![Podgorica, cattedrale della resurrezione di cristo, esterno 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Podgorica%2C_cattedrale_della_resurrezione_di_cristo%2C_esterno_01.JPG)
Religion in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities, institutions and organizations of various
religions in
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
. While
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant
religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name and tradition among other activities.
The term refers to the various Christian denominations (for example, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Cat ...
in Montenegro, there are also sizable numbers of adherents of both
Catholic Christianity and
Islam.
The majority of Orthodox Christians belong to the
Serbian Orthodox Church, but there are traces of a forming
Montenegrin Orthodox Church
, image =
, imagewidth =
, type = Eastern Christian
, main_classification = Independent Eastern Orthodox
, scripture=Septuagint, New Testament, theology = Orthodox theology
, polity ...
which is not canonically recognized by the
Orthodox Christian Church. According to the 2020 estimate by the Pew Research Center, 76.6% of the population is Christian, 19.11% are Muslims, and 2.61% are unaffiliated.
Demographics
Historical demographics
Distribution by ethnic group in 2011
The results of the Montenegrin census of 2011 by ethnic groups, the latest census in which the indication of identification (whether by confession or as irreligious) in the question for confession was obligatory, are as follows:
Christianity
![Monasterio de Ostrog, Montenegro, 2014-04-14, DD 14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Monasterio_de_Ostrog%2C_Montenegro%2C_2014-04-14%2C_DD_14.JPG)
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
Christianity is the dominant religion in Montenegro. Adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro are predominantly ethnic
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordi ...
and
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
. Ethnic
Serbs of Montenegro
Serbs of Montenegro ( sr, / ) or Montenegrin Serbs ( sr, / ),, meaning "Montenegrin Serbs", and meaning "Serbs Montenegrins". Specifically, Their regional autonym is simply , literal meaning "Montenegrins",Charles Seignobos, Political Histo ...
and
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordi ...
are adherents of the
Serbian Orthodox Church and its dioceses in Montenegro:
Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
The Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Митрополија црногорско-приморска Српске православне цркве, Mitropolija crnogorsko-primorska Srpske pravoslav ...
,
Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić
Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić or Budimlja–Nikšić ( sr, Епархија будимљанско-никшићка / Eparhija budimljansko-nikšićka) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church, covering eastern, central, and weste ...
, parts of
Eparchy of Mileševa
Eparchy of Mileševa is the one of eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and is seated in Prijepolje, in the Mileševa monastery.
History The establishment of the Eparchy
Eparchy is based in the valley Lim (river) and laid on the found ...
, and parts of
Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina
The Eparchy of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral ( sr, Епархија захумско-херцеговачка и приморска, Eparhija zahumsko-hercegovačka i primorska) is an eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church with ...
.
Ethnic Montenegrins are divided between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the independent
Montenegrin Orthodox Church
, image =
, imagewidth =
, type = Eastern Christian
, main_classification = Independent Eastern Orthodox
, scripture=Septuagint, New Testament, theology = Orthodox theology
, polity ...
(which is by the Serbian Orthodox Church and the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches, ''a non-canonical''
''schismatic'', ''
heretical
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
,'' and a ''political fabricatio''n Orthodox church).
![Kotor Cathedral in Kotor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Kotor_Cathedral_in_Kotor.jpg)
Catholic Church
Most Catholics are ethnic
Albanians and
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
as well as some
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordi ...
.
![Pljevlja City-center Mosque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Pljevlja_City-center_Mosque.JPG)
Islam
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
form the largest minority religion in the country. Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up 19.11% of the total population.
[ For the purpose of the chart, the categories 'Islam' and 'Muslims' were merged; 'Buddhist' (.02) and Other Religions were merged; 'Atheist' (1.24) and 'Agnostic' (.07) were merged; and 'Adventist' (.14), 'Christians' (.24), 'Jehovah Witness' (.02), and 'Protestants' (.02) were merged under 'Other Christian'.]
Muslims in Montenegro are divided into two main groups, and further subgroups:
**
Bosnian-speaking ethnic
Bosniak Muslims
**
Montenegrin-speaking ethnic
Montenegrin Muslims
**Other Slavic Muslims (
ethnic Muslims
Muslims ( Serbo-Croatian Latin and sl, Muslimani, Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic and mk, Муслимани) is a designation for a Serbo-Croatian speaking Muslims, inhabiting mostly the territory of the former Yugoslav republics. The term, adopted ...
), including
Gorani, and other Slavs of the Muslim faith who identify by religion rather than by ethnicity.
*
Albanian Muslims
**
Albanian-speaking ethnic
Albanian Muslims
**
Romani people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...
Islam is the dominant religion in the northeastern municipalities, which are part of the
Sandžak
Sandžak (; sh, / , ; sq, Sanxhaku; ota, سنجاق, Sancak), also known as Sanjak, is a historical geo-political region in Serbia and Montenegro. The name Sandžak derives from the Sanjak of Novi Pazar, a former Ottoman administrative dis ...
geographical region, and in municipalities where Albanians form a majority. Islam is the majority religion in
Rožaje
Rožaje ( cnr, Рожаје, bs, Rožaje), ; sq, Rozhajë) is a town in northeastern Montenegro.
As of 2011, the city has a population of 9,567 inhabitants.
Surrounded by hills to its west and mountains to its east (notably Mount Hajla), the ...
,
Plav,
Gusinje
Gusinje ( cyrl, Гусиње, ; sq, Gucia) is a small town in north-eastern Montenegro. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1,673 and is the administrative center of Gusinje Municipality.
Name
Two alternative etymologies ...
,
Ulcinj
Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians.
As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic co ...
and
Petnjica
Petnjica ( cnr, Петњица) is a town in northern Montenegro, and the center of Petnjica Municipality. Petnjica regained its municipality status on May 28, 2013, which it previously had from 1945 to 1957, when it was merged with the Berane Mu ...
.
Judaism
![Hanukkah in Podgorica](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Hanukkah_in_Podgorica.jpg)
Montenegro is one of a select few countries and the only one in its region where there is an enviable inter-religious fund and there is no public manifestation of anti-Semitism and general negative attitude towards the Jewish people and the state of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. Even more, there is a high respect for the Jewish people and its contribution to the secular civilization.
In February 2012, the Prime Minister of Montenegro
Igor Lukšić signed an agreement with the Montenegrin Jewish community to grant official recognition of Jews as a minority in Montenegro. The agreement also established
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
as the country's fourth official religion, along with the Eastern Orthodox Church, Catholic Church and Islam.
Atheism
The majority of Montenegro's population, 98.69%, declares to belong to a religion, though observance of their declared religion may vary widely.
On the census from 2011, atheists, those who declared no religion, comprised about 1.24% of the whole population, and agnostics 0.07%.
Religiosity is lowest in the
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the hi ...
region and the capital city of
Podgorica
Podgorica (Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; lit. 'under the hill') is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd (Cyrillic: Титоград, ) between 1946 and 1992—in the period that Montenegro form ...
. Municipalities with highest share of atheists are
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 ...
(2.43%),
Kotor
Kotor ( Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative ...
(2.03%),
Podgorica
Podgorica (Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; lit. 'under the hill') is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd (Cyrillic: Титоград, ) between 1946 and 1992—in the period that Montenegro form ...
(1.99%) and
Tivat
Tivat (, ) is a coastal town in southwest Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor. , its population was 9,367. Tivat is the centre of Tivat Municipality, which is the smallest municipality by area in Montenegro.
Name
In Serbian and Montenegrin l ...
(1.7%). In contrast,
Rožaje
Rožaje ( cnr, Рожаје, bs, Rožaje), ; sq, Rozhajë) is a town in northeastern Montenegro.
As of 2011, the city has a population of 9,567 inhabitants.
Surrounded by hills to its west and mountains to its east (notably Mount Hajla), the ...
has the fewest atheists, who make up only 0.01% of its population.
In some municipalities more than half of population are undeclared, however.
Religious freedom
Montenegro's laws guarantee the freedom of religion and outlaw several forms of religious discrimination, as well as establishing that there is no
state religion in Montenegro. The government provides some funding to religious groups.
According to a 2017 survey conducted by the
Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the
Ombudsperson of Montenegro, 45% of respondents reported having experienced religious discrimination.
[''International Religious Freedom Report 2017 Montenegro'', US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. ]
References
Sources
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External links
Venice Commission (2015): Draft Joint Interim Opinion on the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion of MontenegroVenice Commission (2019): Montenegro: Opinion on the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion or Beliefs and Legal Status of Religious CommunitiesCouncil of Europe (2019): Montenegro: Provisions on religious property rights include positive changes to out-dated legislation, but need more clarity, says Venice CommissionFreedom of Religion or Belief in Montenegro: Conclusions (2019)
{{Religion in Europe