Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric

Orthodox Easter messages delivered by two senior clerics in North Macedonia and Serbia have sparked criticism, with Metropolitan Petar of the Prespa-Pelagonija eparchy of the Macedonian Orthodox Church causing particular outrage with his suggestion that gender equality is "blasphemous" and a "poisonous and perverted ideology" that threatens society.

The Macedonian Orthodox Church is well on the way to finally getting the recognition and independence it craves - but may have to sacrifice the term 'Macedonian', at least for wider use.

"Mostly thanks to your prayers brothers and sister, and thanks to the prayers of all the saints, we established unity," Porfirije said in an address during the liturgy with Archbishop Stefan, the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, MPC.

Macedonian and Serbian churches held a joint liturgy in the St. Clement of Ohrid temple in Skopje. Photo: SPC

Patriarch Neofit said this for the news.bg website.

"When these details around the name of Macedonia have been clarified, the issue of the church will certainly be launched," Neofit said.

At the same time, he announced that the Bulgarian Church will discuss the autocephaly of the Ukrainian church and assessed that this is an important issue.

As the battle hots up over whether a number of countries in the region should get their own Orthodox Churches, Serbian Patriarch Irinej has written to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople warning him about the danger of introducing the principle of giving ecclesiastical independence, or autocephaly, to new states or nations.

The dispute between Greece and Macedonia over the country's name has now involved Macedonia's main faith group, the Macedonian Orthodox Church, MPC.

The schimastic Orthodox Christian church of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to join its ranks, in a move that is seen as having an important impact on ongoing name talks between Skopje and Athens.

The Bulgarian Holy Synod decided late on Monday to refuse an invitation from Macedonian Archbishop Stefan and not attend celebrations for the 1000th anniversary of the creation of the Ohrid Archbishopric on May 27 in Macedonia's second city.

In canonical terms, the FYROM (Macedonian) church issue cannot be resolved without the leading role of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC).

This is according to Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, who spoke for the SPC broadcaster TV Hram.

This is according to Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, who spoke for the SPC broadcaster TV Hram.