Patriarch Kirill of Moscow expressed his heartfelt condolences to Archbishop Stefan of Ohrid following the passing of Metropolitan Timothy of Debar.
In his message, the Patriarch of Moscow described Metropolitan Timothy as “a man of deep faith who devoted himself to working for the good of the Macedonian Church.” He added, “I was fortunate to meet him in person more than once. The news of his passing reverberates with pain in my heart.”
The Russian Orthodox Church was among the first to welcome the granting of “autocephaly” to the Church of Skopje by Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia. In August 2022, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church officially recognized the “Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archdiocese” as an autocephalous Sister Church. This recognition included adding the name of its Primate, called as “Archbishop Stefan of Macedonia,” to the diptychs.
The Serbian Orthodox Church, long allied with the Russian Church, was instrumental in addressing the ecclesiastical status of the Church of North Macedonia. In May 2022, the Patriarchate of Serbia announced its readiness to resolve the issue, paving the way for broader recognition.
Anticipating these developments, the Ecumenical Patriarchate also acted to recognize the Ohrid Archdiocese, bringing its hierarchy, clergy, and laity under Archbishop Stefan into Eucharistic communion. The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, however, made it clear that the terms “Macedonian” and other derivatives of “Macedonia” were excluded. The name “Archdiocese of Ohrid” was officially recognized, leaving the administrative resolution of its relationship with the Church of Serbia to the latter’s jurisdiction.
Translated from Russian by: Konstantinos Menyktas
