By Efi Efthimiou
There is no statement regarding the forthcoming visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to Skopje and the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly that was made during the recent visit of Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos to the Holy Monastery of Bigorski in the neighboring country.
The above was stated to orthodoxtimes.com by sources of the Monastery, after the inconvenience caused by a publication of a Skopje website.
Specifically, the report said that during his visit to the Monastery, Kirill said that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will visit North Macedonia this year and personally hand over the Tomos of Autocephaly to Archbishop Stefan.
This, however, was not said by either the Metropolitan of Imbros or by any hierarch of North Macedonia, as sources of the Bigorski Monastery assure orthodoxtimes.com.
In fact, this can be seen if one observes the video with the statements of Metropolitan Timotheos of Devron and Kitsavida and Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros.
In the video, Mr. Timotheos is heard stating “(…) we expect His All-Holiness to come to Ohrid and grant us the Tomos, which is the long-awaited moment when the Orthodox people expect us from the Ecumenical Patriarch (…)”, and then his statements are interrupted by the applause of those present.
According to the same sources, “apart from these statements, nothing about [Tomos] was said anywhere by anyone.”
(Watch the video with the statements of Metropolitan Timotheos at 4:00:33)
