by Efi Efthymiou
The Archdiocese of Ohrid is aligning itself with the aspirations and stance of the new -nationalist- government in Skopje, thereby undermining the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s two-year efforts to restore Eucharistic communion with the Church of Greece’s neighboring country, following nearly half a century of estrangement.
Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid spoke to a television station in his country, addressing questions about the timing and conditions under which he will receive the Tomos of Autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
He emphasized that it is not possible to estimate when the Autocephaly will be granted. “It could be tomorrow, it could be the day after tomorrow. We should be focusing on the Church and build relations with other local Orthodox Churches. ‘When the time comes, this will happen’ as the Apostle Paul said,” he stressed.
Then, he spoke of “unacceptable conditions” associated with the granting of Autocephaly. “If the Ecumenical Patriarchate grants us a Tomos, we will accept it, but the conditions imposed on us are unacceptable. They ask us to abandon the name Macedonian Orthodox Church, abandon the Macedonian diaspora and recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” said Archbishop of Ohrid.
He added that meeting some of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s requests will be challenging, particularly those related to the name of the Church and the diaspora.
“We have our own name, and it does not belong to anyone else. No one should ask us to abandon it. The name of our Church is the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archdiocese. Both names are integral to our Church’s identity,” said Metropolitan Stefan.
Two years ago, the Archbishop of Ohrid adopted two distinct stances when the Ecumenical Patriarch brought the Church of the Balkan country into Eucharistic communion. On one hand, there was adherence to the principles advocated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as evidenced by statements like “patiently waiting for the Tomos of Autocephaly.” On the other hand, there were more provocative declarations, such as “Ohrid belongs to the Greek-speaking, we are called Macedonians.”
The position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was clear from the beginning. On May 9, 2022, the Holy Synod declared its recognition of “Ohrid” as the name of this Church, referring specifically to the jurisdiction within the territory of the state of North Macedonia. This decision came after its Primate pledged in writing to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, omitting the terms “Macedonian” and any other derivatives of the word “Macedonia.”
The… “Autocephaly” granted to the Ohrid Archdiocese by the Patriarchate of Serbia, along with the eagerness of the Church of Russia to recognize it, may have emboldened Archbishop Stefan, particularly following the election of the ultra-nationalist VMRO party to govern the country.
Already, the leaders of the new government, including the president and prime minister, have been swift to challenge the Prespa Agreement signed with Greece, reaffirming their country’s identity as “Macedonia”.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
