Montenegro: Catholic bishops reject obligation to have a Green Pass to enter church

The Catholic bishops of Montenegro do not accept the new measures against Covid-19 in force since 1st December, according to which only people with a Green Pass may enter church. This has been announced in a notice posted on the website of the diocese of Kotor, signed by the archbishop of Bar, Rrok Gjonljeshaj, and by the bishops of Kotor, Ivan Stironja. In the notice, the prelates define the new directive as a “decision taken without first consulting the leaders of religious confessions, and most importantly measures that deeply encroach on the freedom of worship and even on the wellbeing of the devotees, who, by behaving responsibly in the protection of health, give their contribution by wearing face masks and getting vaccinated”. The two Catholic bishops of Montenegro express their concern about those “people who would like to turn the members of the Church into inspectors and policemen, as such restrictions would want to”. Therefore, mgr. Gjonljeshaj and mgr. Stironja state that “the Catholic bishops and priests, following in the footsteps of their master Jesus Christ and staying loyal to their pastoral mission, will offer their congregations comfort and solace through the Sacraments, without asking them for any document or evidence of their health conditions, while adhering, as they have done so far, to the rules that help contain Covid-19”.

Valentina Bombelli