The Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized the Orchid Archdiocese after the discussion on the issue of the Orthodox Church in Macedonia at the Holy Synod.
Patriarch Bartholomew thanked the people and the clergy who are under Archbishop Stefano Valjevski of Ohrid and Macedonia, who, as he said, "is his Orthodox brother who healed his wounds", according to the official announcement of the Office of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Also, he recognized the name of this church as "Archbishopric of Ohrid", which means that the area of its jurisdiction is only within the borders of the state of North Macedonia.
The Patriarch emphasized that he excludes the term "Macedonian Church" from use, as well as all derivatives of the word "Macedonia".
U In connection with the status of the Macedonian Church, there was a multi-decade dispute because its autocephaly was not recognized even after more than half a century since it separated from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Namely, the Ohrid Patriarchate unilaterally declared autocephaly in 1967, but other canonical churches never recognized that decision.
The Serbian Orthodox Church considered that dialogue was necessary, but did not change its position that the solution to the problem is on an "authentically canonical basis", which in practice means that autocephaly can only be approved by the "mother church", in this case the Serbian Orthodox Church. However, the Macedonian Church considered that the decision was made by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
After the Ukrainian precedent, i.e. the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch based in Istanbul who approved the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in January 2019, which separated from Russia despite its opposition, the question arose as to whether there will be a dialogue and a solution to the problem of the independence of the Macedonian Orthodox Church churches.
The Russian Orthodox Church recognizes the exclusive canonical rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North Macedonia, said the secretary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk.
"The position of the RPC will first of all take into account the approach to the problem of the Serbian Church, which we still recognize as having exclusive canonical rights in North Macedonia," said the secretary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Igor Jakimchuk, RTS reported.
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