A Strict Message from Metropolitan Irinaios of Florina on Irredentist Displays and Divisive Messages in Macedonia
The instruction to priests, the role of the State, and the clear line between tradition and nationalism
By MAKIS ADAMOPOULOS
Slavic-language songs with irredentist content, performed recently at a village festival in Florina, have provoked strong reactions in the local community. Residents and local organizations describe a long-standing phenomenon and ask that tradition be separated from political exploitation, while the matter is heading to the courts following a complaint.
In response to the attempted instrumentalization of local customs, the local dialect, and folk tradition to promote divisive messages, Metropolitan Irinaios of Florina, Prespes and Eordaia, intervenes in a calm yet institutionally resolute manner, speaking exclusively to “Orthodoxi Alitheia” about the need to safeguard social cohesion and historical truth.
In recent years, certain events, songs, or slogans heard at festivals and cultural events have at times sparked discussion. Please describe exactly what is happening and how you deal with such incidents. Do you consider these isolated incidents occurring at some festivals, or do you see behind them a more systematic effort to cultivate irredentist attitudes in the region?
The region of Western Macedonia has a deep history, a rich cultural tradition, and people who love their homeland. Festivals, songs, dances, and the local dialect are part of this tradition, and they are certainly not what troubles us. What concerns us is that, unfortunately, in some cases an attempt is made to use them to pass on irredentist messages that have nothing to do with the authentic cultural expression of the place. When a song, a slogan, or an event is used to convey messages that distort historical truth or foster divisive attitudes, the boundaries of tradition have been overstepped.
It would not be responsible to speak of a single organized plan without evidence. But when the same messages recur in a similar manner and on different occasions, we can no longer treat them simply as innocent or accidental incidents. We deal with them calmly, with discernment and clear boundaries, without shouting, but also without silence when the instrumentalization of local tradition is attempted. I do not consider it right for individuals, associations, or entire local communities to be targeted indiscriminately. We fully respect the local dialect. But we cannot accept its use as a vehicle for messages that divide the local community and falsify historical truth.
In your view, where does cultural tradition end and where does the effort to convey messages that may have an irredentist character begin?
Cultural tradition is a vast subject, but it requires care. It ends where it ceases to express the memory and culture of a place and begins to be used to serve nationalist political aims.
I repeat: the local dialect, as it exists in the region, is one thing; song and dance as elements of local tradition are another; and the use of all these as means of conveying messages that call historical truth into question or cultivate divisions among people is something else entirely. Tradition should frighten no one. On the contrary, it is a treasure for a place and connects generations to one another. The problem begins when it is instrumentalized and acquires a content different from the one that historically and culturally belongs to it. That is why discernment and clear boundaries are needed: to respect and preserve authentic local tradition, without allowing it to be used as a vehicle for purposes that divide society or cultivate attitudes that lead us down dark paths.
When messages that distort historical truth and local identity are attempted through music, dances, or slogans, what should be the delimiting role of the Church and of local leadership, and what is your own practical instruction to the priests of the Metropolis?
The Church cannot remain silent when historical truth is falsified or when cultural tradition is used to pass on divisive messages. Its role is neither partisan nor political, but it is deeply pastoral and responsible. It must serve truth, unity, and the peace of society and, when necessary, set clear boundaries.
The same applies to local leadership. The State, Local Government, and institutional bodies cannot approach such issues with awkwardness or indifference. Responsibility, vigilance, and a steady stance are needed, so that free cultural expression, historical truth, and social cohesion are all protected.
Our instruction to the priests of our Metropolis is absolutely clear: to be close to the people and to respect the traditions and the local dialect of the region, but not to allow their presence or participation to be taken as acceptance or legitimization of ahistorical and divisive messages, which, moreover, are staged in such a way as to produce images that are then broadcast abroad.
The Church must be present in the life of society with discernment, a clear voice, and firm boundaries. Love for all does not mean silence in the face of whatever divides.
“My message is clear: Let us protect our land, its history, its social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence.”
“Respect for tradition is one thing, and its instrumentalization is another. When a cultural element is used to convey malicious rhetoric, it ceases to serve culture and serves other agendas.”
In a region like Florina, which lies on the border and has particular historical and cultural sensitivities, how important is it to safeguard social peace and national unity?
In a frontier region like Florina, social peace and national unity are a matter of substance, not merely of good relations. They are basic preconditions for the region to move forward with security, unity, and prospects. The people of the area know well what it means to live on the border. They have a strong faith in Christ, a historical memory, distinctive cultural roots, and a powerful bond with their land. These should never become grounds for division, but a source of strength, cohesion, and cooperation.
Our Church bears a particular responsibility to serve this unity, to cultivate peace, and to remind everyone that what unites us is greater and stronger than what could divide us. National unity does not mean uniformity. It does not mean that we must all express ourselves in the same way or lose our distinctive characteristics. It means that, despite our differences, we know what unites us and what our shared responsibility is toward our homeland, our history, and future generations.
Especially in a border region, every word or action that creates artificial divisions wounds society all the more. That is why prudence, unity, and joint effort are needed. Our border land needs unity, presence, and shared responsibility. Because only a united society can keep the borders alive and the land standing.
Would you like, on this occasion, to send a message to the residents of Florina, and to those who take part in or organize such events, about what must be protected in the region and what must not be instrumentalized? At the same time, is there a fine line separating respect for cultural tradition and local idioms from their instrumentalization for purposes that divide and polarize local society?
My message is simple and clear: let us protect our land, its history, its social cohesion, and the peaceful coexistence of its people. Let us respect tradition, local customs, music, dances, and the local dialect. All of these are part of the life and memory of our land, and no one has any reason to fear or belittle them.
The line, however, is clear. Respect for tradition is one thing, and its instrumentalization is another. When a cultural element is used to convey malicious rhetoric or to create divisions within local society, it ceases to serve culture and begins to serve other agendas.
I stress this especially when such an event is to be held in the churchyard of a Holy Church. There the responsibility is even greater, because church premises have their own character and cannot become a stage for divisive messages. Church grounds cannot be used in a way that creates the impression that the Church accepts or legitimizes such messages.
Those who organize such events also bear responsibility. A cultural event can unite a place, highlight its history, and bring people closer together. It must not be turned into a field of confrontation. Let us keep our tradition alive, but let us not allow anyone to use it to divide us.
Do you believe that the State and Local Government are doing their duty to protect national identity and legality, or does the Church feel that it is left alone to bear the burden of this ideological safeguarding?
The Church should not, and cannot, bear such a burden alone. Enforcing legality is the responsibility of the organized State, while safeguarding social cohesion and unity requires a responsible stance from all institutions. The recent visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who showed that he knows the problems and particularities of our region very well, was valuable, beneficial, and supportive for us. We want the State beside us, and we also await the necessary guidance from the competent services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the local bodies of our region. It is true that steps are being taken, but even greater consistency, vigilance, and presence are needed. It is not enough to intervene once a problem has arisen. What is needed is prevention, a clear stance, and steady institutional cooperation.
The Church does not seek to replace the State or to assume a role that does not belong to it. It cooperates institutionally with the legitimately elected government of the day, with Local Government, and with all competent bodies, so that each one consistently assumes the responsibility that falls to it. We will continue to do our duty: to stand beside the people, to cultivate unity, to keep the memory of our land alive, and to serve social peace. For let us never forget that a border land is not sustained by laws and decisions alone. It is sustained when its people can remain here, start families, work, enjoy the present, and plan for the future.
Republished from the newspaper “Orthodoxi Alitheia”
