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| MOC claims continuity with historical
Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid, an autonomous Eastern Orthodox Church under the tutelage of the Patriarch of Constantinople, which existed between 1019 and 1767, but the claims are not recognized by other Orthodox churches. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Macedonian Orthodox Church (Macedonian: Македонска Православна Црква; MPC, MOC) is an Eastern Orthodox Church in the Republic of Macedonia which declares itself to be autocephalous. It separated from the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1967. Its self-proclaimed autocephaly is not officially recognized by other Orthodox churches.
In March 1945, the People's Republic of Macedonia was created as one of republics of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, governed by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. In Skopje, a Resolution to create the Macedonian Orthodox Church was submitted to the Serbian Orthodox Church who had since 1919 been the sole titulary. This resolution was rejected, but a later one, submitted in 1958, proposing the Ohrid Archdiocese of Saint Clement as a Macedonian Orthodox Church was accepted by the Serbian Orthodox Church on June 17, 1959 under strong pressure from the Communist authorities. Dositheus was appointed the first archbishop. The Macedonian Orthodox Church at that time only held autonomous status but during the Third Clergy and Laity Assembly on July 19, 1967, in Ohrid, the Macedonian Orthodox Church was proclaimed as autocephalous contrary to canon law.
Since the breakup of Yugoslavia and the end of Communist repression of the Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church has been in conflict with the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which has yet to gain recognition from the Patriarchate of Constantinople or any other autocephalous church. The issue of dispute is the anti-canonical method used to gain autocephaly, the issue of the Serb Orthodox minority (at least some 40,000 strong) and the question of some hundreds of Serb Orthodox shrines from the medieval Nemanjić period.
The two Churches had been negotiating the details of a compromise agreement reached in Niš, Serbia in 2002 which would have given the Macedonians de facto independent status just short of canonical autocephaly. However, the agreement, signed by Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid (secular name Jovan Vraniškovski) from the Macedonian side, was rejected by the Macedonian government and the Holy Synod of MOC, and archbishop Jovan was called off. In turn, the Serbian Orthodox Church granted full autonomy to the Archbishopric of Ohrid, its embattled branch in the Republic of Macedonia, in late May 2005 and appointed Jovan as its Archbishop.
The later chain events turned into a vicious circle of mutual accusations and incidents involving SOC and, partly, Serbian government on one side, and MOC, backed by the Macedonian government on the other. The Macedonian side regarded Jovan as a traitor and Serbian puppet. Jovan complained of a new state-backed media campaign against his Church. "They are creating an unstable, explosive atmosphere among the population and are virtually inviting people to lynch us," he told Forum 18 News Service . The government has denied registration of his Church , attacked its places of worship and launched a criminal case against him. He was arrested, removed from his bishopric and then expelled from the country. He returned in 2005 and, after attempting to perform a baptism, he was arrested, sentenced to 18 months in prison and jailed with "extremely limited visitation rights" . Later, in September 2005. he was also accused of embezzlement of church funds at the time when he still was MOC clergyman, the trial being in progress as of January 2006. In turn, SOC denied Macedonian delegation access to the monastery of Prohor Pčinjski, which was the usual site of Macedonian celebration of the national holiday of Ilinden (St. Elijah, August 2 2005 . Macedonian border police often denied Serbian priests entry into the country in clerical garb .
Despite public appeals from both churches for "Christian brotherhood and unity", both sides did little to settle the dispute.
Organization
As of 2005, the Macedonian Orthodox Church is headed by Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia. He presides over the Holy Synod of Hierarchs of the MOC, consisting of 9 metropolitans and titular bishops.
Dioceses on the territory of Republic of Macedonia:
- Diocese of Skopje, headed by His Beatitude Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia;
- Diocese of Polog and Kumanovo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyril;
- Diocese of Debar and Kičevo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Timothy;
- Diocese of Prespa and Pelagonia, the administrator is the Most Reverend Metropolitan Peter;
- Diocese of Strumica, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Nahum;
- Diocese of Bregalnica, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Agathangel;
- Diocese of Povardarie, the administrator is the Most Reverend Metropolitan Timothy
Outside the country, the MOC is pastorally active in 6 dioceses in the diaspora. The 13 dioceses of the MOC are governed by ten Episcopes, with around 500 active priests in about 500 parishes with over 2000 churches and monasteries. The church claims jurisdiction of about twenty living monasteries, with more than 100 monks.
Decision For The Proclamation of the Autocephality of the Macedonia Orthodox Church
- The Macedonian Orthodox Church, successor to the restored Ohrid Archbishopric, is proclaimed autocephalous.
- The head of the autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church is the Archbishop that holds the title "Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia". The present head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, his Beatitude Archbishop Stephen is bestowed with the title "Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia".
- The diocese of the autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church is concurrent with the borders of the Macedonian national state, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
- The autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church, being part of the one holy ecumenical apostolic Church, accepts and protects the Bible, the rules of all ecumenical and indigenous Councils, as other autocephalous orthodox churches do, and discards all other schismatic teachings.
- The autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church is steered in accordance with the Bible, the Holy Traditions, the Apostolic Rules, canons of the holy ecumenical and indigenous councils and the Constitution of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
- A copy of this Decision is to be sent to all autocephalous Orthodox churches, as well as to all eparchies and church communities of the autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church.
- The proclamation of this decision is to take place before the National Church Council of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the clergy and the devout Christians on the holy Service in the church St. Clement in Ohrid.
External links
- Macedonian Orthodox Church - the official site
- Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral Sts Peter and Paul-Crown Point, IN, USA
- Macedonian Orthodox Church Dormition of the Virgin Mary (St. Mary) - Columbus, Ohio, USA
- St. Clement of Ohrid Cathedral in Toronto, first Macedonian Orthodox Church in Canada
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