Montenegro: Turmoil when new church law approved

After chaotic scenes with the votes of the majority of the government, the parliament in Montenegro approved a controversial church law. Before the vote on Friday night, MPs from the Proserbian opposition apparently fired smoke grenades or fireworks in the plenary hall and tried to destroy microphones. Previously, hundreds of opposition supporters with street blocks protested the law on Thursday.

The security service removed MPs from the room. Supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church fear that the law will deprive them of their possessions, including medieval monasteries and churches. The government denies that.

The new law provides that churches operating in the country must clarify the ownership status of buildings and real estate that came into their possession before 1920. The regulation is considered controversial. It could have an impact on the conflict between the country's dominant Belgrade-based Serbian Orthodox Church (SOK) and the new autonomous Montenegrin Orthodox Church (MOK).

Montenegro was an independent kingdom with its own Orthodox church until 1918. After the country was annexed to the newly created Yugoslavia, ruled by a Serbian king, the Montenegrin church lost its "autocephalous" - independent - status in 1920 through a royal decree and, together with its possessions, became part of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Montenegro has been independent again since 2006. Since then, the government in Podgorica has been pressing ahead with the restoration of its own Montenegrin Orthodox Church. The Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade is fighting this vehemently. Under no circumstances is it willing to recognize the "autocephalous" Montenegrin Church. "We are ready to die for our church and we will demonstrate that tonight," said opposition leader Andrija Mandic.