Hinduism in Montenegro
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Religion in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities, institutions and organizations of various
religions Religion is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, tran ...
in
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
. While
Eastern Orthodox Christianity 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") ...
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, Catholic, and the many varie ...
in Montenegro, there are also sizable numbers of adherents of both
Catholic Christianity The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. The majority of Orthodox Christians belong to the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
, but there are traces of a forming Montenegrin Orthodox Church 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


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 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 and Montenegrins are adherents of the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
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 wester ...
, 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 foundat ...
, and parts of Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.
Ethnic Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; literal translation, lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Culture of Montenegro, Montenegrin culture, History of Montenegro, histor ...
are divided between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church (which is by the Serbian Orthodox Church and the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches, ''a non-canonical'' ''schismatic'', '' heretical,'' and a ''political fabricatio''n Orthodox church).


Catholic Church

Most Catholics are ethnic
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
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, G ...
as well as some Montenegrins.


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 Abraha ...
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 The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry, cu ...
Muslims ** Montenegrin-speaking ethnic
Montenegrin Muslims Islam in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities and religious institutions of Islam in Montenegro. It is the second largest religion in the country, after Christianity. According to the 2011 census, Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up 20% of ...
**Other Slavic Muslims ( ethnic Muslims), including Gorani, and other Slavs of the Muslim faith who identify by religion rather than by ethnicity. *
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
Muslims ** Albanian-speaking ethnic
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
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, Plav, Gusinje,
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 coast ...
and Petnjica.


Judaism

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 Igor Lukšić (Serbian Cyrillic: Игор Лукшић, ; born 14 June 1976) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the 4th Prime Minister of Montenegro from 2010 to 2012, following the resignation of Milo Đukanović. He was succeeded by Đ ...
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 the ...
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 region and the capital city of Podgorica. Municipalities with highest share of atheists are Herceg Novi (2.43%), Kotor (2.03%), Podgorica (1.99%) and Tivat (1.7%). In contrast, Rožaje 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 A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...
in Montenegro. The government provides some funding to religious groups. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
in cooperation with the Office of the
Ombudsperson An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
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

* * * * * *


External links


Venice Commission (2015): Draft Joint Interim Opinion on the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion of Montenegro

Venice Commission (2019): Montenegro: Opinion on the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion or Beliefs and Legal Status of Religious Communities

Council of Europe (2019): Montenegro: Provisions on religious property rights include positive changes to out-dated legislation, but need more clarity, says Venice Commission

Freedom of Religion or Belief in Montenegro: Conclusions (2019)
{{Religion in Europe