Macedonian Orthodox Church
The
Macedonian Orthodox Church or
MOC (in
Macedonian:
Македонска Православна Црква or
МПЦ) is an
Eastern Orthodox Church in the
Republic of Macedonia. The church is consisted of 10 dioceses (seven in the country and three abroad), 10 bishops and a number of priests. The Macedonian Orthodox Church celebrates its feasts according to the
Julian calendar (old style) and services are held in
Macedonian or in
Old Church Slavonic language.The church declares itself to be
autocephalous. It separated from the
Serbian Orthodox Church in
1967. Its self-proclaimed autocephaly is not officially recognized by other
Orthodox churches.
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Lamentation of Christ (1164). Fresco from Nerezi near Skopje |
Origins
In 1019 an
Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid was established within the borders of
Bulgaria. In 1767 the Archbishopric was abolished by the Turkish authorities and annexed to the
Patriarchate of Constantinople. Efforts were made in 19 and the first part of 20 century to restore the Archdiocese, and in 1870 it became part of the
Bulgarian Exarchate until 1913. As
Vardar Macedonia became part of Serbia after
World War I, since 1918 and before the
World War II several of the Bulgarian Exarchate's dioceses became part of the
Serbian Orthodox Church. The Macedonian Orthodox Church claims to be the restored Ohrid Archbishopric, although these claims are not recognized by any other Orthodox Churches.
Struggle for autocephaly
In March
1945, the
People's Republic of Macedonia was created as one of republics of
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, governed by the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia. In
1944, in
Skopje, a
Resolution of
Archdiocese of Ohrid restoration as
Macedonian Orthodox Church was submitted to the
Serbian Orthodox Church who had since
1919 been the sole titulary. This resolution was rejected, but a later one, submitted in
1958, proposing the
Ohrid Archdiocese of
Saint Clement as a Macedonian Orthodox Church was accepted (
June 17,
1959) under strong pressure from the Communist authorities.
Dositheus was appointed the first
archbishop. The Macedonian Orthodox Church at that time only held autonomous status.
Serbian Orthodox Church agreed with these decisions in the resolution AS. No 47/1959 and 6/1959, minutes 57 of June 17/4, 1959. That agreement was celebrated in a common
liturgy by the Macedonian priests and the Serbian Patriarch German in
1959 in
Skopje, as a sign that Serbian church recognizes an autonomy of the Macedonian church. In
1962 Serbian Patriarch German and Russian Patriarch Alexis visited the Macedonian Orthodox Church. On the feast of Saints Methodius and Cyril in Ohrid two patriarchs and the Macedonian Metropolitan Dositej concelebrated
Holy Liturgy as the first liturgy of the head of the Macedonian church with heads of other Orthodox churches.
During the
Third Clergy and
Laity Assembly on
July 19,
1967, in Ohrid, the Macedonian Orthodox Church was self-proclaimed as autocephalous, which was the official public will of the people in the
Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
Many Orthodox Churches admit the faithful of the Macedonian Orthodox Church to communion. The hierarchy of some Churches serve with the priests of MOC, but will not serve liturgically with the hierarchy of MOC. Some also recognise the need for MOC clergy to be able to serve with hierarchs from outside MOC, and to provide an open channel for the resolution of various pastoral problems MOC clergy cannot resolve within MOC.
Since the breakup of
Yugoslavia and the end of Communist repression of the Church, the
Serbian Orthodox Church has been in conflict with the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which has yet to gain recognition from the
Patriarchate of Constantinople or any other autocephalous church. The issue of dispute is the method used to gain autocephaly, the issue of the
Serb Orthodox minority (according to the last census, there are 40,000 citizens of the country declared as Serbs) and the question of some hundreds of Serb Orthodox
shrines from the medieval
Nemanjić period. It is also persumed that the name
Macedonian is a matter of dispute regarding the
Greek Orthodox Church.
The two Churches had been negotiating the details of a compromise agreement reached in
Niš, Serbia in
2002, which would have given the
Macedonians de facto independent status just short of
canonical autocephaly. However, the agreement, signed by
Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid (secular name Zoran Vraniškovski) from the Macedonian side, was rejected by the Macedonian government and the Holy Synod of MOC, and archbishop Jovan was called off. In turn, the Serbian Orthodox Church granted full autonomy to the
Archbishopric of Ohrid, its embattled branch in the
Republic of Macedonia, in late May 2005 and appointed Jovan as its Archbishop.
The later chain of events turned into a
vicious circle of mutual accusations and incidents involving SOC and, partly, Serbian government on one side, and MOC, backed by the Macedonian government on the other. The Macedonian side regarded Jovan as a traitor and Serbian puppet. Jovan complained of a new state-backed media campaign against his Church.
"They are creating an unstable, explosive atmosphere among the population and are virtually inviting people to lynch us," he told
Forum 18 News Service [
2]. The government has denied registration of his Church [
3], attacked its places of worship and launched a criminal case against him. He was arrested, removed from his bishopric and then expelled from the country. He returned in 2005 and, after attempting to perform a
baptism, he was arrested, sentenced to 18 months in prison [
4] and jailed [
5] with "extremely limited visitation rights" [
6]. On
March 19th,
2006, after spending 220 days in prison, archbishop Jovan was released [
7].
Also, a much gerater impact for the decision of Jovan's arrest made his financial malversations, that is, his inappropriate usage of the church fund. In September
2005 he was also accused of
embezzlement of church funds at the time when he still was MOC clergyman.
In turn, SOC denied Macedonian delegation access to the monastery of
Prohor Pčinjski, which was the usual site of Macedonian celebration of the national holiday of
Ilinden uprising (
St. Elijah),
August 2 [
8]. Macedonian border police often denied Serbian priests entry into the country in clerical garb [
9].
Despite public appeals from both churches for "Christian brotherhood and unity", both sides did little to settle the dispute.
As of 2005, the Macedonian Orthodox Church is headed by Archbishop
Stephen of Ohrid and
Macedonia. He presides over the Holy Synod of Hierarchs of the MOC, consisting of 9
metropolitans and titular
bishops.
Dioceses on the territory of Republic of Macedonia:
#Diocese of
Skopje, headed by His Beatitude Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia;#Diocese of Polog and
Kumanovo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan
Cyril;#Diocese of
Debar and
Kičevo, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan
Timothy;#Diocese of
Prespa and
Pelagonia, the administrator is the Most Reverend Metropolitan
Peter;#Diocese of
Strumica, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan
Naum;#Diocese of
Bregalnica, headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan
Agathangel;#Diocese of
Povardarie, the administrator is the Most Reverend Metropolitan
TimothyOutside the country, the MOC is pastorally active in 6 dioceses in the
diaspora. The 13 dioceses of the MOC are governed by ten
Episcopes, with around 500 active priests in about 500
parishes with over 2000 churches and
monasteries. The church claims jurisdiction of about twenty living monasteries, with more than 100 monks.
Image:Ohridlake.jpg|Church of Saint Jovan - OhridImage:Bogorodica.jpg|Monastery of Holy Mother - KichevoImage:Bitola-monastery.jpg|A small church above the Bitola dedicated to Forty Holy Martyrs of SebasteImage:Plaosnik1.jpg|St Panteleimon on the site of St. Clement's Monastery, Plaosnik, OhridImage:Saint_John_Bigorski.jpg|Saint Jovan Bigorski monastery near the city of Debar*
Macedonian Orthodox Church - the official site*
Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral Sts Peter and Paul-Crown Point, IN, USA*
Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (St. Mary) - Columbus, Ohio, USA*
Serbian Orthodox Church " official site: News and announcements about the issue of MOC*
St. Clement of Ohrid Cathedral in Toronto, first Macedonian Orthodox Church in Canada*
History of Macedonian Orthodox Church from MOC's point of view
