Debar, North Macedonia, February 8, 2024
Photo: slobodenpecat.mk
The Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric’s stance on the Ukrainian ecclesiastical situation is the reason why the Patriarchate of Constantinople does not recognize it as autocephalous, says His Eminence Metropolitan Timotej of Debar and Kičevo.
Macedonian Church receives tomos of autocephaly from Serbian Church“Today, by the grace of God, we have the opportunity to ratify what already exists between us, this unity that was once disturbed,” Pat. Porfirije stressed.
“>In June 2022, the MOC received a tomos of autocephaly from its Mother Church, the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate, which has since been formally recognized by several other Local Churches.
At the same time, there are those Local Churches, as well as some figures within the MOC itself, who are waiting for the Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant a second tomos of autocephaly. After learning of the negotiations between the Serbian Church and the previously schismatic Macedonian Church, Constantinople recognized the MOC as canonical (though not autocephalous) in Constantinople enters into communion with Macedonian ChurchAccording to the new statement, Constantinople accepts the hierarchy, clergy, and laity of the MOC into communion under the name of “Ohrid,” thus “healing the wound of schism.”
“>May 2022, stipulating that the further administrative situation between the Serbian and Macedonian Churches was a matter for the Serbian Church to decide.
Serbian Church accepts Macedonian Church as canonical body with broad autonomyThe interruption of liturgical and canonical communion caused by the Macedonian Church’s 1967 schism is ended, and “full liturgical and canonical communion is established.” The Macedonian Church has an estimated 2 million members.
“>Later that month, the Serbian Church made an independent decision to receive the Macedonian Church back into communion as an autonomous Church within the Patriarchate, and the next month it granted the aforementioned autocephaly.
Met. Timotej, who is also the spokesman for the MOC Holy Synod appeared on Macedonian television recently, reports Religija.mk. When asked why, in the two years since the Serbian Church granted autocephaly, Constantinople has not done the same, he noted that negotiations continue, but “There are some questions that from a canonical point of view at this moment we can’t accept, and they insist on something that is unacceptable in our opinion and according to the canons.”
He then clarified that the impasse is specifically due to the MOC’s stance towards the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
“The ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine’ is a non-canonical church. They were ordained without grace,” Met. Timotej explained.
Macedonian Church rejects communion with Ukrainian schismaticsThe Holy Synod of the MOC decided to wait until the OCU’s status is finalized for the whole Church.
“>In March of last year, decided “not to concelebrate with the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine until the full resolution of its status in the fullness of Orthodoxy.”
It’s also known that the Constantinople is so against the idea of the MOC using the title “Macedonian” that it insists it not even refer to itself as such for its own internal uses, as His Eminence Metropolitan Petar of Prespa and Pelagonia Constantinople doesn’t want Macedonian Church to use its own name even for internal use, says MOC hierarchHis Eminence Metropolitan Petar of Prespa and Pelagonia’s comments to TV Thelma come against the background of the question of the MOC’s precise status within the Orthodox world.
“>has explained.
However, Macedonian-Ohrid Church issues statement on its name and autocephalyThe hierarchs of the Synod gathered in a regular session yesterday, February 21. Among the topics discussed was the Church’s relations with other Local Churches.
“>the MOC Synod explicitly understands itself as the guardian of the Church’s statutory order and norms, including its full name of “Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric.”
***
Overall, the autocephaly of the Macedonian Church is recognized by the Churches of of Russian Church officially recognizes autocephaly of Macedonian ChurchAs a sign of this recognition, the name of the MOC primate His Eminence Archbishop Stephan of Ohrid will be inscribed in the sacred diptychs.
“>Russia, Polish Church officially recognizes Macedonian Orthodox ChurchThe Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church gathered in Warsaw on Tuesday under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, with the participation of every bishop of the Polish Church.”>Poland, Primate of Macedonian Orthodox Church added to diptychs of Ukrainian Orthodox ChurchThe UOC thus recognizes the MOC as both canonical and autocephalous.”>Ukraine, Bulgarian Church recognizes autocephaly of Macedonian Church, but without title “Ohrid”Another Local Church has recognized not only the canonicity of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric (MOC) but also its autocephalous status, as granted it by the Serbian Orthodox Church.”>Bulgaria, Romanian Church recognizes Macedonian-Ohrid autocephaly (updated)The autocephaly of the Macdonian CHurch is now recognized by the Churches of Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania, in addition to the Serbian Church.”>Romania, and the Czech-Slovak Church recognizes Macedonian-Ohrid autocephalyThe canonicity and autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric has been officially recognized by the Holy Synod of another Local Orthodox Church.”>Czech Lands and Slovakia, in addition to the Serbian Church that granted it.
Meanwhile, the Churches of Constantinople enters into communion with Macedonian ChurchAccording to the new statement, Constantinople accepts the hierarchy, clergy, and laity of the MOC into communion under the name of “Ohrid,” thus “healing the wound of schism.”
“>Constantinople, Greek Synod objects to name and territory of Macedonian Orthodox ChurchThe Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece welcomes the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s decision to recognize the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric as canonical, but has “serious objections and reservations” about the Serbian Church’s decision to grant it autocephaly.”>Greece, Antiochian Synod officially recognizes Macedonian Orthodox ChurchThe Antiochian Orthodox Church is the latest Local Church to officially recognize and enter into communion with the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric.”>Antioch, Georgian Church enters into communion with Macedonian ChurchThe Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church resolved to enter into communion with the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric at its session on Tuesday.”>Georgia, and Albanian Church enters into communion with Macedonian-Ohrid ChurchFebruary has been a momentous month for the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric, as the Holy Synods of no less than four Local Churches have resolved to enter into communion with it.”>Albania recognize the Macedonian Church as canonical but not autocephalous.
MOC hierarchs and clergy have also concelebrated with hierarchs and clergy from the Macedonian concelebrations with Jerusalem, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Greek, Ukrainian Churches in Holy Land (+VIDEO)The Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric continues its journey towards full acceptance in the Orthodox world after it recently received a tomos of autocephaly from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
“>Churches of Jerusalem and the Orthodox Church in America, though their Synods haven’t formally addressed the issue.
Thus far, there have no been Synodal decisions from or concelebrations with hierarchs or clergy of the Churches of Alexandria and Cyprus.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!