Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos gave answers in an interview that addressed questions that could concern both the citizens of Northern Macedonia and some Churches with potential aspirations to exert influence in the country.
Speaking to a TV channel in North Macedonia, Metropolitan Kyrillos emphasized that it was a shame for the Church that Serbia had granted the Archdiocese of Ohrid the “Tomos of Autocephaly.”
“It is a shame. While all the old Patriarchates and the younger Churches never did such a thing, one of the new Patriarchates, and perhaps the youngest Patriarch in the Order, Porfirije of Serbia, committed this great sin. To grant Autocephaly. To where? To a church that they had isolated for more than 50-60 years, tormenting it, slandering it, accusing it, speaking with the worst words about it, establishing another church within this church to control the situation, and when they saw that things were taking a different turn with the attitude of the Russian Church, unfortunately the Serbs joined the Russian Church, became instruments of the Russian Church, and on the suggestion of the Russian Church committed this great sin, to give this false paper of Autocephaly. It doesn’t exist, it’s a fake, and it’s not recognized by anybody except the Russians, who did it for specific reasons, and unfortunately this saddens us, some hierarchs here didn’t understand the game that the Russians are playing with the Serbs”.
The Metropolitan of Imbros added that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been trying for years to find a solution to the issue of the Church of North Macedonia, but those who resisted were the Serbs. He recounted that after the Prespa Agreement, the Ecumenical Patriarch, in consultation with the governments of Skopje and Athens, literally begged the Serbs to come to the table to find a solution. However, he described how the late Patriarch Irinej did not respond to the Ecumenical Patriarch’s letters. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, out of love and respect, did not want to do anything that would ignore the Serbs. The Patriarch does not come to intervene and conquer; the Ecumenical Patriarchate wants to help the local churches to move forward, to be free, and to be able to help the people, because that is the mission of every local church.
After the election of Patriarch Porfirije and after sending two letters to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, he wrote in the third letter that if they did not respond, we would proceed on our own. But the answer received was a bad mockery of the Ecumenical Patriarch, as the Metropolitan of Imbros stated. He wrote, yes, let’s meet, but not now, because I have to go to the hot springs for treatment, and Archbishop Stefen will do the same. And then we hear that they met in Nis and agreed on things behind the back of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and with the suggestions of the Russian Church. These are dishonest things. And then the Phanar said, I am exercising the right of appeal requested by the hierarchs of Ohrid. I give them cononicality, we recognize them, and this is a big thing. And theν, with the Russians worried that they might lose this country too because this is Russia’s goal, the imposition also in this country, they quickly made the Serbs give this fake Tomos, which in reality captured the Church of Ohrid because no one recognized this autocephaly.
As the Metropolitan of Imbros added, what hurts the Ecumenical Patriarchate the most are all the lies that have been heard lately and have frozen all these efforts towards canonicality. It has been said that the Patriarchate is coming to subjugate the Church. This is not true at all. On the contrary, it could be said, that you are a Metropolis of the Serbian Church, I recognize you as such, and that’s it. Like now, where the Church of Ohrid is a Metropolis of the Serbian Church, just like the Archdiocese of America and the Archdiocese of Australia are for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is not an Autocephalous Church. To what extent does it act as an Autocephalous Church without asking and doing what Russia and Serbia impose on it?
Regarding the issue of the name, Metropolitan Kyrillos mentioned that the Ecumenical Patriarchate said that we will give a name that will not be national, but purely ecclesiastical. And it gives the name Archdiocese of Ohrid, with a 1000-year history. In a new church, it gives it a 1000-year history! And they do not want it. They do not want it!
He added that first there must be recognition and liturgical cooperation with the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine. Let the 15th church be recognized so that we can move on to the 16th.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
