The continuation of the regular annual session of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church was held, in an expanded composition, during which several issues of importance for the life of the Church were considered. Special attention was devoted to initiatives that have been raised for years among the faithful of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church and certain civic associations, concerning the possibility of changing the calendar and resolving the so-called “calendar question”.

The Holy Synod emphasized that this issue is important not only in the liturgical and ecclesiastical-legal sense, but also as a matter of significance for the preservation of Montenegrin spiritual and cultural identity. It is recalled that the Montenegrin Assembly in 1804 clearly testified to the ecclesiastical origin of our tradition with the words: “We did not receive the faith from the Russians, but from the Greeks.” It was also emphasized that the fact that Christmas is celebrated in the Orthodox world on two different calendar dates – some on December 25 and others on January 7 – causes misunderstanding, ridicule and scandal among part of the public, and that therefore this issue needs to be considered with due seriousness, calmness and in the spirit of conciliarity. In this regard, the Synod concluded that it is necessary to launch a broader public and ecclesiastical discussion, along with comprehensive education of the faithful about the complexity of theological and liturgical aspects of this issue, so that it can be considered in the spirit of peace, conciliarity and unity, bearing in mind the preservation of liturgical communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and those local Orthodox churches that apply the new style. The decision on a possible calendar change will be made when all pastoral, liturgical and spiritual conditions are met.

The defrocked bishop, monk Boris (Bojan Bojović) is deprived of the title of monk, the right to wear the monastic name and cassock. The mentioned penalty is imposed for serious violations against the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, disrespect for canons and ecclesiastical structure, establishment of his own parasynagogue, false representation and acquisition of material resources and goods by fraud, as well as for the vandalistic desecration of the tomb and earthly remains of the Pious Metropolitan Antonije (Abramović), which caused general scandal.

The Synod also considered the issue of priests who, following the non-ecclesiastical path of Bojan Bojović, abandoned the canonical unity of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. Since they have not repented even after two years, nor have they accepted the Church’s repeatedly issued calls for return, the following decision was made: priests under previous suspension from priestly ministry, protopresbyter-stavrophoroi Milutin Cvijić and Dragan Pavlović, and presbyters Neđeljko Furtula, Milomir Mihajlović, Stefan Marković and Ilija Vujović, are deprived of the right to wear the pectoral cross, as well as all previously awarded ecclesiastical decorations, rights and honors. The aforementioned priests are deprived of priestly rank and returned to the rank of laity.

It is made known that they cannot be received in the temples of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church for the purpose of performing any liturgical services, nor can one concelebrate with them. All baptisms, weddings, ordinations and other rites that this group has performed from September 3, 2023 to date, as well as all future rites, are considered graceless and null and void and cannot be recognized by the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. Those who have approached these services out of ignorance or delusion are called by the Church to repentance and return to unity.

The session was attended, in addition to the episcopal members of the Synod: Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro † Mihailo, Archbishop of Kotor-Primorje and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the MOC † Simeon and Titular Bishop of Ostrog-Nikšić and Bishop of Argentina † Gorazd, by protopresbyter Lav Lajović, Secretary of the Synod, protopresbyter-stavrophoros Ivan Pajović, presbyter Stevo Mašanović, presbyter Igor Belkin, protodeacon Nebojša Aleksić, as well presidents of church councils for Danilovgrad and Podgorica, Veseljko Popović and Milorad Vukotić. The decisions of the Holy Episcopal Synod are final and binding, and have full canonical and legal force within the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, as well as before the competent state authorities.

In the peace of the Lord,

Cetinje, dated 8.11.2025.

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