The Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina has spoken out against a proposal to establish a so-called “Bosnian Orthodox Church” independent of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), warning that such an initiative could fuel new social and religious divisions and undermine interfaith stability in the country. The statement was reported by Orthodoxia News Agency.

The debate was sparked by remarks from Mustafa Cerić, former head of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who—despite holding no official position today—argued that there is a “historical necessity” to restore an autocephalous Orthodox Church within the framework of Bosnian statehood. His comments drew a strong reaction from the Serbian Orthodox Church, which holds canonical jurisdiction over Orthodox believers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina firmly rejected the idea of creating a new Orthodox body outside the Serbian Patriarchate, describing it as an attempt to engineer a schism and establish a parallel church structure. “This is not about peace, but about provoking new divisions,” Serbian bishops said in a joint response.

Metropolitan Fotije of Zvornik and Tuzla stressed that the Serbian Orthodox Church has a legitimate and internationally recognized status in the country. Any effort to create an Orthodox church outside the Serbian Patriarchate, he warned, would “inevitably lead to schism and conflict.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been composed of two entities—the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska—since the end of the 1992–1995 civil war. The Serbian Orthodox Church plays a significant social and cultural role, particularly in Republika Srpska, where a national holiday was recently celebrated with the participation of Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

Against this backdrop, the Interreligious Council urged religious and public figures to refrain from initiatives or statements that could heighten tensions. Reaffirming its commitment to interfaith dialogue, the council emphasized the importance of preserving peace and mutual respect among communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country marked by ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity.