Liturgical Guidelines Concerning Recent Events in Montenegro

December 31, 2019

TO ALL CLERGY AND ORDAINED MONASTICS
OF THE DIOCESE OF EASTERN AMERICA
THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

SUBJECT: LITURGICAL GUIDELINES CONCERNING RECENT EVENTS IN MONTENEGRO

Very Reverend, Reverend, and Venerable Fathers,

Due to the recent events in the Republic of Montenegro and the great suffering these affairs have inflicted on our Orthodox Church in Montenegro, we hereby request that the following prayers and petitions be integrated into the Holy Liturgy in all our parishes of the Eastern American Diocese:

1. To be inserted into the Great Litany following the petition, for our Christ-loving and suffering Orthodox people… ”For our Orthodox people in Montenegro, for the salvation of churches and monasteries, for the preservation of peace and unity, let us pray to the Lord.”

2. To be inserted at the end of the Augmented Litany: "Lord, God Almighty, God of our salvation, You are great and do marvelous deeds, You alone are God. Look graciously and mercifully upon our Orthodox people in Montenegro, O Lord our God, the Lover of humankind, hear us and have mercy on us. For they have gathered against us and aim to take away our holy churches and monasteries, to seize our sanctuaries. O Master, compassionate King of all, You who know everything and hear everything, You know they rose up unjustly against us, and there is nothing we can do on our own without Your help and Your mercy. Help us now, o God, so that we may preserve peace and unity among ourselves, and endure these sufferings You have allowed for our salvation in a peaceful manner; so that all nations may know that You are truly our God, and we are Your children, always guarded by Your authority, let us all say fervently, Lord hear us and have mercy on us!"

The above is for your information and, accordingly, implementation.

WITH ARCHPASTORAL BESSINGS,

+IRINEJ
BISHOP OF EASTERN AMERICA

Source: The Original Letter - PDF