Satisfaction in Skopje with the recognition of the Church of Ochrid

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski, met today in Skopje with the head of the country’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Stefan, in the wake of yesterday’s decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to recognize the Church of North Macedonia under the name “Ohrid Church” and to restore it to the canonical order of the Orthodox world.

As stated in the announcement of the government of North Macedonia, at the meeting Kovachevsky congratulated the head of the country’s church on the good news of the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Dimitar Kovacevski stressed that this is a historic and long-awaited decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, by which the hierarchs, priests, and monks of the Church of North Macedonia, as well as the Orthodox believers of the country, are entitled to participate in the liturgical unity with the other Orthodox churches.

He pointed out that this historic decision was taken after intensive communication with the Ecumenical Patriarchate over the last four years, in which representatives of the government of North Macedonia participated.

Moreover, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of North Macedonia expressed, during today’s meeting, as stated in a relevant announcement, its heartfelt thanks to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the issuance of a Synodal and Patriarchal Act, by which the Ecumenical Patriarchate accepts the Church of Skopje in a Eucharistic Communion.

Furthermore, the Orthodox Church of North Macedonia has announced that talks with the Serbian Orthodox Church are continuing until the final status of the country’s church is settled, following yesterday’s announcement by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in which it is clarified that it is up to the Church of Serbia to regulate the administrative issues between it and the Church in North Macedonia.

Source: orthodoxtimes.com