Draft Law on Freedom of Religion is again in the procedure, i.e. the Government is currently working on it, which is why its representatives met with religious officials of our country, Pobjeda daily learns.

The vice-president of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church’s (CPC) Council, Stevo Vučinić, has also confirmed this information, saying that it’s expected the draft law to be in the parliamentary procedure in next few months.

“Draft Law on Freedom of Religion was approved by the Venice Commission. Article 52 of the Law represents its core, stipulating that all religious buildings and land on the territory of Montenegro built or taken from public revenues of state, or state-owned until 1 December 1918, are in the state ownership. Religious facilities built on the territory of Montenegro by citizen’s efforts until 1 December 1918 would also be in the state ownership,” stressed Vučinić.

Draft Law on Freedom of Religion was done in 2015 but the public strongly reacted to it during public debates. On one side we had people considering it badly written, while others believed contemporary Montenegro should have been proud of it.

Public debates lasted for more than a month and was marked by mass gatherings of supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and 2 out of 3 planned round tables were cancelled.

The Serbian Orthodox Church had objections to almost entire draft Law.