Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Coronavirus spreads after Covid-sceptic bishop's funeral in Montenegro

Coronavirus spreads after Covid-sceptic bishop's funeral in Montenegro

Serbia's leading religious figure has contracted coronavirus, days after attending a large public funeral for a senior bishop who died of Covid-19.

Patriarch Irinej, the 90-year-old head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday.

He led the funeral of the church's most senior cleric in Montenegro, 82-year-old Amfilohije Radovic, on Sunday.

Mourners gathered at the event without masks and many kissed the bishop's body as it lay in an open coffin.

This was despite a major spike in coronavirus cases in both Serbia and Montenegro, and a warning from the authorities that the event posed a risk to public health.

Amfilohije, who died on Friday, described pilgrimages as "God's vaccine" and avoided wearing a mask.

As well as Patriarch Irinej, several other people who attended the funeral are believed to have contracted Covid-19. Amfilohije's successor, meanwhile, was said to be suffering with "mild pneumonia".

Montenegro's Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic and Serbia's president also attended the event in Podgorica, Montenegro.

"His Holiness is hospitalised in a Covid-19 hospital in Belgrade," Patriach Irinej's office said in a statement. "[He remains] without symptoms and is in excellent health."

A powerful institution


The Serbian Orthodox Church is a powerful institution in both Serbia and Montenegro. And its leaders can be important allies for politicians - or dangerous adversaries.

Montenegro's long-serving president, Milo Djukanovic, discovered this the hard way by promoting a law allowing the state to claim Church property.

That prompted Metropolitan Bishop Amfilohije, who died on Friday, to lead protests and give his blessing to the opposition parties which defeated the president's party in August's parliamentary vote.

The bishop was also highly involved in post-poll coalition negotiations. Prime Minister-designate Zdravko Krivokapic was a prominent, unmasked mourner at his funeral.

Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vucic, also attended - but kept his mask on. He faces a constant challenge balancing the Church's uncompromising stance on Kosovo's status with his goal of steering Serbia towards EU membership.

What else is happening in Europe?


European countries are responding to a second wave of infections, and many are seeing spikes in cases and hospital admissions.

*  Greece announced a second lockdown would come into effect from Saturday and would remain in place for three weeks. It comes after a new daily infection record of 2,646 confirmed cases was reported on Wednesday. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said "it was a difficult decision" but "measures must be taken... to overcome this second wave"

*  Greeks will only be able to leave their homes if they make an official request via a text message and then receive authorisation. But unlike the first lockdown, primary schools will stay open under the measures

*  In Italy, four regions will face the strictest form of lockdown from Friday. The country has a three-colour lockdown system and Lombardy, Piedmont, Val D'Aosta and Calabria have been declared "red zones" meaning people can only leave home for essential reasons

*  In England, a new four-week lockdown has begun. People have been told to stay at home and non-essential shops, pubs and gyms have been ordered to close

*  Elsewhere, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is self-isolating after someone in his circle came into contact with a person infected with Covid-19

*  And in Russia, Moscow's mayor said the city's coronavirus situation was getting worse. Infections have been climbing in the country at a sharp rate in recent weeks

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×