Gojko Perović, archpriest-stavrophore of Serbian Orthodox Church, Dean of Podgorica-Kolašin Deanery, vicar of Church of St. George in Podgorica
Tradition and truth in contemporary Montenegro
Archpriest Gojko Perović has long served as the Rector of the Theological Seminary in Cetinje and is a distinguished representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. Through his work in education and spiritual guidance, Perović has been actively engaged in matters concerning the preservation of tradition, the encouragement of social dialogue, and the strengthening of human relationships within contemporary Montenegrin society. In this interview, he discusses the challenges and roles of the Church in the modern context, as well as the significance of spiritual and cultural values for social cohesion.
How do you view the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro today, not only as a religious institution but also as a social factor influencing identity, culture, and human relations?
The Serbian Orthodox Church is a community that gathers people around God and God’s truth about humankind. I emphasise the word community. It refers not only to thecommunion of us who live today, but also to the fact that within the Church we are united through tradition and heritage with our ancestors, with all that we have inherited from them through our bloodline, our language, our faith, and God’s revelation. In this sense, the role of the Church is particularly important today, when we live in an era that distances people from one another an age that, in a way, atomises us into isolated individuals who seek happiness and meaning by turning inward, absorbed in their own plans and desires. The Church’s teaching to love others as ourselves, to bear one another’s burdens, and to have only as much as we have given acts as a healing force in this age of self sufficient individuals.
The Church often faces the challenge of preserving tradition while at the same time understanding the spirit of the modern age. In your opinion, how can that balance be achieved?
These two do not exclude one another. In preserving tradition, the Church is not enslaved by forms or modes of communication. The very fact that I am replying by email to the questions of a magazine called Diplomacy and Commerce, and the fact that today we have church websites, YouTube channels, television, and radio all of this, compared to a hundred years ago, may seem exceedingly modern, and yet in doing so we do not in any way compromise the essence of the traditional message we seek to convey. Ultimately, the very notion of tradition does not mean something trapped in the past or something that never changes its appearance. Tradition implies the immutability of God’s truth, but that truth is expressed in different ways, through different languages, artistic and architectural forms that change throughout history.
Once, a priest rode a horse; today he drives a car and has a mobile phone. Neither did that horse, by itself, guarantee greater modesty among priests of the past, nor do modern means of communication represent sin in themselves. The Apostles wrote letters on parchment; today we send emails. What matters is only the heart and soul from which those messages arise.
As the long standing rector of the Theological Seminary in Cetinje, you have witnessed the formation of generations of young priests. Based on your experience, how do today’s young people in Montenegro relate to faith and spirituality?
Today, many young people are returning to the Church and this is completely natural, for at least two reasons. The first lies in the exhaustion and lack of credibility of the media, ideological, and political institutions that dominate public life today; and the second is the yearning of young people to discover the whole and unchanging truth about themselves and about life. That truth does not change with time. Just as it has always emerged from the Church and been confirmed through the lives of holy people throughout past centuries, so it is today. Our so called “modern age” has not brought us a single reason to alter our understanding of the fundamental truths of the Gospel. On the contrary, the need for those truths is even more pronounced today. For this reason, young people are turning eagerly to the Church, seeking the true and steadfast truth about life upon which they can build their future.
In recent years, the Church has played an important role in maintaining social dialogue. How do you view its contribution to reconciliation and mutual understanding within Montenegrin society?
The role of the Church today, like that of all social institutions, is to contribute to mutual understanding and trust among people. Although there are differing opinions in public about its activities, it is important to view the Church’s contribution from a broader social and historical perspective. In essence, the Church stands above ideological and political divisions. From experience, I know that even those who publicly criticise the Church, when faced with a personal crisis, turn to it not as to a former opposing camp or an adversarial side, but as to their own home. In that sense, I believe that time and patience are needed for us to truly listen to one another, and that in overcomingmisunderstandings we should begin with those enduring truths that bound our ancestors together.
Finally, what would be your message to the readers of Diplomacy and Commerce regarding the values the Church seeks to convey in a modern, often divided society?
In some respects, we here could draw inspiration from the principles of politics, diplomacy, and business (as well as science and education) that prevail in the West today, which are founded on religious freedom and the presence of faith in all those areas of life. And if, in the West, certain Protestant denominations are more prominent towards which the Serbian Orthodox Church holds deep respect then, by that same principle, we too could and should integrate our own faith into the frameworks of our professions and the organisation of social life. We should cultivate less greed and nurture a greater sense of care for others. For, as one of my friends, a successful businessman, once said: no matter how much money I earn, I still need only one plate to have lunch and only one chair to sit on. Everything beyond that (as well as those very things) should be received with gratitude to God, while finding ways to share any “surplus” for the benefit of others.
Many successful people today already do this by supporting the work of public institutions hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, care homes for the elderly, and rehabilitation centres for those struggling with addiction, among others.