The head of Montenegro's schismatic church has filed an appeal against the Phanar

The head of the Montenegrin schismatics, Mihail Dedeic, has addressed an official letter to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, calling for a dialog on the status of the so-called Orthodox Church of Montenegro. In the letter, published on January 18, 2026, Dedeic expressed deep respect for the head of the Phanar and stressed support for the Patriarchate’s decisions, including the recognition of the autocephaly of the OCU. This is reported by Romfea.gr.

Mihailo Dedeic, who is in his ninth decade of life, is asking for a review of the charges that led to his removal from the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He declares his readiness to appear before the canonical court of the Patriarchate for an open and impartial review of all charges. In addition, he emphasizes that he has never been a cleric of the Serbian Church and has not violated its unity.

The letter proposes the establishment of an interdisciplinary commission of canonists, historians and lawyers to study the ecclesiastical situation in Montenegro. Dedeic insists that «the issue must be resolved in the spirit of truth and justice, not under the pressure of threats and propaganda.»

Recall, earlier we published an analytical material that Montenegro may become the next place of invasion of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The country has long had an unrecognized Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which enjoys special attention of the state and is a de facto counterweight to the Montenegrin Metropolitanate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is possible that the Patriarch of Constantinople may do the same in Montenegro as in Ukraine, granting the Tomos on autocephaly to local schismatics.