Metropolitan Naoum of Strumica commented on the recent statements by Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid regarding the conditions set by the Ecumenical Patriarchate for granting the Tomos of Autocephaly during an interview to local media. He emphasized that the Bishops of the Church of North Macedonia will steadfastly support their Primate and the decisions of the Holy Synod, one of which is the request for the granting of Autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
“We seek a Tomos that will be recognized universally, not by just two Churches. Any stance we take in the current conflict between Constantinople and Moscow could jeopardize our precious autocephaly and everything we have gained,” said Metropolitan Naoum.
When asked about the three conditions associated with granting the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Archdiocese of Ohrid, which Archbishop Stefan recently rejected, Metropolitan Naoum clarified that the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s request is not to recognize the Church in question but to concelebrate the Divine Liturgy with Bishops of the Church of Ukraine.
“This issue is not insurmountable, especially considering that other Churches have resolved similar problems in this manner. With such a solution, no one will be entirely satisfied—neither Constantinople nor Moscow—but no one should be completely dissatisfied either. It is crucial to maintain ecclesiastical unity as a whole, directly or indirectly,” he stated.
Metropolitan Naoum believes that neither Moscow nor anyone else seeks a full schism. “It is easier to stay in a comfort zone and avoid taking responsibility, but that path never leads to a positive outcome. We will have the right to recognize the autocephaly of a local Church only after we have been granted the Tomos of Autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. If we are truly Orthodox, we must find a way forward, especially since almost all of us have faced similar situations. Ultimately, these matters will be decided by the Holy Synod. The Orthodox leadership faces a significant test: will it succumb to secular influences and dangerous maneuvers, risking a total schism, or will it rise above these challenges? May God preserve our unity.”
The Metropolitan of Strumica emphasized that any request to change the constitutional name is considered impossible. However, he is confident that the Ecumenical Patriarchate will not demand this, as “it is not an ecclesiastical issue.”
He also emphasized that many Churches have taken national aspects into account, albeit without admitting it, because ethnophyletism is condemned as heresy by the entire Orthodox Church. “They justify such characterizations by providing pastoral reasons,” he noted.
Metropolitan Naoum believes that the Ecumenical Patriarchate should have convened a Pan-Orthodox Council by now, “where we would all agree to use names with a national aspect for internal use— for pastoral reasons—while in bilateral relations we should use titles that emphasize unity.
For example, titles like the Patriarchate of Peć, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Archdiocese of Ohrid, the Orthodox Church of Romania, and the Orthodox Church of Albania emphasize unity. In contrast, titles such as the Russian Church, the Serbian Church, the Bulgarian Church, the Macedonian Church, or the Greek Orthodox Church must be avoided since they would intensify divisions.”
The Metropolitan of Strumica expressed hope that the Ecumenical Patriarchate “will not ask us to change our constitutional name and, as a good Mother Church, will grant us the Tomos with all the privileges it has granted to other churches—no more, no less. This would affirm the most sacred, glorious, and essential name of our Church: the Ohrid Archdiocese, along with its historical continuity, which will be recognized by all local Churches.”
He noted that “since ecclesiastical issues have obviously become political, the first to face any potential problems will be our current governments. If we reach this point, it will be too late to repair the damage, which is why prevention is essential.”
Regarding the issue of the diaspora, the Metropolitan of Strumica stressed that there is no significant problem. The only request from the Archdiocese of Ohrid is “that the titles of our Bishops do not coincide with the titles of the Bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is not a major issue.”
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
