On September 3, 2023, a council of the “Montenegrin Autocephalous Orthodox Church” was held in Cetinje, at which a new “primate” Bishop Boris Bojovic was elected, and the previous “Metropolitan” Mikhail Dedeich was dismissed, Montenegrin media reported.

It is known that Mikhail Dedeich is 84 years old, but this is not the only reason why he was sent “to rest”. The schismatics accused their former head of trying to establish ties with the “Orthodox Russian Church”, which “supports the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.” In addition, the personality of Dedeich, who was defrocked by the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, served as an obstacle to the resumption of communication between the CHAROC and the Phanar. But Dedeich did not recognize the decision of the council.

Boris Bojovic himself received a theological education at the UOC-KP, where he was tonsured a monk and received the rank of archimandrite in 2016.

The new “primate” plans to form a metropolitan council and resume the work of the “synod”, which will be able to adopt a new charter, since now their “church” is registered as a public organization. In this way, Bojovic hopes to achieve recognition of the CAOC by the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Bojovic also wants to join the European and World Council of Churches. He announced the creation of an expert team, including representatives of the diaspora, to “return” the rights to church property to the CAOC, as well as help in registering its new communities.