Bosnia’s Interreligious Council speaks out against creating “Bosnian Church”

Members of the Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On January 15, 2026, the Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina opposed an initiative to create a “Bosnian Orthodox Church” independent of the Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Orthodoxia News Agency reported this.

In the Council’s statement, it is noted that the initiative comes from Mustafa Cerić, the former head of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who currently holds no official position. The Council emphasized that such proposals undermine interreligious peace and could lead to new divisions in society.

Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church who hold canonical jurisdiction in Bosnia and Herzegovina also spoke out against the idea of creating a new “Orthodox Church” independent of the Serbian Orthodox Church. They said such a project amounts to an attempt at schism and the creation of a parallel church structure. “This is not about peace, but about provoking a new division,” representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church stressed.

In particular, Metropolitan Fotiy of Zvornik and Tuzla recalled that the Serbian Orthodox Church has a lawful and recognized status in the country, and that any attempts to create an “Orthodox Church” outside the Serbian Patriarchate “inevitably lead to schism and conflicts.”

In conclusion, the Interreligious Council called on society and religious figures to refrain from statements and initiatives capable of provoking a split with the Serbian Patriarchate, and reaffirmed its commitment to preserving interreligious dialogue, peace, and mutual respect in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Primate of the Serbian Church linked genuine peace with prayer, repentance, and works of love, calling these the foundation of social concord.

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