The Interreligious Council of Bosnia opposed the establishment of a "Bosnian Church"

The Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly condemned the initiative to form a separate “Bosnian Orthodox Church” independent of the canonical jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Council emphasized that such actions undermine inter-religious peace and could lead to new divisions in society.

According to Orthodoxia News Agency, the Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina opposed the initiative, emphasizing its destructive nature. The Council’s statement noted that the proposal comes from Mustafa Ceric, the former head of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who currently holds no official position.

The Council emphasized that such initiatives undermine interreligious peace and could lead to new divisions in society. The idea of creating a new religious structure outside the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) was opposed by hierarchs of the SOC who have canonical jurisdiction in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They called the project an attempt to split and create a parallel church structure. “This is not about peace, but about provoking a new division, ” said the representatives of the SOC.

In particular, Metropolitan Photii of Zvornik and Tuzla recalled that the Serbian Orthodox Church has a legitimate and recognized status in the country, and any attempts to create an “Orthodox Church” outside the Serbian Patriarchate “inevitably lead to schism and conflict.”

In conclusion, the Interreligious Council called on society and religious figures to refrain from statements and initiatives that could provoke a split with the Serbian Patriarchate. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to preserving interreligious dialog, peace and mutual respect in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Recall, earlier we reported that the former supreme mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric , came forward with an initiative to establish an autocephalous “Bosnian Orthodox Church”. In his opinion, the establishment of such a structure is necessary to strengthen Bosnian statehood, break ties with “foreign centers of influence” and ensure the loyalty of Bosnia’s religious institutions.