Macedonian Church Against any Name Change
Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia
3/10/2010
The Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church HH Stefan expects the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to help in resolving dispute between Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) and Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC).
In Stip where Church – National Gathering on the occasion of the Holiday of the Macedonian Saints took place, Stefan commented the statement of the Patriarch Bartholomew that he will come to Macedonia when “small dispute between two churches MOC and SOC will be resolved.”
– We believe it is so and expect Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to help because the problem of one place of the church is the problem of entire orthodox church, HH Stefan said.
He added that the relations between MOPC and SOC do not depend from weather conditions as it depends from inter-personal relations of leading persons in two churches.
On journalist question, Stefan answered that MOC does not send delegation on enthronement ceremony of the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, which took place today in Pec Patriarchate.
– In the last couple of years there have been no speech or occasion when we have always said that the name Macedonia, the name Republic of Macedonia and the name Macedonian Orthodox Church should not allow to be changed, Stefan said.
He announced that commission of MOC Synod to canonise the bishop Gavril Svetogorec for the Saint because his saintliness was seen and confirmed by believers and monks of “St. Gavril Lesnoski” monastery from Probistip.
Metropolitan Agatangel called believers not to give up the name of the state
The Metropolitan Agatangel of Povardarie Eparchy at today’s Church – National Gathering in Stip called the believers not to give up the name of the country.
– I cannot say it is the position of the MOC, it is my personal position and as archpriest of our holy Macedonian church I call at every holy liturgies the Macedonian people and all citizens who live in Macedonia not to give up the holy Macedonian name, Agatangel said.
It is a duty to defend the country and the name, because as he said, the name is given by the God and Macedonia and Macedonian are mentioned over 70 times in the Bible.
