 | ||
Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Montenegro are Catholic Christians who are practicing liturgy in the Slavonic form of Byzantine Rite and use the Old Church Slavonic language and the Cyrillic alphabet. Since 2013, all Byzantine Catholics of Montenegro are under jurisdiction of local Bishops of Latin Rite.
Contents
History: Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2013)
Until 2001, the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Križevci had full jurisdiction over all Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite throughout the entire territory of former Yugoslavia, including all of its successor states: Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
After the formation of independent successor states from what had been Yugoslavia, the process of administrative reorganization was initiated. In 2001, a separate Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Macedonia. It was fully separated from Eparchy of Križevci and directly subjected to the Holy See.
In 2003, a new Apostolic Exarchate was created for Roman Catholics of Byzantine Rite in Serbia and Montenegro, the Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro. Its first and only exarch was bishop Đura Džudžar, who was appointed on August 28 (2003), with residence in Ruski Krstur, (Serbia). This exarchate remained in association with the Eparchy of Križevci.
In 2004, the Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate for Serbia and Montenegro had 26 parishes with 22,934 faithful and 18 priests and in 2009 it had 21 parish with 22,369 faithful and 18 priests - vast majority in Serbia and only small minority in Montenegro.
Present State: Under local Bishops of Latin Rite (2013-)
On 19 January 2013, all Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Montenegro were entrusted to the local Latin Bishops, so the jurisdiction of Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro was reduced to Serbia only and transformed into Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia.
Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Montenegro did not get their separate exarchate mainly because of their small number (much les than 1,000). Therefore, they were entrusted to the pastoral care of local Latin Bishops.