Russian intelligence openly sided with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and publicly attacked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his intention to grant autocephaly to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, BGNES reported.
“The actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople are not an isolated case, but part of a broader spectrum of actions that have already been observed in Ukraine and the Baltic states. The aggressive appetites of the Antichrist of Constantinople are not limited to Ukraine and the Baltic states. His betrayal is gradually spreading to the countries of Eastern Europe. In order to strike a blow against the particularly stubborn Serbian Orthodox Church, he intends to grant autocephaly to the unrecognized “Montenegrin Orthodox Church,” according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
According to Russian intelligence, “in some church circles, such actions are perceived as tearing apart the living body of the Church,” and the consequences, Moscow claims, could be long-lasting for the unity of Orthodoxy. The Russian service believes that the actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople are comparable to those of the “false prophets” of the Gospel and the message that actions and intentions are recognized “by their fruits.”
The official position of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service explicitly emphasizes that it refers to the current ecclesiastical and geopolitical processes in the region.
BGNES reminds that Montenegro faces the threat of destabilisation following an ultimatum from Milan Knezevic’s pro-Russian and pro-Serbian party. The Democratic People’s Party has set conditions for its continued participation in the country’s executive power – constitutional changes to allow Serbian to be recognised as an official language, along with amendments to the Citizenship Act and the State Symbols Act to legally establish the tricolour as the national flag.
In 2016, an attempt was made in Montenegro to stage a coup d’état aimed at diverting Podgorica from its path towards NATO and the European Union. Two Russian citizens, Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, eight Serbian citizens, and Serbian leaders Milan Knezevic and Andrija Mandic were preparing a violent change of government with the active support of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), according to the Special Prosecutor’s Office. The goal was to remove Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic from power and kill him. | BGNES