Orthodox Montenegrins Celebrate Christmas Divided

Christmas is a time for coming together - but not in Montenegro, where the followers of the two rival Orthodox churches - as usual - gathered to light their Christmas Eve Yule Logs in different places.

While followers of the more numerous Serbian Orthodox Church lit their logs and celebrated the Christmas Eve liturgy according to the Julian calendar in Podgorica, and followers of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church mustered in the old royal capital of Cetinje.

The lighting of the Yule Log, or "badnjak", is an ancient tradition among Orthodox Christians.

The rival celebrations put the spotlight once again on the long dispute between the Serbian and Montenegrin churches regarding status and ownership of church buildings and property.

The divided religious festivities echo deep political divisions in the country. The Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro strongly opposes the country's NATO accession, prompting the Montenegrin Church to accuse it of working against state interests.    

The Serbian Church celebration in Podgorica gathered about 1,000 people who waved Serbian flags. Bishop Amfilohije told the crowd that "many want to build the future of Montenegro on divisions" and again criticized the decision to join the Western alliance.

"The NATO pact, which they rush to embrace, is a continuation of the acts and crimes of those who in 1914 and 1941 fought against us and real and true Christian Europe," Amfilohije added, referring to the Germans and Austrians who attacked Serbia in 1914 and the Nazis who Yugoslavia in 1941.

Montenegrin Bishop Mihailo meanwhile urged his own followers "to stay away from Serbian priests" who he said "based their mission in Montenegro on lies."

They "swoop against the state...