On the day of the enthronement of His Eminence Joanikije II, Metropolitan of Montenegro, the Littoral, Zeta, Brda, and Skenderija and Exarch of the Holy Throne of Peć, upon the Holy Throne of Saint Peter of Cetinje at Cetinje Monastery in the historic Montenegrin royal capital of Cetinje, a festive luncheon was held for the distinguished guests who had been invited to witness this historic event.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Davit Bagrationi Mukhranbatoni, Head of the Royal House of Georgia, attended the luncheon and celebration, which took place at the renowned Plantaže winery in Šipčanik, near Podgorica.
Also attending were His Holiness Porfirije, Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch; Archbishop Makarios of Qatar of the Jerusalem Patriarchate; Metropolitan Amvrosie of Tver and Kashin of the Russian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Gavril of Lovech of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Dimitrios of Gjirokastër of the Albanian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Juraj of Michalovce and Košice of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia; Metropolitan Mark of Berlin of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia; Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary and Metropolitan Sergey of Ternopil and Kremenets of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; and Bishop Varsanufie of Siemiatycze of the Polish Orthodox Church.
Other ecclesiastical dignitaries included Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje Jovan; Metropolitan Hrizostom of Dabar and Bosnia; Bishop Vasilije of Srem; Bishop Nikanor of Banat; Bishop Lukijan of Buda; Bishop Dositej of Britain and Scandinavia; Bishop Justin of Žiča; Bishop Jovan of Šumadija; Bishop Fotije of Zvornik and Tuzla; Bishop Atanasije of Mileševa; Bishop Grigorije of Düsseldorf and Germany; Bishop Teodosije of Raška and Prizren; Bishop David of Kruševac; Bishop Jovan of Slavonia; Bishop Andrej of Austria and Switzerland; Bishop Sergije of Bihać and Petrovac; Bishop Arsenije of Niš; Bishop Kiril of Buenos Aires and South and Central America; Bishop Dimitrije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina; Bishop Isihije of Valjevo; and Bishop Metodije of Diocletia and Bishop-elect of Budimlje and Nikšić.
Also present were Bishop Antonije of Moravica; Bishop Stefan of Remesiana; Bishop Jerotej of Toplica; Bishop Joakim of Polog and Kumanovo; Bishop Marko of Bregalnica; Bishop Emeritus Georgije of Canada; Archimandrite Sava, Bishop-elect of Marča; Archimandrite Justin, Bishop-elect of Hvosno; Archimandrite Methodius, Hegumen of Hilandar Monastery; Archimandrite Sava, Hegumen of Visoki Dečani Monastery; and numerous other clerics.
The celebration was further graced by His Royal Highness Prince Filip Karađorđević of Serbia and Yugoslavia; Her Royal Highness Princess Danica Karađorđević of Serbia and Yugoslavia; His Excellency Professor Dr Zdravko Krivokapić, Prime Minister of Montenegro; Sergej Sekulović, Minister of the Interior in the Government of Montenegro; Dr Nenad Popović, Minister of Innovation and Technological Development in the Government of Serbia; and members of the diplomatic corps representing Serbia, Russia, Greece, and other countries.
Other distinguished guests included Slaven Radunović, Member of the Parliament of Montenegro, President of the Democratic Front Parliamentary Group, and Vice-President of New Serb Democracy; Andrija Mandić, President of New Serb Democracy; Vladimir Đukanović, Member of the Serbian Parliament and a leading official of the Serbian Progressive Party; Professor Dr Dragan Stanić, President of Matica Srpska; Dragan M. Davidović, Director of the Secretariat for Religions in the Government of Republika Srpska; the Deputy Reis of the Islamic Community of Montenegro; and numerous ministers, members of parliament, mayors, dignitaries, and officials from Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries.
The entourage accompanying His Royal Highness Crown Prince Davit and Her Royal Highness Princess Irina included Aleksandar O. Đurđev, Vice-Rector of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Serbia and a member of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina; the Reverend Deacon Hadži Nenad M. Jovanović, Chaplain of the Georgian Royal Orders in Serbia; Goran Milenković, Assistant Minister for Rural Welfare in the Sector for International Cooperation, European Integration, and Projects of the Government of Serbia; Henri Durand de Grossouvre, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and Aleksandar Ž. Protić, Knight of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia and the Seamless Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
During the celebration, His Royal Highness had the opportunity to become better acquainted and to engage in cordial conversation with Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, Metropolitan Joanikije, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, representatives of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Georgia in the Parliament of Montenegro, and numerous other officials.
All expressed their satisfaction with and interest in the visit of His Royal Highness to fraternal Montenegro, as well as their hope that he would visit the country again in the near future.
