Ohrid Orthodox Archbishopric seeks help

15/8/2012

BELGRADE — Representatives of the Ohrid Orthodox Archbishopric met with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić on Tuesday in Belgrade.

They briefed him about the problems this autonomous archbishopric of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Macedonia has had in seeking protection of their human rights and religious freedoms, Bishop Irinej of Bačka said.

Representatives of the Ohrid Archbishopric informed the president, as they had previously many of the institutions of Europe and the world and all the Orthodox Churches, on the problems the Archbishopric of Ohrid has, and especially the unjust incarceration of Ohrid Archbishop Jovan, Bishop Irinej told reporters after meeting with the president.

Representatives of the Ohrid Archbishopric sought the moral support and protection in the defense of their fundamental human rights and religious freedoms, as is the practice in today’s cultural and democratic world, and expect and demand the same from their own church, because the Ohrid Archbishopric is an autonomous church under the SPC, Bishop Irinej said.

Bishop Irinej said that this is not an issue of high political aspirations, ambitions, or any kind of activity other than that which is aimed at protecting the human rights and religious freedoms.

He said that under the guise of false accusations, lawsuits and political persecution are organized against the people, priests, monks and believers because of their church affiliation in Macedonia.

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