Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric

Before that, at 9 o'clock, a holy liturgy will be held, which is common prior to every assembly, it was confirmed to Tanjug in the Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The MPC is a canonically unrecognized church.

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.

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.

Macedonia: Archbishop Jovan released on parole

SKOPJE -- Head of the Orthodox Diocese of Ohrid Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski has been released on parole.

The Court of Appeal in Skopje rejected the appeal by the public prosecutor, who wanted Vraniskovski to continue serving his sentence.

SKOPJE - Head of the Christian Orthodox Diocese of Ohrid Archbishop Jovan Vraniskovski has been released on parole after the Court of Appeal in Skopje rejected the appeal by the public prosecutor, who wanted Vraniskovski to continue serving his sentence.

The court decision to release Vraniskovski is valid until March 23, 2017, according to the Macedonian news agency MIA.