Wisdom

Fr Milovan wrote in a comment [italics added] at his recent blog post “A Great Victory for normal Serbia” these notorious words, paraphrasing the teaching handed over to us by Archimandrite Justin Popović and Metropolitan Amphilochios of Montenegro:

That which is new to this world, the venerable Fr. Justin Popović says at one place, and with which the New Testament remains eternally new in heaven and earth, is that we are now called to condemn sin but love the sinner, saving him from sin.

He also states, and I paraphrase, As a being created in the image of God, man is incomparably greater than any one of his sins… It is not permitted that we make Christians cease sinning because of some obligation, but rather through persuasion, words and meekness are we to carry out the salvation of people.

The metropolitan’s words [Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Coastlands] are the position of the Church. No one has, nor are they in any way forced, to listen to or pay heed to any one single thing that comes from the mouth of church leaders. If they are interested in the salvation of their souls, on the other hand, this rule certainly does not apply.


It is by telling and preaching to people the Truth about our salvation that we bring them to the church. Unlike the world of business that uses advertising to make things seem like something else in order to draw them in, ours is not to advertise the Church, but preach the Gospel of Christ.

—Fr Milovan Katanić, Presbyter