New bishop in Kotor: return of church property in sight!

New bishop in Kotor: return of church property in sight!

In Montenegro there is significant progress in returning church property to the Catholic Church. The newly appointed Bishop of Kotor, Mladen Vuksic, received the assurance of full support in this matter from Prime Minister Milojko Spajic. Vuksic, who was ordained only on November 23, 2024, praised the government's initiative to return property rights and emphasized the need to promote true partnership and fair treatment of all faith communities. These developments were first made by CAPE reported.

Political support for the return

The return is to be supported in the near future by the formation of a commission that will deal with the clarification of legal issues. Spajic stated that communication between the Ministry of Justice and the Diocese of Kotor has already been started in order to end ongoing processes. This positive turn is a clear indication that the new coalition government, which came into office on October 31, 2023 under the leadership of Spajic, is seriously working to correct historical injustices. Spajic clarifies that the legal framework should be clarified both for the Diocese of Kotor and for all other religious communities, as stated by Wikipedia reported.

With 30 ministers and a broad, multi-party coalition, the Spajic cabinet has benefited from popular support to advance its policy goals. The committed approach to the return of church property is not only a significant step for the Catholic community, but could also serve as an example for future cooperation between state and religion in Montenegro, which is committed to a secular state.