History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

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  • Stevce
    replied
    Anyone know if this article was accurate?
    How many countries acknowledge the Macedonian Orthodox church?
    Orthodox priests in Macedonia have been angered by comments made by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew saying that they belong to a “pseudo church organisation”.

    Leave a comment:


  • George S.
    replied
    that's a good concise history of the church lwr.

    Leave a comment:


  • History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

    History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

    A Brief History of the Church question in Macedonia

    Република Македонија се наоѓа во срцето на Балканскиот Полуостров со површина од 25,713 км2 и со популација од над 2 милиони жители.


    Google Translator -

    1) The Republic of Macedonia is situated in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula with an area of ​​25.713 km2 and a population of over 2 million. Macedonia is the country of origin of the Macedonian people and several other minorities living in it. Besides the 1.6 million Macedonians live in Macedonia (who are Orthodox Christians), more than 1.5 million Macedonians living and working outside of Macedonia (as in neighboring countries and in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia ...) .

    Several years after the breakup of Yugoslavia, on April 8, 1993, Macedonia became the 181st member of the United Nations (UN), but because of the name dispute with Greece, is recognized as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Under its constitutional name "Republic of Macedonia" has been recognized by over 100 countries including Russia, USA and China, and Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, etc..

    Despite the clear decision rule 17 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, which says that the organization of ecclesiastical districts should be appropriate to the state and civil organization, the Church in the Republic of Macedonia known political reasons and to this day are denied the right to autonomy.


    2) The abolition of nekanonskoto autocephalous Ohrid Archdiocese in 1767, effected by a decision of the Turkish sultan, upon request of the Ecumenical Patriarch Samuel I until World War Repubika present dioceses of Macedonia are under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchate. After the First World War the territorial dioceses fell under Serbian occupation of state and moved it under the administration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. With the onset of World War II Serbian bishops, together with his army and police, fled the dioceses managed only 20 years old and in their place came the bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. After the Second World War, Macedonia existed as a separate federal state within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

    Following the end of the Second World War the Orthodox clergy and faithful of the Republic. Macedonia urged the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to native ordained bishops for pastoral greater stability and efficiency of the Church. On October 5, 1958 by decision of the Clergy and Laity Assembly in Ohrid Dositheus Bishop, a native of Macedonia, Vicar of the Serbian Patriarch German, was enthroned Archbishop of 83 of the restored Ohrid Archbishopric, which for the state in which the act was named the Macedonian Orthodox Church, and he - the title Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia.

    Holy Bishops' Synod of the SOC in the June 1959 decision (No. AS.. 6/zap. 57) which confirms that "dioceses in the Republic. Macedonia is separated into an independent Church, which will be managed by the Constitution adopted the Macedonian Clergy and Laity Assembly since 1958 "and that" this decision, the following provisions of the Constitution of the SOC bishops and hierarchs of the People's Republic of Macedonia ". Because of the need to establish an independent Synod, the Serbian Patriarch German, Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia Dositheus Bachkiot Bishop and Nicanor, the 19th 07th 1959 in Skopje newly consecrated bishop of Prespa and Bitola. This created conditions for the formation of Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. For this Patriarch German with his letter, synodal registered under no. 515, from May 31, 1961, notify the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras.

    On July 16, 1967 the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the restored Ohrid Archbishopric, the Clergy and Laity Assembly in Ohrid, in accordance with previously established practice of other Churches, is declared local autocephalous Orthodox Church, after which SOC unilaterally broke communion with her. Sosluzhuvanjeto bishops of the Orthodox Church with bishops of other Orthodox Churches to this day happens only informally and without public disclosure. Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia the Great Procession always mentions the names of the Heads of the local Orthodox Churches.

    3) According to its Constitution and in its action and learning, the Macedonian Orthodox Church keeps holy dogmas and holy canons of the Orthodox Faith set of sacred ecumenical council, and all the Holy Tradition of the Church inherited from the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Divine Spirit enlightened .

    4) The Macedonian Orthodox Church has 13 dioceses, of which 7 are in Macedonia and 6 in the Diaspora. The dioceses currently manage 10 bishops who assist over 500 active priests. MPC has about 500 parishes, with more than 2,000 churches and monasteries. Ten years ago are renewed about twenty monasteries who today live more than 100 monks and nuns. With independence, the Macedonian Orthodox Church has established Secondary School and Theological Orthodox Theological Faculty in Skopje.

    5) The Macedonian Orthodox Church respects and never interfere in the canonical jurisdiction of other local Orthodox Churches.

    6) In Nis draft agreement in 2002 between the Macedonian and the Serbian Church, were satisfactorily resolved all disputes between them canonical and liturgical problems of both Churches. The only contentious issue for SOC remained the name of our Holy Church and its status. Our Church pastoral reasons, insisted on the name 'Macedonian Orthodox Church' and independent status, the Serbian Orthodox Church, for political reasons (does not recognize the existence of the Macedonian people), insisted on the name Ohrid Archbishopric and autonomous status. All theological and historical facts show that the problem of the name of our Church has no church, but purely political grounds, while the term which will formulate its organizational status, ie 'autonomy' or 'independence', not only formally but crucial importance, given that essence of the status was defined by the content of Niš draft agreement. Mon and rejection of this working document, mainly because of disagreement over the name, after the Serbian Orthodox Church realized that fail to change our name, it unilaterally suspended talks with the Macedonian Orthodox Church, and ever since trying to organize a parallel R Church. Macedonia through the support given to the deposed by our former Povardarie Metropolitan Church. We thank God that so far every attempt to divide SOC our Orthodox people and create a parallel church remained unsuccessful. For pastoral wrong approach, SPC never got and never get liturgical "amen" of the Orthodox people in the Republic. Macedonia, without which they or one of its decision not true and nothing can be done in our area.

    7) Similar cases in the Orthodox Church existed before, but decided in the short term and brotherly love way. This is especially important because we live in a time of subtle persecution of the Church, and because the testimony of Christ that the world expects from us. The American Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which no one else except Russia does not recognize all concelebrate. Albanian Orthodox Church, although disorganized, the very setting of Archbishop Anastasios was recognized as autocephalous. Georgian Orthodox Church, soon after the independence of the Georgian state from the former Soviet Union, received tomos of autocephaly from the Patriarchate of Constantinople and so on.

    8) Given that all information obtained directly or by those who deny us suffer from one-sidedness and bias, it would have rejoiced when the official or unofficial delegation or member of your holy Church publicly and without informing the public, would have visited Pravoslvna Macedonian Church and personally convinced of the above are written, that we are alive, active and organized Orthodox Church. Church that lives permanently Mystery of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, your sister-local Church.


    Christianity in Macedonia and the Balkans, first preach and expands the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys, which is evident from Acts. On these trips accompanying his apostles and Luke, Timothy, and Tychicus Force which are themselves independent of the Apostle Paul's work on the Christianization of the region. Through Macedonia and preaching of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called who sets the Apostle Urban first bishop in Macedonia. Apostle was first bishop Silouan in Thessaloniki and in Adria Epafrodit or Adrijakija (border station of Thrace). What does that even then laid the foundations of an organized Church. I mentioned here that the Apostles Aristarchus and Secundus were Thessalonians, Epafrodit was from Philippi, and Guy of Dober (Dervish), which is located between Strumica and since then Valandovo. At that time Macedonia was under Roman rule were so often changed its borders. As a result of the Christianization in the first three centuries, at the beginning of IV century Christians in Macedonia had an organized church with church hierarchy, whose bishops regularly participated at the ecumenical councils.

    In the V century the whole territory of Macedonia, there are several metropolises and the bishops of which were known Thessaloniki, Skopje, Heraclea, and Bargala Stobi. In this peroiod and throughout the territory of Macedonia popping Christian basilicas.

    During the reign of Emperor Justinian I (527-565), who came from the village. Tavrision, near Skopje today, was built a new town called Justiniana Prima, near the birthplace of the emperor. Metropolitan Skupskiot was elevated to the level of autocephalous Archbishop. Cathellian was the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese Justiniana Prima at the time the third honor among local Churches, after Rome and Constantinople. There were other archbishops, such as: Benenatus, Paul, John I, Leon, and the last - John IX, who participated in the 680-681 year Trullo Council in Constantinople.

    The work of the Apostle Paul and Holy Emperor Justinian I continue the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples Saints Clement and Naum of Ohrid. In the second half of X century as part of Samuel's state, the autocephalous Ohrid Archdiocese, based on the Prima Justiniana the rank of patriarchate. After the fall of Samuel, was reduced to the rank of Archdiocese and existed as such for eight centuries, until 1767 when it was abolished by the Turkish Sultan Mustafa III, and its dioceses were annexed to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. From this moment on Macedonian people made all possible efforts for its recovery. Its dioceses were under several jurisdictions from neighboring Orthodox Churches. Particularly fierce battles were conducted in the second half of the XIX and early XX century, but favorable conditions for the restoration of the independence created only during the Second World War (1941-45 d).. Before the end of the war, in 1944 village Vranovci an Initiative Board for Organisation of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. In the month of March 1945 in Skopje, at the First Clergy and Laity Assembly adopted the resolution which is to restore the Ohrid Archbishopric, as the Macedonian Orthodox Church. This decision was submitted to the Holy Synod of SOC, because before the war part of the dioceses in Macedonia were in the United Orthodox Church of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later - Serbian Orthodox Church. The Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church did not accept this decision, which resulted in the further claims Advisory Board comes forward with some reductions, rather than as an autocephalous, looking to be recognized as an independent Church. But again rejected. In 1958 was held in Ohrid second Macedonian Clergy and Laity Assembly, where the proposal is accepted for renewal of St. Clement of Ohrid Archbishopric, embodied in a separate Macedonian Orthodox Church, and its first bishop was elected Mr. Dositheus.

    The Synod of the SOC agrees with the decisions of the Macedonian Clergy and Laity Assembly in the resolution AS. no. Year 47/1959 and 6 / 1959 CAP. 57 June 17 / 4 1959.

    Decision on the independence of the MPC was confirmed through the completion of the Liturgy together with Serbian Patriarch German, on July 19, 1959 in the church of St. Mina in Skopje, and is simultaneously performed and consecration of Prespa and Bitola bishop Clement. Thus the Holy Synod of SOC gave autonomy to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, that it remains in canonical unity with the SPC through its Patriarch. After several days in the church of St. Nicholas in Stip is consecrated bishop of Zletovo Strumica diocese. Naum. The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church under the Constitution of the MOC, and other administrative bodies in the Archdiocese and the dioceses.

    In May 1962, accompanied by Patriarch German, with some bishops of the SOC, MOC visiting Patriarch of Moscow Alexy came, accompanied by Metropolitan Nicodemus, Bishop Pimen more visokodostoinstvenici the Russian Orthodox Church. On the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church of Our Lady - Kamensko was held in Ohrid and the Liturgy, which served as Patriarch Alexis of Moscow, celebrating with Patriarch German and the Archbishop of Ohrid and the Macedonian Metropolitan Dositheus. It was the first concelebrating the head of the MOC with heads of other autocephalous Churches.

    In 1966 relations with SOC worse again. Mon newly misunderstandings and conflicts, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church on July 17, 1967 in Ohrid called the Third Clergy and Laity Assembly and the solemn meeting in the church of St. Kliment Ohridski declares Macedonian Orthodox Church autocephalous. The act of proclamation of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church during the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the church of St. Clement of Ohrid on July 19, 1967, by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church. Exactly 200 years after its abolition by the Turkish sultan.

    Jurisdiction of the Macedonian Orthodox Church not only extends the territory of Macedonia, but in church communities outside the Republic.
    According to Article 17 of the Proclamation of independence, the Macedonian Orthodox Church as an administrative part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church to the Holy Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the Apostles and the decrees of the ecumenical councils and will be managed in accordance with them by the Constitution of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

    Praying for others at ease, the Macedonian Orthodox Church will always rely on the prayers, blessings and assistance of the older sibling holy local Orthodox Churches.
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