitude to the high-level French delegation for their visit and their interest in this highly sensitive issue and in the overall position of religious communities in Montenegro and the region. Hope was expressed that, within the framework of European integration, this matter will also be addressed in a democratic and just manner.