In front of St.John the Baptist church in Bajice near Cetinje PHOTO GALLERY

Cetinje, January 20th  2009 (Svetigora Press) – Heavy police forces prevent this morning by physical violence clergy of Cetinje Archdeanery to serve the liturgy in the church of St John the Baptist in Bajice in Cetinje, which today celebrates its feast.

Cordon of the special forces waited dawn around the church, and when the clergy and faithful tried to enter the church, Police applied physical force. One of the officers after applying the force said „Do not provoke us“, while the other was „explaining“ own procedures by words „we do ours, and you do your job”.

After that Clergy from Cetinje in front of the cordon served prayer to Mother of God and St John.

Next then priest from Podgorica protopresbyter Dragan Mitrović and Head of the Cabinet of Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral protopresbyter Radomir Nikčević celebrated the holy Liturgy in churchyard in the open air.

From the immediate nearness group of members of anathemized and defrocked Dedeić’s sect looked all of this, and withdrew after the God’s Service started.

Dean of Cetinje seminary and priest in Cetinje protopresbyter Gojko Perović said after the Liturgy to Radio Svetigora that Cetinje police commander Ivan Raičević this morning about six hours informed him that it is „the order from the top“ that no one today can enter the church in Bajice.

„This is , I think, the first time in recent history of the Montenegro that police using physical violence toward the Orthodox Christian clergy. We didn’t have any choice but to celebrate Liturgy in front of the Bajice church“, he said.

He enounced that consultation on legal moves regarding this event will take place with members of the Law Council of Metropolitanate.